Weather radar and weather observation method

• US 8,259,001 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Fumihiko, Wada, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US12/700,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26, 342 73-158
• US Class Current: 342/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/10 to produce a conical or spiral scan
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• 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 weather radar includes an antenna unit configured to transmit a radio wave from a plurality of antenna elements, and receive a reflected wave from a weather target by carrying out beam scanning in an elevation angle direction by phase control, a drive unit configured to control an elevation angle of an aperture of the antenna unit, and a controller configured to cause the antenna unit to carry out the beam scanning in a state where the aperture is faced to a point which presents a maximum range in the observational range by the drive unit, and direct, at a time point when the weather target is detected based on a received signal of the reflected wave, the aperture toward the weather target by the drive unit.

Claims

1. A weather radar comprising:

an antenna unit configured to transmit a radio wave to a weather target from a plurality of antenna elements, and receive a reflected wave from the weather target by carrying out beam scanning in an elevation angular direction by phase control;

a drive unit configured to control an angle of an aperture surface of the antenna unit; and

a controller configured to cause the antenna unit to carry out the beam scanning in order to detect the weather target by the phase control in a state where the aperture surface is faced to a farthermost point in a predetermined observational range, and, control the drive unit to cause the aperture surface to face toward the weather target detected based on a received signal of the reflected wave.

2. The weather radar according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the angle of the aperture surface based on a received power intensity of the received signal.

3. The weather radar according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates, at a time point when the weather target is detected, a maximum value of the received power intensity from the received signal for each of a plurality azimuths, and controls the angle of the aperture surface for each of the azimuths based on the maximum value.

4. A weather observation method used for a weather radar comprising an antenna unit configured to transmit a radio wave to a weather target from a plurality of antenna elements, and receive a reflected wave from the weather target by carrying out beam scanning in an elevation angular direction by phase control, and a drive unit configured to control an angle of an aperture surface of the antenna unit, comprising:

causing the antenna unit to carry out beam scanning in order to detect the weather target by the phase control in a state where the aperture surface is faced to a farthermost point in a predetermined observational range; and

controlling the drive unit to cause the aperture surface to face toward the weather target detected based on a received signal of the reflected wave.

5. The weather observation method according to claim 4, further comprising controlling the angle of the aperture surface based on a received power intensity of the received signal.

6. The weather observation method according to claim 4, further comprising:

calculating, at a time point when the weather target is detected, a maximum value of the received power intensity from the received signal for each of a plurality azimuths, and controls; and

controlling the angle of the aperture surface for each of the azimuths based on the maximum value.