Wind advisory system

• US 6,311,107 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration US Government As Represented By The Administrator of The
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Curto, Paul A., Brown, Gerald E., Zysko, Jan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/606,102
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/202, 340/947, 340/949, 340/972, 340/601, 731/78.T
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/18 Visual or acoustic landing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a two-part wind advisory system comprising a ground station at an airfield and an airborne unit placed inside an aircraft. The ground station monitors wind conditions (wind speed, wind direction, and wind gust) at the airfield and transmits the wind conditions and an airfield ID to the airborne unit. The airborne unit identifies the airfield by comparing the received airfield ID with airfield IDs stored in a database. The airborne unit also calculates the headwind and crosswind for each runway in both directions at the airfield using the received wind conditions and runway information stored in the database. The airborne unit then determines a recommended runway for takeoff and landing operations of the aircraft based on the runway having the greatest headwind value and displays the airfield ID, wind conditions, and recommended runway to the pilot. Another embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless internet based airborne unit in which the airborne unit can receive the wind conditions from the ground station over the internet.

Claims

1. A wind advisory system for aircraft, comprising:

a ground station including a transmitter for transmitting wind conditions, including wind speed, wind direction and wind gust, at an airfield and an airfield ID; and

an airborne unit adapted to be placed inside an aircraft comprising

a receiver for receiving the wind conditions and the airfield ID from the ground station;

a database for storing a plurality of stored airfield IDs and runway information for each stored airfield ID;

a processor for identifying the airfield by comparing the received airfield ID with the stored airfield IDs in the database, calculating the headwind and crosswind at each runway at the airfield using the received wind conditions and the runway information for the stored airfield ID corresponding to the received airfield ID, and determining a recommended runway based on the runway having the greatest headwind value; and

a display for displaying the received airfield ID, wind conditions, and the recommended runway.

2. The wind advisory system of claim 1, further comprising an anemometer for measuring the wind conditions at the airfield, and a second processor for encoding and reformatting the wind conditions and outputting the processed wind conditions to the transmitter.

3. The wind advisory system of claim 1, wherein the recommended runway is displayed as a two-digit number indicating the compass direction of the recommended runway.

4. The wind advisory system of claim 1, wherein the runway information stored in the database only stores one direction for each runway.

5. The wind advisory system of claim 1 further comprising an ON-OFF button for allowing a pilot to manually turn the airborne unit on and off.

6. The wind advisory system of claim 1, wherein the airborne unit has a standby mode in which the processor and display are turned off when the receiver monitors for ground station transmissions and the processor and display are turned on when the receiver detects a ground station transmission.

7. The wind advisory system of claim 1 further comprising a keypad for allowing a pilot to select an airfield ID, wherein the airborne unit performs the headwind and crosswind calculations when the receiver detects the selected airfield ID.

8. A wind advisory system for aircraft, comprising:

a ground station for monitoring wind conditions, including wind direction, wind speed and wind gust, at an airfield and transmitting the wind conditions and an airfield ID; and

a wireless handheld computer comprising

a receiver for receiving the wind conditions and the airfield ID from the ground station;

a computer memory for storing a plurality of stored airfield IDs, runway information for each stored airfield ID, and computer software having instructions for processing the received airfield ID and wind conditions;

a processor for identifying the airfield by comparing the received airfield ID with the stored airfield IDs in the database, calculating the headwind and crosswind at each runway at the airfield using the received wind conditions and the runway information for the stored airfield ID corresponding to the received airfield ID, and determining a recommended runway based on the runway having the greatest headwind value according to the computer software instructions; and

a display for displaying the received airfield ID, wind conditions, and the recommended runway.

9. The wind advisory system of claim 8, wherein the ground station transmits the airfield ID and wind conditions over the internet and the wireless handheld computer receiver receives the airfield ID and wind conditions using a wireless internet link.

10. The wind advisory system of claim 8, wherein the display displays the wind conditions as a graphic vector symbol with an associated headwind and crosswind component relative to the recommended runway.

11. A wind advisory system for aircraft, comprising:

a ground station for monitoring wind conditions comprising

an anemometer for measuring the wind conditions, including wind speed, wind direction, and wind gust, at an airfield;

a first processor for encoding and reformatting the wind conditions from the anemometer; and

a transmitter for transmitting the wind conditions from the processor and the airfield ID; and

an airborne unit adapted to be placed inside an aircraft comprising

a receiver for receiving the wind conditions and the airfield ID from the ground station;

a database for storing a plurality of stored airfield IDs and runway information for each stored airfield ID;

a second processor for identifying the airfield by comparing the received airfield ID with the stored airfield IDs in the database, calculating the headwind and crosswind at each runway at the airfield using the received wind conditions and the runway information for the stored airfield ID corresponding to the received airfield ID, and determining a recommended runway based on the runway having the greatest headwind value; and

a display for displaying the received airfield ID, wind conditions, and the recommended runway.

12. The wind advisory system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is a spread spectrum transmitter.

13. The wind advisory system of claim 11, wherein the ground station is solar powered.

14. The wind advisory system of claim 11, wherein the ground station further comprises:

a barometer for measuring pressure;

a thermometer for measuring temperature; and

a hygrometer for measuring humidity.

15. The wind advisory system of claim 14, wherein the ground station transmits the pressure, temperature, and humidity to the airborne unit, the database stores aircraft information, and the second processor calculates takeoff data, including liftoff airspeed, using the received pressure altitude, temperature, and humidity and the aircraft information stored in the database.