Cockpit weather information system

• US 6,014,606 A
• Filed: 10/25/1996
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Tu, Jeffrey Chen-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US08/736,977
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 702/3, 73/178 R, 342/26, 342/460, 434/217, 455/505, 706/931
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

Weather information, periodically collected from throughout a global region, is periodically assimilated and compiled at a central source and sent via a high speed data link to a satellite communication service, such as COMSAT. That communication service converts the compiled weather information to GSDB format, and transmits the GSDB encoded information to an orbiting broadcast satellite, INMARSAT, transmitting the information at a data rate of no less than 10.5 kilobits per second. The INMARSAT satellite receives that data over its P-channel and rebroadcasts the GDSB encoded weather information, in the microwave L-band, throughout the global region at a rate of no less than 10.5 KB/S. The transmission is received aboard an aircraft by means of an onboard SATCOM receiver and the output is furnished to a weather information processor. A touch sensitive liquid crystal panel display allows the pilot to select the weather function by touching a predefined icon overlain on the display'"'"'s surface and in response a color graphic display of the weather is displayed for the pilot.

Claims

1. A system for providing a pilot of an aircraft in flight over a global region with near real time weather information in graphic form in respect of the global region, the system comprising:

central weather data collection and compiling means for periodically collecting and compiling at a first ground based location weather information throughout the global region from a plurality of weather information data collection sources;

a ground based satellite communication service for receiving the compiled weather information from said central weather data collection and compiling means, said ground based satellite communication service including;

ground to satellite transmitting means for transmitting said weather information from said ground based satellite communication service;

broadcast satellite means including receiving means for receiving said weather information from said ground to satellite transmitting means, amplifying means for amplifying received signals, and transmitting means for broadcasting said weather information throughout said global region;

satellite communication receiver means on said aircraft for receiving said satellite broadcast of weather information within the aircraft;

weather information processor means within said aircraft for converting said weather information into specific weather map and pictorial depictions;

said weather information processor means including input output server means, coupled to said satellite communication receiver means and to a global positioning system receiver, said input output server means for receiving said weather information from said satellite communication receiver means and global position information from said global positioning system receiver;

mass memory means for storing at least said weather information and map information of said global region; and

color liquid crystal panel display means coupled to said weather information processor means for providing a display of graphical information, including a map of at least a portion of said global region and, simultaneously, a depiction of various weather information at the coordinate locations on said map prescribed in said weather information, and pilot selectable display functions;

said color liquid crystal panel display means including a touch responsive surface switching means for enabling pilot selection of individual functions for performance by said weather information processor means, including the function of outputting weather information to said color liquid crystal display means, wherein said touch responsive surface switching means comprises an overlay display of the individual functions including a plurality of icons associated with respective functions and graphically represented by said liquid crystal panel display means, and wherein said overlay display includes first icon means for selection of RADAR to provide radar mosaic images, second icon means for selection of the images of lightning;

third icon means for selection of weather conditions at a selected airport;

fourth icon means for selection of a code for the airport selected;

fifth icon means for showing previously received maps of weather data;

sixth icon means for display of a definition of the surface observation symbol displayed subsequent to selection of said third icon means;

seventh icon means for selecting an airport from a listing;

eighth icon means for displaying a smaller geographic region than the region on display; and

ninth icon means for displaying a larger geographic region than the region on display,

said weather information processor means further including display control means for outputting display information to said color liquid crystal panel display means based upon the function associated with the icon touched by the pilot.

3. The method of acquiring and displaying to an aircraft pilot in-flight weather information covering a global region during flight within said global region, comprising the steps of:

acquiring weather information periodically from a plurality of sources dispersed throughout the global region at a first acquisition location, and transmitting said weather information to a ground based satellite communication service;

transmitting said weather information from said ground based satellite communication service to a satellite in orbit over said global region;

receiving said weather information in said satellite and amplifying and re-transmitting said weather information throughout said global region;

receiving said satellite broadcast within the aircraft;

storing said encoded weather information in a mass memory;

providing a color liquid crystal display including a touch screen overlay having a first icon for selection of RADAR to provide radar mosaic images, a second icon for selection of the images of lightning;

a third icon for selection of weather conditions at a selected airport;

a fourth icon for selection of a code for the airport selected;

a fifth icon for showing previously received maps of weather data;

a sixth icon for display of a definition of the surface observation symbol displayed subsequent to selection of the third icon;

a seventh icon for selecting an airport from a listing;

an eighth icon for displaying a smaller geographic region than the region on display; and

a ninth icon for displaying a larger geographic region than the region on display;

detecting pilot selection of a display function by touching the icon associated with the selected display function; and

displaying said weather information in graphical form upon the flat panel color liquid crystal display in accordance with the display function selected by the pilot.

2. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said weather information processor means comprises a high speed personal computer.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, in which said aircraft contains an ACARS unit, and a Satcom SDU, and said Satcom SDU contains a GSDB data port, and wherein said step of receiving said satellite broadcast within the aircraft at a high data speed rate of no less than 10.5 kilobits per second and inputting said GSDB encoded weather information directly into an input-output server for a weather processor means, includes the step of receiving said satellite broadcast from said GSDB data port, by passing said ACARS unit.