Auto updating of weather cell displays

• US 9,411,044 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• 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: Sperling, Steven, Koenigs, Gregory J., Fersdahl, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Windrich, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US13/779,484
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 342 26 R- 26 D
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media relating to providing weather data generated by a weather radar system of an aircraft are provided. The method includes receiving radar returns from at least one of a horizontal radar scan and a vertical radar scan. The method includes detecting a plurality of weather cells based on at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan. The method includes providing display data representative of the plurality of weather cells. The method includes automatically providing updated display data representative of the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan.

Claims

1. A method of providing weather data generated by a weather radar system of an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving radar returns from a radar antenna associated with the radar system, the radar returns associated with at least one of a horizontal radar scan and a vertical radar scan;

detecting a plurality of weather cells based on the at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan using a processor associated with the radar system;

providing display data for displayed weather cells representative of the plurality of weather cells using the processor;

automatically providing, using the processor, updated display data representative of the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan, wherein the updated display data comprises a first indication provided at a first location on or proximate a first displayed weather cell of the displayed weather cells, wherein the first indication identifies the first displayed weather cell and indicates that the first displayed weather cell of the displayed weather cells is currently being scanned by the at least one of the additional horizontal radar scan and the additional vertical radar scan, wherein the first indication is fixed at the first location on or proximate the first displayed weather cell, and wherein the first indication is different from a second indication that identifies a second displayed weather cell as having been previously scanned.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more characteristics for the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan; and

automatically updating the one or more characteristics based on at least one of the additional horizontal radar scan and the additional vertical radar scan.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for the one or more characteristics for a first selected weather cell, the first selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells;

providing display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

automatically updating at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first set of indicators comprises a tabular representation of the one or more characteristics, and wherein the first set of indicators are associated with the first indication identifying the first displayed weather cell.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second set of indicators is a graphical representation of the one or more characteristics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second set of indicators comprises a vertical reflectivity profile.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selectively providing display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on a selection of the first weather cell received from a user input device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selectively providing display data representative of at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for a second selected weather cell based on a selection of the second weather cell received from a user input device, the second selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells.

10. The method claim 4, further comprising:

automatically providing display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators in response to an alert condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert condition comprises at least one of (a) a distance between the aircraft and the selected weather cell and (b) a severity of the weather cell.

12. A system for providing weather data generated by a weather radar system of an aircraft comprising a processing circuit configured to:

receive radar returns from at least one of a horizontal radar scan and a vertical radar scan;

detect a plurality of weather cells based on at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan;

provide display data representative of the plurality of weather cells, wherein displayed weather cells corresponding to the weather cells are graphically displayed and include a first reference identifier at a location on or proximate at least one weather cell of the displayed weather cells, wherein the first reference identifier is fixed at the location on or proximate the at least one weather cell, and wherein the first reference identifier is different from a second reference identifier corresponding to a weather cell different from the at least one weather cell;

automatically provide updated display data representative of the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan, wherein the additional horizontal scan or the additional vertical scan provides turbulence data associated with the at least one weather cell of the weather cells; and

provide a tabular representation comprising cell characteristics of the at least one weather cell, wherein the cell characteristics include the first reference identifier associated with the at least one weather cell and an indication of the turbulence data for the at least one weather cell.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

automatically update the one or more characteristics based on at least one of the additional horizontal radar scan and the additional vertical radar scan.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

generate at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for the one or more characteristics for a first selected weather cell, the first selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells, and wherein the first set of indicators comprises the tabular representation of the one or more characteristics and the second set of indicators comprises a graphical representation of the one or more characteristics;

provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators; and

automatically update at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second set of indicators comprises a vertical reflectivity profile.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

selectively provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on a selection of the first weather cell received from a user input device; and

selectively provide display data representative of at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for a second selected weather cell based on a selection of the second weather cell received from a user input device, the second selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

automatically provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators in response to an alert condition, wherein the alert condition comprises at least one of (a) a distance between the aircraft and the selected weather cell and (b) a severity of the weather cell.

18. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to implement a method for an avionic weather display, the method comprising:

receiving radar returns from at least one of a horizontal radar scan and a vertical radar scan;

detecting a plurality of weather cells based on at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan;

providing display data representative of the plurality of weather cells; and

automatically providing updated display data representative of the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan, wherein the additional horizontal scan or the additional vertical scan provides turbulence data associated with at least one weather cell of the weather cells;

providing a first tabular representation comprising cell characteristics associated with each of the weather cells and a reference identifier for each of the weather cells, wherein each reference identifier is associated with one of the weather cells and an icon displayed on or proximate the one of the weather cells and indicating that the one of the weather cells is currently being scanned by the at least one of the additional horizontal radar scan and the additional vertical radar scan; and

providing a second tabular representation for at least one weather cell of the weather cells comprising the reference identifier for the at least one weather cell and an indication of the turbulence data for the at least one weather cell.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

determining one or more characteristics for the plurality of weather cells based on at least one of the horizontal radar scan and the vertical radar scan; and

automatically updating the one or more characteristics based on at least one of the additional horizontal radar scan and the additional vertical radar scan.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

generate at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for the one or more characteristics for a first selected weather cell, the first selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells, and wherein the first set of indicators comprises the first tabular representation of the one or more characteristics and the second set of indicators comprises a graphical representation of the one or more characteristics;

provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators; and

automatically update at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on at least one of an additional horizontal radar scan and an additional vertical radar scan.

21. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the second set of indicators comprises a vertical reflectivity profile.

22. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

selectively provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators based on a selection of the first weather cell received from a user input device; and

selectively provide display data representative of at least one of a first set of indicators and a second set of indicators for a second selected weather cell based on a selection of the second weather cell received from a user input device, the second selected weather cell comprising one of the plurality of weather cells.

23. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

automatically provide display data representative of at least one of the first set of indicators and the second set of indicators in response to an alert condition, wherein the alert condition comprises at least one of (a) a distance between the aircraft and the selected weather cell and (b) a severity of the weather cell.