Method and system for obtaining and presenting turbulence data via communication devices located on airplanes

• US 10,720,063 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamasee Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yamasee Ltd.
• Inventors: Hampel, Oran, Nedivi, Zivi, Shitrit, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Kelly D
• Application Number:
  US15/547,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20180268715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/003 Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A device, system and method is provided for obtaining and processing turbulence data via communication devices located on-board airplanes. Turbulence data obtained by a plurality of communication devices may be received during flights onboard respective ones of a plurality of airplanes. Turbulence map data may be generated by super-positioning the turbulence data received from the plurality of communication devices onto a single tempo-spatial frame of reference. The turbulence map data may be distributed to one or more of the communication devices. A device, system and method is also provided for generating turbulence map data that may reduce or eliminate “false positive” turbulence events. Turbulence map data may be generated for the airspace region based on a minimum of different turbulence values. The turbulence map data of at least the airspace region may be transmitted to one or more communication devices based on the minimum of the turbulence values.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of turbulence values obtained by one or more communication devices during flights on-board one or more airplanes while travelling through a single airspace region within a predetermined period of time, wherein at least two of the turbulence values are different;

generating turbulence map data for the airspace region based on a minimum of the different turbulence values, and not based on a non-minimum of the different turbulence values; and

transmitting to one or more communication devices the turbulence map data of at least the airspace region based on the minimum of the turbulence values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of turbulence values are received from a single communication device on-board a single airplane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of turbulence values are received from a plurality of respective communication devices on-board a single airplane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of turbulence values are received from a plurality of respective communication devices each on-board a different respective one of a plurality of airplanes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence map data for the airspace region is generated based only on minimum turbulence values.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising selectively updating the turbulence value for the airspace region by only decreasing the turbulence value if a lower value is subsequently reported, but not increasing the turbulence value, within the predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising waiting until expiration of the predetermined period of time and setting the turbulence value for the airspace region to be the minimum of the plurality of turbulence values.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising generating the turbulence map data based on an average of the plurality of turbulence values.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the average is weighted by assigning relatively higher weights to relatively lower turbulence values and relatively lower weights to relatively higher turbulence values.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising generating the turbulence map data based on a subset of turbulence values obtained by a plurality of the one or more communication devices excluding a maximum turbulence value.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising generating the turbulence map data based on a subset of turbulence values that are within a predetermined range of the minimum of the turbulence values.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence value for the airspace region is set immediately upon receiving each new minimum turbulence value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence value for the airspace region is set upon the expiration of the predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence map data is generated based on turbulence values for each of a plurality of tiles dividing a three-dimensional (3D) map of airspace regions above the Earth.

15. A device comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

one or more instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor, which, when executed, configure the processor to;

receive a plurality of turbulence values obtained by one or more communication devices during flights on-board one or more airplanes while travelling through a single airspace region within a predetermined period of time, wherein at least two of the turbulence values are different,

generate turbulence map data for the airspace region based on a minimum of the different turbulence values, and not based on a non-minimum of the different turbulence values, and

transmit to one or more communication devices the turbulence map data of at least the airspace region based on the minimum of the turbulence values.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to receive the plurality of turbulence values from a single communication device on-board a single airplane.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to receive the plurality of turbulence values from a plurality of respective communication devices on- board a single airplane.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to receive the plurality of turbulence values from a plurality of respective communication devices each on-board a different respective one of a plurality of airplanes.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to generate the turbulence map data based only on minimum turbulence values for the airspace region.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to selectively update the turbulence value for the airspace region by only decreasing the turbulence value if a lower value is subsequently reported, but not increasing the turbulence value, within the predetermined period of time.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to wait until expiration of the predetermined period of time and set the turbulence value for the airspace region to be the minimum of the plurality of turbulence values.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to generate the turbulence map data based on an average of the plurality of turbulence values.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to weight the average by assigning relatively higher weights to relatively lower turbulence values and relatively lower weights to relatively higher turbulence values.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to generate the turbulence map data based on a subset of turbulence values obtained by a plurality of the one or more communication devices excluding a maximum turbulence value.

25. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to generate the turbulence map data based on a subset of turbulence values that are within a predetermined range of the minimum of the turbulence values.

26. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to set the turbulence value for the airspace region immediately upon receiving each new minimum turbulence value.

27. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to set the turbulence value for the airspace region upon the expiration of the predetermined period of time.

28. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to generate the turbulence map data based on turbulence values for each of a plurality of tiles dividing a three-dimensional (3D) map of airspace regions above the Earth.