System and method of displaying convective weather on a weather radar display

• US 9,268,019 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bunch, Brian Paul, Christianson, Paul, Jensen, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US13/910,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 342 26 R- 26 D, 342/175, 342/176, 342179-184, 342/195, 342 89- 93, 340/945, 340/971
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/062 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• 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 5/0021 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 convective weather graphic element generator system generates graphic elements associated with severe convective weather for presentation on a display on an aircraft. An exemplary system employs a weather radar and a processing system. The processing system determines a value associated with the detected convective weather based on the received weather radar returns detected by the weather radar, compares the value associated with the detected convective weather with a threshold, and generates a graphic element for a region of airspace when the value associated with the detected convective weather exceeds the threshold. The display is configured to concurrently present the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather, wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

Claims

1. A convective weather graphic element generator system comprising:

a weather radar configured to receive weather radar returns from convective weather and stratiform weather in proximity to the aircraft, and configured to generate weather reflectivity information;

a processing system configured to;

detect a convective weather cell based on the weather reflectivity information;

determine a value associated with the detected convective weather cell based on the received weather radar returns,

compare the value associated with the detected convective weather cell with a threshold, and

generate a graphic element indicating a region of airspace within the detected convective weather cell, wherein the region of airspace has its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the threshold; and

a display configured to concurrently present the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather cell,

wherein the weather reflectivity information is presented on the display to indicate the location of the convective weather cell and the stratiform weather,

wherein the graphic element is superimposed over the weather reflectivity information of a corresponding area, and

wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic element comprises a pattern of lines.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the pattern of lines is bounded by a boundary line, wherein the boundary line defines the extent of the convective weather cell having a value exceeding the threshold.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein an intensity of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing thickness indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein a rate of flashing of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic element comprises a pattern of dots.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern of dots is bounded by a boundary line, wherein the boundary line defines the extent of the convective weather cell having a value exceeding the threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a thickness of the boundary line corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing thickness of the boundary indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein an intensity of the presented pattern of dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein a size of the presented dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing dot size indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein a rate of flashing of the presented dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic element comprises a region of solid color with a degree of transparency, such that the transparency of the graphic element permits concurrent viewing of the presented weather reflectivity information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a rate of flashing of the region of solid color corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein an intensity of the color of the region of solid color corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity of the color indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, the graphic element is a first graphic element, and wherein the processing system is further configured to:

compare the value associated with the detected convective weather cell with a second threshold; and

generate one of the first graphic element or a second graphic element based on the comparison,

wherein the processing system is configured to generate the first graphic element for the region of airspace in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the first threshold and not exceeding the second threshold, and

wherein the processing system is configured to generate the second graphic element for the region of airspace in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the second threshold.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first graphic element is a pattern of dots and the second graphic element is a pattern of lines, and wherein the value of the pattern of lines is greater than the value of the pattern of dots such that the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of lines is greater than the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of dots.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first graphic element is a pattern of dots and the second graphic element is a region of solid color, and wherein the value of the solid color is greater than the value of the pattern of dots such that the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of solid color is greater than the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of dots.

19. A method of presenting convective weather graphic elements on a display of a weather radar system implemented on an aircraft, the method comprising:

detecting weather radar returns from convective weather and stratiform weather in proximity to the aircraft;

generating weather reflectivity information based on the detected weather radar returns;

determining a value associated with the detected convective weather based on the received weather radar returns;

detecting a convective weather cell based on the weather reflectivity information;

comparing the value associated with the detected convective weather with a threshold;

generating a graphic element indicating a region of airspace within the convective weather cell, wherein the region of airspace has its respective value associated with the detected convective weather exceeding the threshold; and

concurrently presenting the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather cell,

wherein the weather reflectivity information is presented on the display to indicate the location of the convective weather cell and the stratiform weather,

wherein the graphic element is superimposed over the weather reflectivity information of a corresponding area, and

wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, the graphic element is a first graphic element, and further comprising:

comparing the value associated with the detected convective weather cell with a second threshold; and

generating one of the first graphic element or a second graphic element based on the comparison,

wherein the first graphic element for the region of airspace is generated in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the first threshold and not exceeding the second threshold, and

wherein the second graphic element for the region of airspace is generated in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the second threshold.