Dynamic weather selection

• US 8,165,790 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bailey, Louis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/547,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/10, 701/9, 701/14, 701/16, 340/901, 340/949, 244/75.1
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2203/00 Application of thermometers in cryogenics
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

The different advantageous embodiments provide a system comprising a weather band selection process and a processor unit. The processor unit is configured to run the weather band selection process. The weather band selection process identifies a flight trajectory associated with an aircraft, identifies weather information for the flight trajectory, and identifies a weather band selection for the aircraft using the flight trajectory, aircraft information and the weather information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a weather band selection process; and

a processor unit configured to run the weather band selection process, wherein the weather band selection process identifies a flight trajectory associated with an aircraft, identifies information regarding the aircraft other than the flight trajectory, identifies weather information for the flight trajectory, and identifies a weather band selection for the aircraft using the flight trajectory, the information regarding the aircraft other than the flight trajectory, and the weather information,

wherein the weather band selection comprises

weather information for a first plurality of altitudes at a wavpoint of the flight trajectory for a phase of flight of the aircraft other than a climb phase of flight or a descent phase of flight, and

weather information for a second plurality of altitudes for the climb phase of flight or the descent phase of flight, wherein the second plurality of altitudes are altitudes encountered by the flight trajectory for the climb phase of flight or the descent phase of flight.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather band selection process detects an event that initiates identification of the weather band selection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather band selection process sends the weather band selection to at least one of the aircraft, an operation center, and a ground system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather information comprises at least one of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and anti-thermal icing information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the aircraft other than the flight trajectory comprises aircraft state data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the aircraft other than the flight trajectory comprises one or more events.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more events are selected from the group consisting of a gear extension, a gear retraction, a flap extension, a flap retraction, one or more step climb points, one or more step down points, and an aircraft event where there are changes in aircraft pitch, speed, or thrust.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the aircraft other than the flight trajectory comprises one or both of aircraft type or on-board equipage.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a trajectory calculation process configured to predict a second trajectory for a flight plan of the aircraft based on the weather band selection.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a selection module configured to predict how the flight trajectory may change from a flight plan based on the weather band selection.

11. A method for selecting weather bands, the method comprising:

identifying a flight trajectory for a first aircraft;

identifying weather information for a number of locations along the flight trajectory; and

selecting a first plurality of weather bands for a waypoint of the flight trajectory based on the flight trajectory and the weather information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a second plurality of weather bands based on the flight trajectory, wherein the second plurality of weather bands comprises weather information for a plurality of altitudes encountered by the flight trajectory for a climb phase of flight or a descent phase of flight.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the first plurality of weather bands to at least one of an aircraft and an operation center.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying and selecting steps are performed responsive to a request.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying and selecting steps are performed autonomously and continually.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the weather information is obtained from a second aircraft on the flight trajectory.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the weather information is obtained from a number of weather sources.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of weather bands comprise at least one of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and anti-thermal icing information for a plurality of altitudes at the waypoint of the flight trajectory.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of weather bands are selected based on a phase of flight for the first aircraft at the waypoint of the flight trajectory, wherein the phase of flight is at least one of on-ground, climbing, cruising, descending, and landing.

20. A method for generating a weather band selection, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request for a weather band selection for a flight plan, identifying weather information for the flight plan;

selecting a number of weather bands for the flight plan based on the weather information to form a weather band selection;

outputting the weather band selection;

calculating an initial predicted flight trajectory having a number of waypoints;

identifying current and forecasted weather information associated with the number of waypoints; and

selecting a plurality of weather bands for each of the number of waypoints.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein identifying the weather information further comprises:

identifying a weather forecast for the flight plan; and

receiving current weather observation information for the flight plan.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein selecting the number of weather bands for the flight plan further comprises:

selecting the number of weather bands for the flight plan using aircraft type and aircraft state data for an aircraft associated with the flight plan.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the aircraft state data includes at least one of climbing, cruising, and descending.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of weather bands for each of the number of waypoints comprise weather information for a plurality of altitudes at each of the number of waypoints.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the weather information includes at least one of altitude, temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, anti-thermal icing, and turbulence.