Aviation display depiction of weather threats

• US 9,978,168 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• 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 M
• Application Number:
  US15/487,234
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• 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 severity of a weather threat to an aircraft comprising:

determining a first threat level associated with a first weather characteristic based on radar return data;

determining a second threat level associated with a weather threat inferred from a second weather characteristic; and

generating data configured to cause a pattern to be overlaid on an image indicating the first weather characteristic, the pattern overlaid based on the second threat level exceeding the first threat level, wherein at least one of a color, shape, and size of the pattern is based on a severity of the second threat level, and wherein the severity is based on the second threat level exceeding a severity threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the severity threshold comprises a first threshold, and further comprising adjusting the at least one of the color, shape, and size of the pattern based on the second threat level exceeding a second threshold indicating a higher severity than the first threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the severity threshold comprises a first threshold, and further comprising adjusting the at least one of the color, shape, and size of the pattern based on the second threat level falling below a second threshold indicating a higher severity than the first threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern is configured to allow an underlying color of the first weather characteristic to show through the pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second weather characteristic is at least one of a wind speed, a wind direction, and a size of a weather cell, and wherein the weather threat comprises a blow off region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather threat is a region downwind of a cumulonimbus cloud capable of producing at least one of hail, lightning, and turbulence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first weather characteristic is a precipitation rate, and wherein the weather threat is a turbulence threat comprising an electrified region capable of producing a lightning strike, and further comprising detecting the turbulence threat to the aircraft based on a temperature and reflectivity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electrified region is a non-active high voltage region, and wherein the aircraft passing through or proximate to the non-active high voltage region may cause the non-active high voltage region to strike.

9. An apparatus for indicating a severity of an inferred weather threat to an aircraft, comprising:

processing electronics configured to;

determine a first threat level associated with a first weather characteristic based on radar return data;

determine a second threat level associated with a weather threat inferred from a second weather characteristic;

generate data configured to cause a characteristic of at least a portion of an image to be adjusted based on the second threat level exceeding the first threat level, the characteristic comprising at least one of a color, shape, and size based on a severity of the second threat level.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the severity is based on the probability of at least one of hail, lightning, and turbulence occurring within a weather cell exceeding a probability threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the adjustment indicates an increased severity.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the adjustment indicates a decreased severity.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing electronics are configured to adjust the characteristic in response to the inferred weather threat comprising at least one of lightning and hail within a weather cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first weather characteristic is a precipitation rate and the weather threat is a turbulence threat.

15. An aircraft weather radar system, comprising:

a processing circuit configured to;

determine a weather characteristic based on radar return data;

determine a 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 the weather characteristic;

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

generate data configured to cause an image of the weather threat to be displayed on an image of the weather characteristic on an aviation display based on the second threat level exceeding the first threat level, wherein a characteristic of the image of the weather threat is based on a severity of the weather threat exceeding a severity threshold.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the severity threshold comprises a first threshold, and wherein the characteristic of the image is based on the severity of the weather threat further exceeding a second threshold indicating a higher severity than the first threshold.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the image of the weather threat comprises a color, and wherein the color is one of green, yellow, and red.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the image of the weather threat comprises an icon overlaid on the image of the weather characteristic, and wherein the size of the icon is representative of a size of the 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.