Method, Apparatus And Computer Program Product For Displaying Forecast Weather Products With Actual And Predicted Ownship

• US 20110102192A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Stulken, David E., Batsakes, Peter J., Smith, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,471,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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 method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for displaying forecast weather products in relation to a planned flight path of an air vehicle. The method, apparatus and computer program product may display a representation of future weather conditions along with the planned flight path of the air vehicle and a representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle during the time period during which the future weather forecast is valid in order to provide context for the future weather information. Additionally, the method, apparatus and computer program product may display the weather information as well as information regarding the time period during which the weather information is valid in a graphical manner that is intuitive to the crew of the air vehicle so as not to distract or otherwise increase the workload upon the crew.

Claims

1. A method of displaying forecast weather products, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of weather products, each weather product being associated with a different time period;

providing for a display of a representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products;

receiving a selection of a time period associated with a respective weather product; and

providing for a display of a representation of the respective weather product in relation to a planned flight path of an air vehicle and a representation of an anticipated location of the air vehicle relative to the planned flight path during the time period that has been selected.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing for a display of a graphical representation of a forecast time in relation to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein the forecast time is associated with the time period associated with the weather product being displayed.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising receiving an input moving the graphical representation of the forecast time relative to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein providing for the display of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle comprises providing for movement of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle along the planned flight path based upon and in correspondence to movement of the graphical representation of the forecast time.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing for the display of the representation of the different time periods comprises associating different graphical indicia with the representation of the different time periods to provide different graphical representations of a time period for which the respective weather product is available and of another time period for which the respective weather product is unavailable.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of weather products comprises receiving at least two sets of weather products at respective times, and wherein the method comprises inserting a weather product of one set associated with a respective time period into a subsequent set to serve as the weather product associated with the same respective time period when the subsequent set of weather products that is received fails to include a weather product associated with the respective time period.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products have different lengths, and wherein providing for the display of the representation of the different time periods comprises graphically representing the different lengths of the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprises providing for a display of a representation of a current location of the air vehicle relative to the planned flight path.

8. An apparatus for displaying forecast weather products, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of weather products, each weather product being associated with a different time period; and

a processor, responsive to the memory, configured to provide for a display of a representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, said processor also configured to receive a selection of a time period associated with a respective weather product, said processor further configured to provide for a display of a representation of the respective weather product in relation to a planned flight path of an air vehicle and a representation of an anticipated location of the air vehicle relative to the planned flight path during the time period that has been selected.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to provide for a display of a graphical representation of a forecast time in relation to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein the forecast time is associated with the time period associated with the weather product being displayed.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to receive an input moving the graphical representation of the forecast time relative to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein the processor is also configured to provide for the display of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle by providing for movement of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle along the planned flight path based upon and in correspondence to movement of the graphical representation of the forecast time.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to provide for the display of the representation of the different time periods by associating different graphical indicia with the representation of the different time periods to provide different graphical representations of a time period for which the respective weather product is available and of another time period for which the respective weather product is unavailable.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to receive a plurality of weather products by receiving at least two sets of weather products at respective times, and wherein the processor is further configured to insert a weather product of one set associated with a respective time period into a subsequent set to serve as the weather product associated with the same respective time period when the subsequent set of weather products that is received fails to include a weather product associated with the respective time period.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products have different lengths, and wherein the processor is configured to provide for the display of the representation of the different time periods by graphically representing the different lengths of the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products.

14. A computer program product for displaying forecast weather products, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:

receiving a plurality of weather products, each weather product being associated with a different time period;

providing for a display of a representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products;

receiving a selection of a time period associated with a respective weather product; and

providing for a display of a representation of the respective weather product in relation to a planned flight path of an air vehicle and a representation of an anticipated location of the air vehicle relative to the planned flight path during the time period that has been selected.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising computer-readable program code portions that in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for a display of a graphical representation of a forecast time in relation to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein the forecast time is associated with the time period associated with the weather product being displayed.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15 further comprising computer-readable program code portions that in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to receive an input moving the graphical representation of the forecast time relative to the representation of the different time periods associated with the plurality of weather products, wherein providing for the display of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle comprises providing for movement of the representation of the anticipated location of the air vehicle along the planned flight path based upon and in correspondence to movement of the graphical representation of the forecast time.

17. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein providing for the display of the representation of the different time periods comprises associating different graphical indicia with the representation of the different time periods to provide different graphical representations of a time period for which the respective weather product is available and of another time period for which the respective weather product is unavailable.

18. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein receiving a plurality of weather products comprises receiving at least two sets of weather products at respective times, and wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-readable program code portions that in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to insert a weather product of one set associated with a respective time period into a subsequent set to serve as the weather product associated with the same respective time period when the subsequent set of weather products that is received fails to include a weather product associated with the respective time period.

19. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products have different lengths, and wherein providing for the display of the representation of the different time periods comprises graphically representing the different lengths of the time periods associated with the plurality of weather products.