DYNAMIC WEATHER SELECTION

• US 20110054718A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bailey, Louis J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2203/00 Application of thermometers in cryogenics
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

The different advantageous embodiments provide a system comprising a weather band selection process and a processor unit. The processor unit is configured to run the weather band selection process. The weather band selection process identifies a flight trajectory associated with an aircraft, identifies weather information for the flight trajectory, and identifies a weather band selection for the aircraft using the flight trajectory, aircraft information and the weather information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a weather band selection process; and

a processor unit configured to run the weather band selection process, wherein the weather band selection process identifies a flight trajectory associated with an aircraft, identifies current aircraft state data, identifies weather information for the flight trajectory, and identifies a weather band selection for the aircraft using the flight trajectory and the weather information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather band selection process detects an event that initiates identification of the weather band selection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather band selection process sends the weather band selection to at least one of the aircraft, an operation center, and a ground system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather band selection includes a number of weather bands, and wherein the number of weather bands further comprises at least one of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and anti-thermal icing information.

5. A method for selecting weather bands, the method comprising:

identifying a current and predicted flight trajectory for a first aircraft;

identifying weather information for a number of locations along the current and predicted flight trajectory; and

selecting a number of weather bands for the first aircraft based on the current and predicted flight trajectory and the weather information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

calculating flight trajectory data for the current and predicted flight trajectory based on the number of weather bands selected; and

generating a weather band selection based on the flight trajectory data and the number of weather bands selected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending the weather band selection to at least one of an aircraft and an operation center.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying, selecting, and calculating steps are performed responsive to a request.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying, selecting, and calculating steps are performed autonomously and continually.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the weather information is obtained directly from a second aircraft on the current and predicted flight trajectory.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the weather information is obtained from a number of weather sources.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of weather bands further comprises at least one of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and anti-thermal icing information.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a current phase of flight for the first aircraft, wherein the current phase of flight is at least one of on-ground, climbing, cruising, descending, and landing.

14. A method for generating a weather band selection, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request for a weather band selection for a flight plan, identifying weather information for the flight plan;

selecting a number of weather bands for the flight plan based on the weather information to form a weather band selection; and

outputting the weather band selection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the weather information further comprises:

identifying a weather forecast for the flight plan; and

receiving current weather observation information for the flight plan.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting the number of weather bands for the flight plan further comprises:

identifying aircraft type and aircraft state data for an aircraft associated with the flight plan.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the aircraft state data includes at least one of climbing, cruising, and descending.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating an initial predicted flight trajectory having a number of waypoints for the flight plan;

identifying current and forecasted weather information associated with the number of waypoints; and

selecting the number of weather bands for each of the number of waypoints for the flight plan.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the number of weather bands for each of the number of waypoints comprise weather information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the weather information includes at least one of altitude, temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, anti-thermal icing, and turbulence.