Weather radar system and method using data from a lightning sensor
First Claim
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1. A weather radar system for an aircraft, comprising:
- an input for receiving lightning detection data on the aircraft; and
processing electronics coupled to the input, receiving weather radar data, and receiving the lightning detection data via the input, the processing electronics providing temporal, spatial, or both temporal and spatial filtering of the lightning detection data to provide filtered data, the processing electronics using the filtered data to map a presence of lightning to a geographic area including an error factor, the processing electronics determining a position of a convective cell by correlating the weather radar data and the geographic area including the error factor.
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Abstract
A weather radar system includes an input for receiving lightning detection data and processing electronics for determining a presence of a convective cell or associated hazard. The processing electronics receive weather radar data and the lightning detection data. The weather radar data is related to radar returns. The processing electronics provide temporal or spatial filtering of the lightning detection data to provide filtered data and determine a position of the convective cell or associated hazard in response to the weather radar data and the filtered data.
120 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A weather radar system for an aircraft, comprising:
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an input for receiving lightning detection data on the aircraft; and processing electronics coupled to the input, receiving weather radar data, and receiving the lightning detection data via the input, the processing electronics providing temporal, spatial, or both temporal and spatial filtering of the lightning detection data to provide filtered data, the processing electronics using the filtered data to map a presence of lightning to a geographic area including an error factor, the processing electronics determining a position of a convective cell by correlating the weather radar data and the geographic area including the error factor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of displaying an indication of a convective cell on an aircraft display in an avionics system, the method comprising:
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receiving lightning sensor data from an aircraft lightning sensor; filtering the lightning sensor data with spatial and temporal filters; receiving radar returns from an aircraft weather radar system; using the filtered data to map a presence of lightning to a geographic area including an error factor; determining a position of the convective cell by correlating the weather radar data and the geographic area including the error factor; and providing the indication of the convective cell on the aircraft display by correlating the radar returns and the filtered lightning data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for determining a presence of a hazard for an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:
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means for determining a location of cells from weather radar returns; means for determining a presence of lightning; means for mapping the presence of lightning to a geographic area including an error factor; means for determining a hazard location by correlating the geographic area of the lightning and the location of cells from the weather radar returns; and means for displaying the hazard on a display in response to the hazard location in relation to an aircraft flight path.
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Specification