Adaptive weather radar detection system and method used in continental and maritime environments

• US 7,129,885 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Woodell, Daniel L., Robertson, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/631,253
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26, 342 26 R- 26 D, 342 73- 81, 342159-164, 342/89, 342 90-103, 342165-175, 342176-186, 342192-197, 34235701-35717
• US Class Current: 342/26.00B
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2813 Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter
• 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 of adapting weather radar thresholds is disclosed. The method comprises generating a location from a location sensor, retrieving information representative of a weather type from a database, based on the location, and adjusting, automatically, the threshold for a radar display based on the information.

Claims

1. A method of adapting weather radar thresholds, comprising:

generating a location from a location sensor;

retrieving information representative of a weather type from a database, based on the location;

adjusting, automatically, the threshold for a radar display based on the information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the location sensor, global positioning system (GPS) signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises land mass information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises ground clutter targets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises altitude based information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a threshold control law when adjusting the threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an assessment of whether a location is one of at least three types.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the three types comprise, maritime, continental, and transitional.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

Generating a weighting factor based on the location, the weighting factor being representative of whether the location is primarily maritime or primarily continental.

10. A method of adapting weather radar thresholds, comprising:

determining the type of weather, based on location of the radar; and

adjusting, automatically, the weather radar display to display weather hazards, based on the type of weather.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by a global positioning system receiver, global positioning system (GPS) signals, which are converted to location signals.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the type accounts for land mass information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the type accounts for ground clutter targets.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the type accounts for altitude based information.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

applying a threshold control law when adjusting the weather radar display.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating an assessment of whether a location is one of at least three types.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the three types comprise, maritime, continental, and transitional.

18. An airborne weather radar carried on an aircraft, comprising:

a radar antenna system carried on the aircraft;

a location determining system, configured to provide location of information of the aircraft;

a database comprising weather type information relating to location; and

a processing system accessing the database and adjusting the weather radar display thresholds based on weather type information from the database that is based on the location of the aircraft.

19. The airborne weather radar of claim 18, wherein the location determining system includes a global positioning system receiver.

20. The airborne weather radar of claim 18, wherein the processing system controls colors displayed on the weather radar display.

21. The airborne weather radar of claim 18, wherein the weather type information is based on land mass information.

22. A method of adapting weather radar tilt angle, the weather radar being on-board an aircraft, comprising:

determining a range at which the weather is to be detected;

determining automatically, a radar tilt angle, the radar tilt angle being based on the range.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the location of the aircraft.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

retrieving from a database, information representative of ground clutter, based on the location.