Automatic weather monitoring and adaptive transmitting system

• US 5,434,565 A
• Filed: 03/22/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Potomac Aviation Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Potomac Aviation Technology Corp.
• Inventors: Simon, Gary B., Wartofsky, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US08/215,926
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 340/949, 340/968, 340/948, 340/945, 340/963, 340/905, 73/170.01, 73/170.02, 73/170.05, 73/170.06, 73/170.16, 73/178 T, 455/58.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/223, 455/98, 379/41, 379/42, 379/67, 379/72, 379/76, 379/89, 379/201, 379/204, 364/443
• US Class Current: 340/949
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

A method for automatically providing weather advisories for an airport to pilots comprises monitoring weather conditions at the airport and then generating weather advisories in response to these weather conditions. The broadcast traffic on a common traffic advisory channel is also simultaneously monitored and then menus providing for selectable weather advisories and radio check options are broadcast to the pilots. The weather advisories or radio check can then be selected by the pilot by clicks of their transmit button. The time spacing between the menus is adaptively changed in response to traffic on the common traffic advisory frequency. Also, the length of the weather advisories is also changed in response to this traffic. The radio check option is provided automatically by first confirming selection of the radio check option and then allowing the broadcaster to broadcast a short message which is recorded by the system and then rebroadcast.

Claims

1. A method for automatically providing weather advisories to pilots for an airport, comprising:

automatically determining weather conditions at the airport;

periodically transmitting the weather advisories in response to the weather conditions on a radio frequency assigned to the airport even when no broadcasts on the frequency from other sources are detected;

monitoring the radio frequency for broadcasts from other sources; and

adaptively changing a period between successive transmissions on the radio frequency of the weather advisories in response to a frequency of the broadcasts from other sources.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the broadcasts from the other sources on the radio frequency; and

delaying a periodic transmission of the weather advisories in response to a concurrent broadcast from the other sources.

24. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel is a common traffic advisory frequency.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively changing a length of the weather advisories in response to the frequency of the broadcasts from the other sources.

2. A method for automatically providing weather advisories to pilots for an airport, comprising:

automatically determining weather conditions at the airport;

periodically transmitting the weather advisories in response to the weather conditions on a radio frequency assigned to the airport even when no broadcasts on the radio frequency from other sources are detected;

monitoring the radio frequency for broadcasts from other sources; and

adaptively changing a length of the weather advisories in response to a frequency of the broadcasts from the other sources.

23. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring the broadcasts from the other sources on the channel; and

delaying a periodic transmission of the weather advisories in response to a concurrent broadcast from the other sources.

25. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the channel is a common traffic advisory frequency.

4. A method for providing airport weather information to pilots using an automatic weather transmission system, the method comprising:

determining weather conditions;

transmitting periodic messages announcing a presence of the system and instructions for use of the system on a radio frequency assigned to the airport;

responding to pilot requests to access the system by transmitting on the radio frequency information concerning the determined weather conditions; and

preventing transmission on the radio frequency of the periodic messages to avoid interfering with transmission from other sources on the radio frequency.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein determining weather conditions comprises sensing wind speed and wind direction.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pilot accesses the system by transmitting according to a predetermined protocol.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined protocol is generated by sequentially depressing a transmit button of a radio transmitter on an aircraft.

29. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

broadcasting messages having instructions for a selectable radio check option;

in response to selection of the radio check option by a remote broadcast source, generating a recording of a broadcast of the remote broadcast source; and

rebroadcasting the broadcast of the remote broadcast source by playing back the recording.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the selection of the radio check option comprises the remote broadcast source broadcasting in accordance with a predetermined protocol.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the selection of the radio check option further comprises confirming selection of the radio check option to the remote broadcast source.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein broadcasting the predetermined protocol comprises the remote broadcast source generating a predetermined number of clicks by depressing a talk switch of a transceiver.

33. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein preventing the transmission to avoid the interference of the periodic messages comprises delaying transmission of one of the messages in response to detecting a carrier signal from another source.

8. A method for automatically providing weather advisories for an airport to pilots using an automatic weather monitoring system, the method comprising:

determining weather conditions at the airport;

generating the weather advisories in response to the weather conditions;

monitoring broadcasts from other sources on a common traffic advisory frequency of the airport;

determining existence of a converstation by the other sources on the frequency;

broadcasting on the advisory frequency one of a message containing instructions on accessing the system to obtain the weather advisories or the weather advisory; and

delaying the broadcasts for a predetermined time period after the end of a conversation from the other sources.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein monitoring the broadcasts from the other sources comprises:

detecting carrier signals on the common traffic advisory channel;

classifying detected carrier signals as transients or conversations in response to a length of the carrier signals.

