SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATION OF COMPREHENSIVE AIRSPACE WEATHER CONDITION DISPLAY FROM SHARED AIRCRAFT SENSOR DATA

• US 20100042275A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kirk, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/04 giving only separate indications of the variables measured
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00

Abstract

Systems and methods communicate sensor data pertaining to detected weather between aircraft. An exemplary system has at least one sensor on a transmitting aircraft, wherein the sensor is configured to detect weather and configured to output sensor data. The system has a first transceiver on the transmitting aircraft that is configured to transmit a signal with the sensor data. And the system has a second transceiver on a receiving aircraft that is configured to receive the signal containing the sensor data transmitted by the first transceiver. The sensor data of the transmitting aircraft is fused with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for a geographic region of interest to extend the effective sensor coverage and to resolve at least one of a location conflict and a severity conflict between the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft.

Claims

1. A system for communicating sensor data pertaining to detected weather:

between aircraft, comprising;

at least one sensor on a transmitting aircraft, the at least one sensor configured to detect weather and configured to output sensor data;

a first transceiver on the transmitting aircraft configured to transmit a signal with the sensor data; and

a second transceiver on a receiving aircraft, the second transceiver configured to receive the signal with the sensor data transmitted by the first transceiver.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor system in the receiving aircraft, the processor system configured to;

process the received signal from the transmitting aircraft to select information corresponding to a geographic region of interest;

fuse the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for the geographic region of interest to resolve at least one of a location conflict and a severity conflict between the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft; and

generate weather information for presentation on a display of the receiving aircraft, the presented weather information corresponding to the fused sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third transceiver on an intervening aircraft, the third transceiver configured to receive the transmitted signal with the sensor data from the first transceiver and configured to re-transmit the signal with the sensor data to the second transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first processor system in the transmitting aircraft, the first processor system configured to add meta data to the signal with the sensor data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the meta data includes a time that the sensor data was output by the at least one sensor, and further comprising:

a second processor system in the receiving aircraft, the second processor system configured to;

determine an elapsed time corresponding to a difference between a current time and the time that the sensor data was output; and

in response to the elapsed time being less than an elapsed time threshold, present weather information corresponding to the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second processor system is further configured to:

in response to the elapsed time being greater than the elapsed time threshold, present weather information corresponding to the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with at least one of an icon color, an icon fill, and an icon intensity that is different from corresponding icons used to present current weather information.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the meta data includes a location of the transmitting aircraft at the time the sensor data was acquired, and further comprising:

a display in the receiving aircraft; and

a second processor system in the receiving aircraft communicatively coupled to the display, the second processor system configured to;

determine at least one characteristic of the weather information from the sensor data;

determine a relative location of the weather information with respect to a current location of the receiving aircraft; and

present an icon indicating the determined characteristic of the weather information on the display, the icon presented at a location on the display corresponding to the relative location of the weather information.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first processor system in the receiving aircraft, the first processor system configured to generate a query comprising a request for transmission of the signal with the sensor data from the transmitting aircraft and a unique identifier of the transmitting aircraft, wherein the second transceiver transmits the query and the first transceiver receives the query; and

a second processor system in the receiving aircraft, the second processor system configured to recognize its unique identifier in the received query, and further configured to cause the first transceiver to transmit the signal with the sensor data in response to recognizing its unique identifier in the received query.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory in the receiving aircraft configured to store a plurality of sensor data format conversion routines that convert the received sensor data into a format used by the receiving aircraft; and

a first processor system in the receiving aircraft, the first processor system configured to determine the format of the received sensor data, configured to retrieve and execute a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor data format conversion routines, and configured to convert the received sensor data into the format used by the receiving aircraft.

10. A method for communicating sensor data pertaining to detected weather between aircraft, the method comprising:

acquiring sensor data from at least one sensor configured to sense weather data residing in a transmitting aircraft;

transmitting a signal comprising the sensor data from the transmitting aircraft;

receiving the signal from the transmitting aircraft at a receiving aircraft;

fusing the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for a geographic region of interest to resolve at least one of a location conflict and a severity conflict between the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft; and

presenting weather information on a display residing in the receiving aircraft, the presented weather information corresponding to the fused sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein fusing the sensor data further comprises:

fusing the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for a geographic region of interest.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the signal further comprises:

receiving the signal from the transmitting aircraft by an intervening aircraft within a signal reception range of the transmitting aircraft; and

relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft further comprises:

relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft via a plurality of other intervening aircraft.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to transmitting the signal comprising the sensor data from the transmitting aircraft, the method further comprising:

transmitting a query from the receiving aircraft to the transmitting aircraft, wherein the query identifies the transmitting aircraft, and where in response to receiving the query, the signal is transmitted from the transmitting aircraft.

15. A system for communicating sensor data pertaining to detected weather between aircraft, the method comprising:

a means for acquiring sensor data from at least one sensor configured to sense weather data residing in a transmitting aircraft;

a means for transmitting a signal comprising the sensor data from the transmitting aircraft;

a means for receiving the signal from the transmitting aircraft at a receiving aircraft;

a means for fusing the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for a geographic region of interest to resolve at least one of a location conflict and a severity conflict between the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft; and

a means for presenting weather information on a display residing in the receiving aircraft, the presented weather information corresponding to the fused sensor data of the transmitting aircraft and the receiving aircraft.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein fusing the sensor data further comprises:

a means for fusing the sensor data of the transmitting aircraft with sensor data of the receiving aircraft for a geographic region of interest.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein receiving the signal further comprises:

a means for receiving the signal from the transmitting aircraft by an intervening aircraft within a signal reception range of the transmitting aircraft; and

a means for relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft further comprises:

a means for relaying the signal from the intervening aircraft to the receiving aircraft via a plurality of other intervening aircraft.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein prior to transmitting the signal comprising the sensor data from the transmitting aircraft, the method further comprising:

a means for transmitting a query from the receiving aircraft to the transmitting aircraft, wherein the query identifies the transmitting aircraft, and where in response to receiving the query, the signal is transmitted from the transmitting aircraft.