Runway digital wind indicator system

• US 8,816,881 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daniel G. Sprinkle, Roger L. Nakata
• Original Assignee: Daniel G. Sprinkle, Roger L. Nakata
• Inventors: Nakata, Roger L., Sprinkle, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/632,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 340/949, 340/963, 340/961, 340/968, 340/971, 340/972, 340/947, 340/948, 345/419, 345/474, 345/581
• US Class Current: 340/949
• 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: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A runway digital wind indicator system senses wind conditions at multiple locations, aggregates this data, and communicates up-to-date, usable information to pilots. Meteorological information, including wind speed, direction, and change (i.e., gustiness) plus temperature, humidity, barometer, wind shear, etc., can be sensed by three or more sensor pods placed along a runway (at least one at each end and another in the middle of a given runway). Data from these pods is then transferred to a computer receiver that processes the information into a real-time, concise, readable format that can be displayed to air traffic control, sent to runway digital display signs placed in proximity to runways for direct pilot reference, and/or posted to websites/internet locations that can then be used to wirelessly relay the information to any of a plethora of digital devices that can be accessed directly by a pilot.

Claims

1. A runway digital wind indicator system, configured to communicate information concerning conditions at a first location, a second location, and a third location along a runway, the system comprising:

a first wind sensor positioned at a departure location which is located near that portion of the runway from which an aircraft is waiting to depart, a second wind sensor positioned at a midfield location which is located at approximately the midpoint of the runway, and a third wind sensor positioned at an arrival location which is located at the opposite end of the runway from the departure location, wherein each location is in proximity to the runway, and the plurality of wind sensors are designed to accurately sense and report in real-time at least wind speed and wind direction data;

a computer receiver in electronic communication with the plurality of wind sensors, the computer receiver configured to receive at least wind speed and wind direction data from the plurality of sensors and to process the data into usable information; and

a runway digital display sign positioned in proximity to the departure location and configured to visually display the real-time, usable information to a pilot in the aircraft on the runway waiting to depart, so that the pilot can see that at the departure location a first wind speed and a first wind direction exist, and at the midfield location a second wind speed and a second wind direction exist, and at the arrival location a third wind speed and a third wind direction exist.

2. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1 wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with a fourth wind sensor, the fourth wind sensor is positioned in proximity to a centerfield location near a center of an airport and is configured to send at least real-time centerfield wind speed and wind direction data to the computer receiver, the computer receiver is configured to incorporate the centerfield data into the usable information, and the digital display sign is configured to visually display to the pilot that at the centerfield location, a fourth wind speed and a fourth wind direction exist.

3. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 2, further comprising the computer receiver using a communications network to display the real-time usable information to the pilot via a portable computing device that is wirelessly connected to the communications network.

4. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 2, wherein the computer receiver uses a communications network to display the real-time usable information in the form of internet communications that can be viewed on a tablet computer, mobile phone, or other electronic device accessible by the pilot from within the aircraft.

5. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 2, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer, or other electronic device in the air traffic control tower.

6. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 2, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with at least one instrument in the aircraft and the real-time usable information is displayed to the pilot on the instrument.

7. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1, further comprising the computer receiver using a communications network to display the real-time usable information to the pilot via a portable computing device that is wirelessly connected to the communications network.

8. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1, wherein the computer receiver uses a communications network to display the real-time usable information in the form of internet communications that can be viewed on a tablet computer, mobile phone, or other electronic device accessible by the pilot from within the aircraft.

9. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer, or other electronic device in the air traffic control tower.

10. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with at least one instrument in the aircraft and the real-time usable information is displayed to the pilot on the instrument.

17. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 1 wherein the computer receiver uses a communications network to display the real-time usable information in the form of internet communications that can be viewed on a tablet computer, mobile phone, or other electronic device accessible by the pilot from within the aircraft.

18. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 17, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer, or other electronic device in the air traffic control-tower.

11. A runway digital wind indicator system, configured to communicate information concerning conditions at a first location, a second location, and a third location along a runway, plus at a centerfield location, the system comprising:

a plurality of wind sensors comprising a first wind sensor, a second wind sensor, a third wind sensor and a fourth wind sensor;

the first wind sensor positioned at a departure location which is located near that portion of the runway from which an aircraft is waiting to depart, the second wind sensor positioned at a midfield location which is located at approximately the midpoint of the runway, the third wind sensor positioned at an arrival location which is located at the opposite end of the runway from the departure location, and the fourth wind sensor positioned at the centerfield location in proximity to a center of an airport, wherein the plurality of wind sensors are designed to accurately sense and report in real-time at least wind speed and wind direction data;

a computer receiver in electronic communication with the plurality of wind sensors, the computer receiver configured to receive at least wind speed, wind direction, wind gustiness reading, temperature, and pressure data from the plurality of sensors and to process the data into usable information; and

a runway digital display sign positioned in proximity to the departure location and configured to visually display the real-time, usable information to a pilot in the aircraft on the runway waiting to depart so that the pilot can see that at the departure location a first wind speed and a first wind direction exist, and at the midfield location a second wind speed and a second wind direction exist, and at the arrival location a third wind speed and a third wind direction exist, and at the centerfield location a fourth wind speed, a fourth wind direction, a wind gustiness reading, a temperature, and a pressure exist.

12. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 11, further comprising the computer receiver using a communications network to display the real-time, usable information to the pilot via a portable computing device that is wirelessly connected to the communications network.

13. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 12, wherein the computer receiver uses a communications network to display the real-time usable information in the form of internet communications that can be viewed on a tablet computer, mobile phone, or other electronic device accessible by the pilot from within the aircraft.

14. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 13, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer, or other electronic device in the air traffic control tower.

15. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 14, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with at least one instrument in the aircraft and the real-time usable information is displayed to the pilot on the instrument.

16. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 12, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer;

or other electronic device in the air traffic control tower.

19. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 11, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with an air traffic control tower and the real-time usable information can be displayed via a tablet computer, mobile phone, digital screen, computer, or other electronic device in the air traffic control tower.

20. The runway digital wind indicator system of claim 11, wherein the computer receiver is in electronic communication with at least one instrument in the aircraft and the real-time usable information is displayed to the pilot on the instrument.