Aviation display depiction of weather threats

• US 9,322,914 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Finley, Jeffery A., Robertson, Roy E., Dyche, Hubert C., Koenigs, Gregory J., Dickerson, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/681,901
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.R, 342/26.A, 342/26.B, 342/26.C, 342/26.D, 342/52, 342/175, 342/176, 342/179, 342181-183
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/062 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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 method for indicating a weather threat to an aircraft is provided. The method includes inferring a weather threat to an aircraft and causing an image to be displayed on an aviation display in response to a determination by aircraft processing electronics that the inferred weather threat to the aircraft is greater than a measured weather threat to the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a weather threat to an aircraft comprising:

determining a weather characteristic based on radar return data;

causing an image based on the weather characteristic to be displayed on an aviation display;

detecting a turbulence threat to the aircraft;

determining a first threat level associated with a threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic;

determining a second threat level associated with the turbulence threat; and

causing a pattern to be overlaid on the image of the weather characteristic on a location on the aviation display corresponding to the location of the weather characteristic in response to determining that the second threat level associated with the turbulence threat to the aircraft is greater than the first threat level associated with the threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises a speckled pattern allowing an underlying color of the weather characteristic to show through between the speckles.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the turbulence threat to the aircraft based on a wind speed, a wind direction, and a size of a weather cell, and wherein the weather threat comprises a blow off region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detected turbulence threat to the aircraft is a region downwind of a cumulonimbus cloud capable of producing at least one of hail, lightning, and turbulence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the turbulence threat to the aircraft based on a temperature and reflectivity, wherein the turbulence threat comprises an electrified region, and wherein the electrified region is capable of producing a lightning strike.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrified region is a non-active high voltage region, but the aircraft may cause the non-active high voltage region to strike.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing at least one of the size and shape of the pattern in response to a change in a level of the detected turbulence threat to the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather characteristic is a precipitation rate.

9. An apparatus for indicating a detected weather threat to an aircraft, comprising:

processing electronics configured to;

determine a weather characteristic based on radar return data;

cause an image based on the weather characteristic to be displayed on an aviation display;

determine a weather threat to an aircraft;

determine a first threat level associated with a threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic;

determine a second threat level associated with the weather threat;

cause at least a portion of the image to be adjusted based on the second threat level associated with the weather threat to the aircraft exceeding the first threat level associated with the threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing electronics are configured to cause a color of a portion of the image to be adjusted in response to the probability of at least one of hail, lightning, and turbulence within a weather cell exceeding a threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjusting the color of a portion of the image comprises changing the color to a color indicating an increased severity.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing electronics are configured to cause a portion of the image to change color based on temperature and reflectivity as a function of altitude.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing electronics are configured to adjust a color of a portion of the image in response to at least one of an inference of lightning and hail within a weather cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the weather characteristic is a precipitation rate and the weather threat is turbulence.

15. An aircraft weather radar system, comprising:

a processing circuit configured to;

determine a weather characteristic based on radar return data;

cause a first image based on the weather characteristic to be displayed on an aviation display;

determine a first weather threat using an algorithm to infer one of a blow off region from an anvil, an electrified region of airspace, an updraft, and whether a weather cell will grow into a path of the aircraft;

determine a first threat level associated with a threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic;

determine a second threat level associated with the first weather threat; and

cause a second image to be displayed on the first image on the aviation display based on the second threat level associated with the first weather threat to the aircraft exceeding the first threat level associated with the threat posed to the aircraft by the weather characteristic.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a growth rate of a weather cell below the aircraft.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first weather threat to the aircraft is determined using a probability that a weather cell will grow into the flight path of the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second image comprises an icon overlaid on the first image of the weather characteristic, and wherein the size of the icon is representative of a size of the first weather threat.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to adjust the size of the icon based on how close a weather cell is predicted to be around a flight path of the aircraft.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the blow off region from an anvil is inferred from a wind speed, a wind direction, and a size of a weather cell, wherein the electrified region of airspace is inferred from a temperature and a reflectivity, wherein the updraft is inferred from a temperature and a reflectivity as a function of altitude, and wherein whether a weather cell will grow into a path of the aircraft is inferred from a change in an altitude of an echo top of a weather cell over time.