System and method for weather detection using more than one source of radar data

• US 9,223,020 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Crosmer, Julianne R., Kronfeld, Kevin M., Murray, Gregory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US13/238,606
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.B
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• 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 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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 radar system can include electronics configured to receive communications from a terrestrial location. The communications can include composite weather data from a plurality of sources and scheduling data. The scheduling data can include an indication of timing for sending local weather data sensed by an airborne radar system to the terrestrial location. The terrestrial system can provide composite weather radar data to an airborne source.

Claims

1. A terrestrial system comprising:

electronics configured to receive aircraft weather radar data and terrestrial weather radar data, and configured to provide composite weather data, wherein the composite weather data comprises weather elements selected from the aircraft weather radar data and the terrestrial weather radar data, wherein one weather element for the composite weather data is selected from weather elements from a same region by selecting the one weather element of the weather elements from the same region using selection criteria comprising time of sensing each of the weather elements from the same region, wherein the electronics is configured to provide a command to an aircraft having an onboard weather radar system for requesting additional weather radar data according to a schedule of additional radar scans by the onboard weather radar system of the same region associated with the weather element to obtain the additional weather radar data, wherein the schedule provides a rate of the additional radar scans by the onboard weather radar system based upon a weather severity associated with the weather element.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics is configured to select the one weather element of the weather elements using the selection criteria comprising severity data and altitude for each element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein weather radar systems located on a plurality of aircraft are configured to form a communication network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional radar scans by the onboard radar system occur between once per 20 minutes to once per 3 minutes.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the schedule is set according to a geographic region.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the composite data is mosaic data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics is configured to select sequentially the additional weather radar data from two or more aircraft when the two or more aircraft sense the same region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the composite data is for display aboard the aircraft, and the electronics is configured to select the one weather element having a closest altitude to altitude of the aircraft.

9. A method of providing composite weather data for an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving radar return data from at least two sources, wherein at least one source is an airborne source comprising a weather radar system;

providing using an electronic processor at a terrestrial unit composite data for use by the aircraft representing a map, the composite data including weather elements from each of the at least two sources, wherein one weather element for the composite weather data is selected from weather elements for a same region by selecting the one weather element of the weather elements for the same region using selection criteria comprising time of sensing the weather elements from the same region; and

requesting, by the electronic processor, additional weather radar data by setting a schedule for weather radar scans of the same region associated with the weather element by the airborne source, wherein a rate of the weather radar scans is requested based upon a weather type associated with the weather element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the composite data is interleaved data from the at least two sources and wherein the map includes nowcast data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the composite data includes elements, the elements being selected from at least one airborne source and based upon distance of weather to a radar sensor, time of sensing data, type of weather activity, quality of radar data, flight track or cell growth.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional weather radar data is alternatively selected from a number of aircraft.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein weather elements from a number of aircraft are chosen for the composite weather data on a sequential basis.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the data from the two sources is referenced geographically.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the weather elements for the same region from the two or more sources are selected for the composite data using criteria based at least in part on at least one of radar source, altitude of the aircraft, and radar tilt angle.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein weather elements from a number of aircraft are chosen for the composite weather data on a sequential basis.

17. A method of providing composite weather data for a first aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving radar return data from at least two sources at a terrestrial unit, wherein at least one source is an airborne source using a weather radar system onboard a second aircraft;

providing using an electronic processor at the terrestrial unit composite data for use by the first aircraft representing a map, the composite data including weather elements from each of the at least two sources, wherein one weather element for the composite weather data is selected from weather elements for a same region by selecting the one weather element of the weather elements for the same region using selection criteria comprising time of sensing the weather elements from the same region; and

transmitting by the terrestrial unit a command to the second aircraft, the command indicating a schedule of additional radar scans to be performed by the weather radar system of the second aircraft to obtain additional weather radar data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the composite data is interleaved data from the at least two sources and wherein the map includes nowcast data.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the composite data includes elements, the elements being selected from at least one airborne source and based upon distance of weather to a radar sensor, time of sensing data, type of weather activity, quality of radar data, flight track and cell growth.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the additional weather radar data is alternatively selected from a number of aircraft.