Method for digital transmission and display of weather imagery

• US 7,039,505 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
• Inventors: Aucoin, Michael A., Bell, Lowell F., Southard, David A., Cannaday, Theodore H. Jr., Gouin, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US10/622,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/200, 701/202, 702/3, 340/995.12, 340/945, 340/971, 342/26.A
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/119 Adaptive subdivision aspects, e.g. subdivision of a picture into rectangular or non-rectangular coding blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/94 Vector quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for creating minimal data representing a source image is presented. The source image is divided into a grid of cells. A color is selected for each cell corner based on sampling an area defined by the cell corner. An indication of the selected color is stored in an array dependent on the co-ordinates of the cell corner in the source image.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of delivering graphical weather images through a satellite to an aircraft en route comprising the steps of:

determining an expected position of the aircraft based on a flight plan;

automatically transmitting to the aircraft an updated graphical weather image covering the expected position of the aircraft; and

creating the updated graphical weather image by;

dividing a source image into a grid of cells;

selecting a color for each cell corner based on sampling an area defined by the cell corner; and

storing an indication of the selected color in an array dependent on the co-ordinates of the cell corner in the source image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated graphical weather image is transmitted upon detecting relevant weather.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated graphical weather image is transmitted based on severity of the weather in a source weather image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated graphical weather image is computed based on the expected position of the aircraft along the flight plan when the aircraft receives the updated graphical weather image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an update providing the updated weather graphical weather image occurs based on a pilot configurable timer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft sends position, ground track and ground speed information to a ground station so that the aircraft'"'"'s location can be predicted when next weather update is scheduled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated graphical weather image indicates relevant weather and is delivered based upon the severity of weather.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft receives a different updated graphical weather image than another aircraft based on the expected position in the flight plan.