10. A method for providing weather advisories to pilots for an airport using an automatic weather monitoring system, the method comprising:

automatically determining weather conditions;

periodically broadcasting a menu on a radio frequency assigned to the airport, the menu including a weather advisory option being selectable by broadcasting a predetermined protocol on the radio frequency;

detecting broadcast of the predetermined protocol on the radio frequency; and

broadcasting the weather advisory on the radio frequency in response to detection of the predetermined protocol.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radio frequency is a common traffic advisory frequency assigned to the airport.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring broadcasts from other sources on the radio frequency; and

adaptively changing a period between successive broadcasts of the menu in response to a frequency of the broadcasts from other sources.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring broadcasts from other sources on the radio frequency; and

adaptively changing a length of the weather advisory in response to a frequency of the broadcasts from other sources.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring for a broadcast from another source on the radio frequency; and

delaying a broadcast of the menu in response to a concurrent broadcast from the other source on the radio frequency.

21. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising

broadcasting a preferred runway in response to wind direction on the common traffic advisory frequency.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising updating the preferred runway in response to a wind change only when a frequency of broadcasts from other sources is at a minimum.

15. A device for broadcasting weather advisories to pilots, comprising:

an automatic weather station for generating weather data indicative of weather conditions;

a central processing unit for periodically generating synthesized voice menus, and for selectively generating weather advisories from the weather data in response to a carrier detect signal; and

a transceiver for generating the carrier detect signal in response to detection of broadcasts on a radio frequency assigned to the device from other sources, and for broadcasting on the radio frequency the periodic synthesized voice menus and weather advisories.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the central processing unit generates classifications of the broadcasts from the other sources in response to lengths of the carrier detect signal, and adaptively changes time periods between successive broadcasts of the synthesized voice menus in response to the classifications.

17. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the central processing unit generates classifications of the broadcasts by other sources in response to the lengths of the carrier detect signal, and adaptively changes lengths of the weather advisories in response to the classifications.

18. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the transceiver receives the broadcasts from the other sources, and broadcasts recorded messages; and

the central processing unit generates the menu to indicate a radio check option selectable by a predetermined protocol, monitors the carrier detect signal to determine receipt of the predetermined protocol, records the broadcasts from the other sources in response to receipt of the predetermined protocol, and replays the recorded broadcasts as the recorded messages broadcasted by the transceiver.

19. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the central processing unit generates a confirmation of the selection of the radio check option for broadcast by the transceiver.

20. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the predetermined protocol comprises a predetermined number of clicks generated by depressing a talk button of a remote transmitter.

27. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the menus contain instructions that the weather advisory is broadcast in response to transmission of a predetermined protocol.

28. A device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the central processing unit detects for transmission of the predetermined protocol by monitoring the carrier detect signal.

34. A device for automatically transmitting weather information, comprising:

an automatic weather station for generating weather data indicative of weather conditions;

a transceiver for generating a carrier detect signal in response to detection of a carrier signal from another source on a radio frequency assigned to the device, for broadcasting on the radio frequency audible messages announcing the presence of the device and instructions for use of the device, and for broadcasting on the radio frequency weather advisories indicative of the weather data; and

a central processing unit for periodically generating the messages, and for generating the weather advisories in response to the carrier detect signal indicating a pilot request to access the device.

35. A device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the pilot request for access to the device is indicated by a carrier detect signal generated by sequential depression of a transmit button of another source.

36. A method for providing information to pilots for an airport, the method comprising:

periodically broadcasting a menu on a radio frequency assigned to the airport including information categories, different ones of the information categories being selectable by broadcasting corresponding predetermined protocols on the radio frequency;

detecting broadcast of the predetermined protocols on the radio frequency;

broadcasting information on the radio frequency corresponding to a selected one of the information categories indicated by the received one of the predetermined protocols; and

preventing broadcast on the radio frequency of the menu in response to a concurrent broadcast on the radio frequency from another source.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the information categories comprise weather information and airport information.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the information categories further comprise a radio check option.

39. A method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the menu includes weather information.