Automatic horizontal and vertical scanning radar
First Claim
1. An automatic horizontal and vertical scanning weather radar system for an aircraft comprisingantenna means mounted in the aircraft for receiving reflected radar signals and responsive to a transmit signal for producing and directing outwardly therefrom a radar beam, and responsive both to horizontal drive signals for sweeping the radar beam back and forth horizontally, and to vertical drive signals for moving the radar beam up and down vertically,means for periodically supplying transmit signals to the antenna means,receiver means coupled to the antenna means for digitizing reflected radar signals received by the antenna means,means for storing the digitized signals in a three-dimensional array representing voxels in three-dimensional space transversed by the radar signals,display means responsive to the digitized signals for displaying both a plan view image of weather over a preselected horizontal range represented by reflected radar signals received by the antenna means sweeping back and forth horizontally, and a vertical view image of weather for a preselected height range represented by reflected radar signals received by the antenna means moving up and down vertically,means for supplying horizontal drive signals and vertical drive signals to the antenna means,control means for selectively retrieving from the storing means digitized signals specified by plan view altitude range (pvar) signals and supplying the retrieved digitized signals to the display means, andmanually operable pvar signal generating means for selectively supplying pvar signals to the control means to define a uniform vertical range of the plan view image displayed, and the vertical view image displayed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Weather radar and map display system for use in aircraft includes a transmitter for transmitting radar signals outwardly from the aircraft, a receiver for receiving back reflected radar signals, a digitizer for digitizing the reflected radar signals, a processor for calculating the latitude and longitude coordinates of the locations in space from which the reflected radar signals were reflected based on detected range information of the reflected radar signals and detected heading, position and track information of the aircraft, and a storage device for storing the digitized signals and the latitude and longitude coordinates calculated for respective reflected radar signals. Also included is a second storage device for storing predetermined map and navigation data, reference to latitude and longitude, of the ground over which the aircraft will travel, and a display device responsive to the first and second storage devices for simultaneously displaying a plan view image over a selected horizontal range of weather, represented by digitized reflected radar signals, relative to the calculated latitude and longitude coordinates, and of the map and navigational data relative to the latitude and longitude of that data. The weather display and map and navigational data display are superimposed over one another to enable quick and efficient location of weather conditions and map and navigational aids such as airports, navigational stations, and other aircraft guiding structure.
149 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An automatic horizontal and vertical scanning weather radar system for an aircraft comprising
antenna means mounted in the aircraft for receiving reflected radar signals and responsive to a transmit signal for producing and directing outwardly therefrom a radar beam, and responsive both to horizontal drive signals for sweeping the radar beam back and forth horizontally, and to vertical drive signals for moving the radar beam up and down vertically, means for periodically supplying transmit signals to the antenna means, receiver means coupled to the antenna means for digitizing reflected radar signals received by the antenna means, means for storing the digitized signals in a three-dimensional array representing voxels in three-dimensional space transversed by the radar signals, display means responsive to the digitized signals for displaying both a plan view image of weather over a preselected horizontal range represented by reflected radar signals received by the antenna means sweeping back and forth horizontally, and a vertical view image of weather for a preselected height range represented by reflected radar signals received by the antenna means moving up and down vertically, means for supplying horizontal drive signals and vertical drive signals to the antenna means, control means for selectively retrieving from the storing means digitized signals specified by plan view altitude range (pvar) signals and supplying the retrieved digitized signals to the display means, and manually operable pvar signal generating means for selectively supplying pvar signals to the control means to define a uniform vertical range of the plan view image displayed, and the vertical view image displayed.
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10. A weather radar system for aircraft comprising
antenna means mounted in the aircraft for transmitting radar signals outwardly from the aircraft and receiving back reflected radar signals, and for producing horizontal deflection signals indicating the horizontal deflection A from the center line of the aircraft from which reflected radar signals are received, receiver means coupled to the antenna means for digitizing reflected radar signals received by the antenna means, and for producing range signals representing distances R from the aircraft from which reflected radar signals are received, heading means for producing heading signals indicative of the heading H of the aircraft relative to the latitude and longitude of the earth, navigation means for producing position signals and track signals indicative, respectively, of the position P of the aircraft and the track T followed by the aircraft relative to latitude and longitude of the earth, means for storing the digitized signals, horizontal deflection signals, range signals, heading signals, position signals track signals, display means responsive to display control signals for displaying a plan view image of weather over a preselected area ahead and to the side of the aircraft, represented by received reflected radar signals, relative to latitude and longitude of the earth, and control means for producing display control signals from the stored digitized signals, horizontal deflection signals, range signals, heading signals, position signals and track signals.
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14. A weather radar/map display system for aircraft comprising
means for transmitting radar signals from the aircraft and for receiving back reflected radar signals, means for digitizing the reflected radar signals received by the transmitting and receiving means, means for calculating the latitude and longitude coordinates of the locations in space from which the reflected radar signals were reflected, first means for storing the digitized signals and the latitude and longitude coordinates calculated for respective reflected radar signals, second means for storing predetermined map data, referenced to latitude and longitude, of the ground over which the aircraft will travel, and display means responsive to the first and second storing means for simultaneously displaying a plan view image over a selected horizontal range (a) of weather, represented by digitized reflected radar signals, relative to the calculated latitude and longitude coordinates, and (b) of the map data relative to the latitude and longitude of that data, said weather display and map data display being superimposed over one another.
Specification