Automated turbulence display system

• US 8,130,121 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert P., Stulken, David E., Batsakes, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US12/194,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 340/963, 340/945, 340/971, 340/974, 340/976, 701/3, 701/4, 701200-210
• US Class Current: 340/945
• 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: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/003 Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• 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 identifies turbulence information from turbulence data generated by a set of remote aircraft based on a request to form identified turbulence information. The turbulence information is identified in response to the request received at an aircraft to view the turbulence information. The identified turbulence information is displayed on a display device in the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for presenting turbulence information, the method comprising:

responsive to a request received at an aircraft to view the turbulence information, identifying the turbulence information from turbulence data generated by a set of remote aircraft based on the request to form identified turbulence information;

presenting a graphical indicator for each report of a turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of the turbulence in which no turbulence is present in the identified turbulence information to form a set of graphical indicators,

wherein the set of graphical indicators is displayed in a set of locations on a map based on where each report of the turbulence was generated;

presenting an icon on the map indicating a location of the aircraft relative to the set of locations; and

presenting a track of the aircraft along an active or modified route of the aircraft to a destination such that the set of graphical indicators are displayed along the route.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a set of reports on turbulence generated by a remote aircraft in the set of remote aircraft; and

adding the set of reports to the turbulence data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the request from an operator interface displayed on a display device in the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a set of parameters in the request from the operator interface displayed on the display device, wherein the set of parameters includes at least one of an altitude, an altitude range, a time threshold, an aircraft type, a position, a level of turbulence, and a route for the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting step comprises:

presenting the graphical indicator for each report of the turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of the turbulence in which no turbulence is present in the identified turbulence information to form the set of graphical indicators, wherein the set of graphical indicators is displayed in the set of locations on the map based on where each report of the turbulence was generated and wherein the set of graphical indicators is displayed using color coding to graphically identify different levels of the turbulence in which turbulence is present and turbulence in which no turbulence is present.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a selection of the graphical indicator from the set of graphical indicators, presenting information from each report of the turbulence associated with the graphical indicator.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an advisory in response to a presence of the turbulence in the turbulence data being greater than a threshold level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating step comprises:

generating the advisory in response to the presence of the turbulence in the turbulence data being greater than the threshold level and in response to the turbulence being present in a selected location relative to a route of the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a separate graphical indicator for at least one of no turbulence, light turbulence, moderate turbulence, or extreme turbulence.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a numerical value indicating intensity of the turbulence.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting a vertical situation display that includes the set of graphical indicators along the route for a selected altitude range.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, responsive to a selection, displaying only the graphical indicators that include turbulence that meets a specified threshold.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, responsive to a history selection, displaying only the graphical indicators that include turbulence information within a specified time limit.

9. A data processing system for presenting turbulence information, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the program code to identify the turbulence information from turbulence data generated by a set of remote aircraft based on a request to form identified turbulence information in response to the request received at an aircraft to view the turbulence information;

present a graphical indicator for each report of a turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of the turbulence in which no turbulence is present in the identified turbulence information to form a set of graphical indicators,

wherein the set of graphical indicators is displayed in a set of locations on a map based on where each report of the turbulence was generated;

present an icon on the map indicating a location of the aircraft relative to the set of locations; and

present a track of the aircraft along an active or modified route of the aircraft to a destination such that the set of graphical indicators are displayed along the route.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the data processing system further executes the program code to receive a set of reports on turbulence generated by a remote aircraft in the set of remote aircraft;

and add the set of reports to the turbulence data.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the data processing system further executes the program code to receive the request from an operator interface displayed on a display device in the aircraft.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the data processing system further executes the program code to receive a set of parameters in the request from the operator interface displayed on the display device, wherein the set of parameters includes at least one of an altitude, an altitude range, a time threshold, an aircraft type, a position, a level of turbulence, and a route for the aircraft.

19. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a separate graphical indicator for at least one of no turbulence, light turbulence, moderate turbulence, or extreme turbulence.

20. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a numerical value indicating intensity of the turbulence.

13. A computer program product for presenting turbulence information, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying the turbulence information from turbulence data generated by a set of remote aircraft based on a request to form identified turbulence information in response to the request received at an aircraft to view the turbulence information;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for presenting a graphical indicator for each report of a turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of the turbulence in which no turbulence is present in the identified turbulence information to form a set of graphical indicators,

wherein the set of graphical indicators is displayed in a set of locations on a map based on where each report of the turbulence was generated;

presenting an icon on the map indicating a location of the aircraft relative to the set of locations; and

presenting a track of the aircraft along an active or modified route of the aircraft to a destination such that the set of graphical indicators are displayed along the route.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for receiving a set of reports on turbulence generated by a remote aircraft in the set of remote aircraft; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for adding the set of reports to the turbulence data.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for receiving the request from an operator interface displayed on a display device in the aircraft.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for receiving a set of parameters in the request from the operator interface displayed on the display device, wherein the set of parameters includes at least one of an altitude, an altitude range, a time threshold, an aircraft type, a position, a level of turbulence, and a route for the aircraft.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a separate graphical indicator for at least one of no turbulence, light turbulence, moderate turbulence, or extreme turbulence.

22. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the graphical indicator for each report of turbulence in which turbulence is present and each report of turbulence in which no turbulence is present further comprises a numerical value indicating intensity of the turbulence.