Aircraft weather radar coverage supplementing system

• US 9,952,310 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Guoqing, Wang, Haifeng, Jongsma, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US14/821,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• 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: G06F 18/25 Fusion techniques
• 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

In one example, this disclosure is directed to a system configured to receive weather data from one or more weather data sources. The system is further configured to receive, from a requesting weather radar system, a request for supplemental weather data covering an identified region, wherein the requesting weather radar system is associated with a specific weather radar data format. The system is further configured to identify a set of supplemental weather data for the identified region, based on the received weather data from the one or more weather data sources, wherein the supplemental weather data is in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system and comprises weather forecast information for the identified region. The system is further configured to transmit the supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive weather data from one or more weather data sources;

receive, from a requesting weather radar system, a request for supplemental weather data covering an identified region, wherein the requesting weather radar system is associated with a specific weather radar data format;

identify a set of supplemental weather data for the identified region, based on the received weather data from the one or more weather data sources, wherein the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region is in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system and comprises weather forecast information for the identified region; and

transmit the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region such that the weather forecast information for the identified region comprises data on one or more of:

horizontal motion of one or more weather features in the identified region;

vertical growth of the one or more weather features in the identified region; and

reflectivity trend of the one or more weather features in the identified region.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region at a lower transmission update rate than a specific weather radar data update rate associated with the requesting weather radar system, wherein the specific weather radar data update rate comprises a rate at which the requesting radar system performs an active radar scan and loads data resulting from the active radar scan into buffer cells of a radar system three-dimensional (3D) volumetric buffer memory component, such that the weather forecast information for the identified region is sufficient to be extrapolated by the requesting weather radar system at the specific weather radar data update rate and loaded into a portion of the buffer cells of the radar system 3D volumetric buffer memory component that are assigned to hold data on a 3D volume of the identified region at a time of a specific active radar scan.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more weather data sources comprise two or more weather data sources, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that identifying the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region comprises integrating the weather data received from the two or more weather data sources into a single integrated set of weather data in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the weather data from the one or more weather data sources comprises weather data from one or more non-radar weather data sources, and wherein the processors are further configured to transform the weather data from the one or more non-radar weather data sources in a second data format different from the specific weather radar format into weather data in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine whether the request indicates an option for a fixed-time uplink or an option for a request-response uplink; and

identify the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region and transmit the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system either for a fixed time in response to determining that the request indicates the option for the fixed-time uplink, or as a single transmission in response to determining that the request indicates the option for the request-response uplink.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one Of more processors are further configured to:

in response to receiving the request from the requesting weather radar system, send a request to the one or more weather data sources for extra data covering the identified region;

receive the extra data covering the identified region from the one or more weal data sources; and

transmit the extra data covering the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to apply data compression to the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region prior to transmitting the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to include indications of one or More of hail, lightning, turbulence, and wind shear in the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

compare one or more weather radar components of the received weather data from the one or more weather data sources with a data store of ground surface physical geography; and

cancel radar reflection data from ground surfaces from the one or more weather radar components of the received weather data, based at least in part on the comparing of the one or more weather radar components of the received weather data with the data store of ground surface physical geography, prior to transmitting the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

store an indication associated with the requesting weather radar system of the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system, prior to receiving the request from the requesting system;

identify the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system, in response to receiving the request from the requesting weather radar system; and

ensure that the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region is in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system in accordance with the stored indication, prior to transmitting the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications interface subsystem configured to receive the weather data from the one or more weather data sources via both one or more radio antennas and one or more network connections, and to transmit the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system via the one or more radio antennas.

4. The system of claim I, wherein the specific weather radar data format comprises a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric buffer weather radar data format with time references and three-dimensional geographic references associated with the weather data.

7. The system of claim I, wherein the weather data from the one or more weather data sources comprises weather radar data from one or more weather radar data sources having a different weather radar data format than the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system, and wherein the processors are further configured lo transform the weather radar data from the one or more weather radar data sources into weather data in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system.

8. The system of claim I, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a response transmission bandwidth indicated by the request; and

prepare and transmit the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system in accordance with the transmission bandwidth indicated by the request.

16. A weather radar system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to;

perform a weather radar scan to generate an own weather radar data set;

identify a region having insufficient data in the own weather radar data set;

transmit, to a weather data integrating system, a request for supplemental weather data covering an identified region;

receive, from the weather data integrating system, a set of supplemental weather data for the identified region, wherein the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region is in a specific weather radar data format used by the weather radar system, and comprises weather forecast information for the identified region; and

output for display, on a weather radar display system, a weather radar display based in part on the own weather radar data set, wherein the weather radar display comprises a supplemental weather display portion for the identified region having insufficient data in the own weather radar data set, wherein the supplemental weather display portion is based at least in part on the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region received from the weather data integrating system.

17. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein the weather radar system is further configured such that identifying the region as having insufficient data in the own weather radar data set comprises identifying a region obscured by a weather cell sufficiently reflective to attenuate radar coverage of the obscured region below a nominal signal-to-noise (SNR) threshold.

18. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein the specific weather radar data format of the own weather radar system comprises a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric weather radar data format with time references and three-dimensional geographic references associated with the own weather radar data set.

19. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to update the supplemental weather display portion for the identified region, based on the weather forecast information for the identified region received from the weather data integrating system, at a specific weather radar update rate of the weather radar system.

20. The weather radar system of claim 19, wherein the specific weather radar data update rate used by the weather radar system comprises a rate in a range of once per fifteen seconds to once per thirty-five seconds.

21. The weather radar system of claim 16,

wherein the weather forecast information for the identified region comprises data on one or more of:

tangential motion of one or more weather features in the identified region;

radial motion of the one or more weather features in the identified region;

vertical growth of the one or more weather features in the identified region; and

reflectivity trend of the one or more weather features in the identified region, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform extrapolation of the weather forecast information for the identified region to update the supplemental weather display portion for the identified region at a specific weather radar update rate of the weather radar system.

22. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

indicate a response transmission bandwidth with the request for supplemental weather data covering the identified region;

receive the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region covering the identified region at a rate consistent with the indicated response transmission bandwidth;

perform extrapolations of motions and trends of weather features in the identified region indicated in the weather forecast information; and

update the supplemental weather display portion at a specific weather radar update rate of the weather radar system based on the extrapolations of motions and trends of weather features, until updated supplemental weather data is received at the rate consistent with the indicated response transmission bandwidth.

23. A method for providing supplemental weather radar coverage, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, weather data from one or more weather data sources;

receiving, by the one or more processors from a requesting weather radar system, a request for supplemental weather data covering an identified region, wherein the requesting weather radar system is associated with a specific weather radar data format;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a set of supplemental weather data for the identified region, based on the received weather data front the one or more weather data sources, wherein the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region is in the specific weather radar data format associated with the requesting weather radar system and comprises weather forecast information for the identified region; and

outputting for transmission, by the one or more processors, the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region to the requesting weather radar system.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising identifying the set of supplemental weather data for the identified region such that the weather forecast information for the identified region comprises data on one or more of:

tangential motion of one or more weather features in the identified region;

radial motion of the one or more weather features in the identified region;

vertical motion of the one or more weather features in the identified region; and

reflectivity trend of the one or more weather features in the identified region.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting the supplemental weather data for the identified region at a lower transmission update rate than a specific weather radar data update rate associated with the requesting weather radar system, such that the weather forecast information for the identified region is sufficient to be extrapolated by the requesting weather radar system at the specific weather radar data update rate associated with the requesting weather radar system.