Weather radar with bright band suppression

• US 9,547,082 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Christianson, Paul E., Bunch, Brian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US14/534,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20160131758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.R, 342 26 A- 26 D
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/062 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/14 Sector, off-centre, or expanded angle display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• 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

This disclosure is directed to methods, devices, and systems for generating a weather radar output with bright band suppression. In one example, a method includes determining, for each of several portions of a vertical column from a weather radar signal, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges. The method further includes determining, in response to determining that portions of the vertical column are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather. The method further includes generating, in response to determining that the combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet the criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of the vertical column as associated with one of the lower reflectivity ranges.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, for each of a plurality of portions of a plurality of vertical columns from a weather radar signal, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges;

determining, by the one or more processors, for each respective vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns, in response to determining that any of the portions of the respective vertical columns are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather; and

generating, by the one or more processors, in response to determining that the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather for each of the vertical columns, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of all the vertical columns as associated with one of the one or more lower reflectivity ranges.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprise one or more criteria indicative of bright band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertically integrated reflectivity (VIR) of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns is below a threshold VIR.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold VIR is between 90% and 100% inclusive of a sum of 40 decibels relative to reflectivity (dBZ) per number of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertical span of the portions of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range is less than a threshold vertical span.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold vertical span is between 1,000 feet and 5,000 feet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertical difference in reflectivity range between at least one of the portions of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range and at least one of the at least one of the plurality of portions of the vertical columns that are in one of the lower reflectivity ranges is greater than a threshold difference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold vertical difference in reflectivity range is between 10 and 40 dBZ.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of the vertical column as associated with the one or more lower reflectivity ranges comprises indicating each of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns as having less than 40 decibels relative to reflectivity (dBZ).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating each of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns as associated with the one or more lower reflectivity ranges comprises representing each of the portions in the highest reflectivity range as being associated with a second-highest reflectivity range from among the one or more lower reflectivity ranges.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein representing one of the portions in the second-highest reflectivity range comprises depicting the portion in a non-red color in a graphical weather radar display output, such that representing each of the portions in the highest reflectivity range as being associated with the second-highest reflectivity range comprises depicting each of the portions in the highest reflectivity range in the non-red color in the graphical weather radar display output.

12. A device comprising:

a computer-readable medium having program code stored thereon; and

one or more processors, the device configured for the program code to be executable by the one or more processors for causing the one or more processors to;

determine, for each respective vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns from a weather radar signal, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges;

determine, for each respective vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns, in response to determining that any of the portions of the respective vertical columns are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather; and

generate, in response to determining that the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather for each of the vertical columns, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of all of the vertical columns as associated with one of the one or more lower reflectivity ranges.

13. The device of claim 12, the device being further configured for the program code to be executable by the one or more processors such that determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertically integrated reflectivity (VIR) of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns is below a threshold VIR.

14. The device of claim 12, the device being further configured for the program code to be executable by the one or more processors such that determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertical span of the portions of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range is less than a threshold vertical span.

15. The device of claim 12, the device being further configured for the program code to be executable by the one or more processors such that determining whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises determining whether a vertical difference in reflectivity range between at least one of the portions of at least one of the plurality of vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range and at least one of the portions of the at least one of the plurality of vertical columns that are in one of the lower reflectivity ranges is greater than a threshold difference.

16. A weather radar system comprising:

a radar transceiver; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine, for each of a plurality of portions of a plurality of vertical columns from a weather radar signal received via the radar transceiver, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges;

determine, for each respective vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns, in response to determining that any of the portions of the respective vertical columns are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather; and

generate, in response to determining that the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather for each of the vertical columns, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of all of the vertical columns as associated with one of the one or more lower reflectivity ranges.

17. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein being configured to determine whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises being configured to determine whether a vertically integrated reflectivity (VIR) of at least one of the vertical columns is below a threshold VIR.

18. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein being configured to determine whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises being configured to determine whether a vertical span of the portions of at least one of the vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range is less than a threshold vertical span.

19. The weather radar system of claim 16, wherein being configured to determine whether the combination of the determined reflectivity ranges of the portions of the plurality of vertical columns meet the one or more criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather comprises being configured to determine whether a vertical difference in reflectivity range between at least one of the portions of at least one of the vertical columns that are in the highest reflectivity range and at least one of the portions of the at least one of the vertical columns that are in one of the lower reflectivity ranges is greater than a threshold difference.