Weather radar detection system and method that is adaptive to weather characteristics

• US 7,515,088 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Woodell, Daniel L., Robertson, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US11/527,878
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 342 26 R- 26 D, 342/89, 342/90, 342/175, 342/195, 342 52- 55, 342 73-103, 342/165, 342/173
• US Class Current: 342/26.00B
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• 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 detecting weather on an aircraft uses a weather radar system. The method includes determining a classification of weather and automatically adjusting the weather radar system in response to the classification of the weather. The classification of the weather can relate to weather type and maturity levels.

Claims

1. A method of detecting weather on an aircraft using a weather radar system, the method comprising:

determining a classification of the weather using return data from the weather radar system; and

automatically selecting a weather sensing model in response to the classification of the weather, wherein the weather radar system uses the selected weather sensing model to further analyze the weather;

wherein at least one of transmitter pulse width, pulse repetition rate, pulse compression, system gain, customized radar processing, radar thresholds, customized antenna dwell profile, and customized antenna speed profile is adjusted to further analyze the weather in the selecting step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification includes a parameter for weather height, maturity level, phase of development, frontal systems, or orographic systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification is made in response to at least one of reflectivity versus a vertical temperature gradient parameter, reflectivity verses altitude isotherms, a weather height parameter, and a temperature parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification is based upon information including at least one of:

altitude-based information, time-of-day based information, and seasonal information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step uses at least one of:

data obtained from radar azimuth or elevation sweeps, and

data stored in a planar or volumetric memory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes:

directing dedicated azimuth, elevation or diagonal antenna sweeps to acquire more information about the weather.

7. A method of adapting an aircraft weather radar system to a weather type parameter, the method comprising:

determining the weather type parameter associated with weather sensed by the aircraft weather radar system; and

automatically selecting a weather sensing model in response to the weather type parameter, wherein the weather radar system displays the weather in response to the weather sensing model;

wherein the determining step utilizes external data, the external data including at least one of radar geographic location data, aircraft altitude data, atmospheric temperature data, location data, aircraft altitude data, time-of-day data, date data, flight management-system flight path data, in situ wind data, other wind source data, on-board lightning sensor data, on-board clear air turbulence sensor data, on-board infrared imaging sensor data, and on-board visual camera data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a location parameter is derived from a position determining means and is used in the determining step.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a weather type parameter is provided from external the weather radar system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting occurs in response to at least one of:

a location parameter, a seasonal parameter, and a time-of-day parameter.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the external data further includes at least one of ground radar reflectivity data, velocity data, turbulence data, cell tops data, cell motion data, cell predictions data, atmospheric data, winds aloft data, surface reports data, ground based lightning data, and satellite data.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the weather sensing model includes changing at least one of a tilt angle, a selected memory from either a volume memory or planar beam memory, a gain, and a threshold for a display.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

using stored weather radar data to display images representing the weather.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the stored weather radar data is also used to determine the weather type.

15. An airborne weather radar system carried on an aircraft, the system comprising:

a radar antenna system;

a processing means for determining a type of weather, wherein the processing means selects a software routine from a group of possible weather radar software routines for further analyzing the weather, the software routine corresponding to the type of the weather detected by the weather radar system; and

a classification means for associating individual weather cells or features with different classifications into larger regions, wherein the larger regions are classified into at least one of the following;

mesoscale convective systems, frontal systems, super cells, and squall lines.

16. The airborne weather radar system of claim 15, wherein the processing means changes a level of hazard output or a type of hazard in response to the type of weather.

17. The airborne weather radar of claim 15, wherein the processing means selects the software routine in response to at least one of stratiform weather, convective weather, orographic weather, frontal weather, mature weather, growing weather, decaying weather, tall weather, and short weather.

18. A method of detecting weather on an aircraft using a weather radar system, the method comprising:

determining a classification of the weather using return data from the weather radar system; and

automatically selecting a weather sensing model in response to the classification of the weather, wherein the weather radar system uses the selected weather sensing model to further analyze the weather;

wherein the classification is at least one of convective weather, stratiform weather, orographic weather, frontal weather, tropical warm rain, and another identifiable weather type; and

wherein the classification includes a phase of development.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the classification is determined in response to at least one of reflectivity versus a vertical temperature gradient parameter, reflectivity verses altitude isotherms, a weather height parameter, and a temperature parameter.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the classification is determined based upon information including at least one of:

altitude-based information, time-of-day based information, and seasonal information.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining step uses at least one of:

data obtained from radar azimuth or elevation sweeps, and

data stored in a planar or volumetric memory.