Methods and systems for providing live weather data onboard an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139474-B2
Application number	US-201715439158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A method for presenting weather information onboard an aircraft is provided. The method obtains a first set of weather data from aircraft onboard radar system; obtains a second set of weather data from external sources including one or more external aircraft, a satellite, a remote server, and a ground-based weather station, wherein the communication device is compatible a communication protocol for the external sources, and wherein the communication protocol comprises at least one of a datalink communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, a very high frequency (VHF) radio communication protocol, and a transponder communication protocol; and presents graphical elements comprising a first set of graphical elements associated with the first set of weather data and a second set of graphical elements associated with the second set of weather data, wherein the second set of graphical elements include visual characteristics distinguishable from the first set of graphical elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for presenting weather information onboard an aircraft, the method comprising:
obtaining, by at least one processor, a first set of weather data from an aircraft onboard radar system;
obtaining a current flight plan comprising a set of waypoints, by the at least one processor;
determining a swath extending to sides of the current flight plan defined by the set of waypoints;
based on the current flight plan and the swath, automatically requesting a second set of weather data for areas extending beyond an operating range of the aircraft onboard radar system;
in response to automatically requesting the second set of weather data, obtaining, by the at least one processor via a communication device, the second set of weather data from external sources including at least one of one or more external aircraft, a satellite, a remote server, and a ground-based weather station, wherein the communication device is compatible with a communication protocol for the external sources, and wherein the communication protocol comprises at least one of a datalink communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, a very high frequency (VHF) radio communication protocol, and a transponder communication protocol;
presenting graphical elements comprising a first set of graphical elements associated with the first set of weather data and a second set of graphical elements associated with the second set of weather data, via a display device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the second set of graphical elements include visual characteristics distinguishable from the first set of graphical elements;
detecting a rain attenuation area, by the at least one processor via the aircraft onboard radar system;
in response to detecting the rain attenuation area, automatically requesting a third set of weather data for the rain attenuation area, wherein the third set of weather data is requested from the external sources; and
presenting rain attenuation area graphical elements, via the display device, wherein the rain attenuation graphical elements comprise at least a rain attenuation demarcation indicating weather occluded connected radar, wherein the second set of graphical elements comprise the rain attenuation area graphical elements, and wherein the rain attenuation area graphical elements include visual characteristics distinguishable from the first set of graphical elements.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining unavailability of weather data for certain regions of the areas extending beyond the operating range of the aircraft onboard radar system, based on the received second set of weather data lacking the weather data for the certain regions;
identifying the certain regions represented via a map display presented by the display device; and
presenting a third set of graphical elements, via the display device, wherein the third set of graphical elements comprises demarcation to indicate the certain regions for which weather data is unavailable, and wherein the graphical elements comprise the third set of graphical elements.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting a fourth set of graphical elements at an edge of a map display comprising an area, via the display device, wherein the fourth set of graphical elements comprises an indication of off-screen weather conditions located in an off-screen area and a text indication of a distance to the off-screen weather conditions, wherein the first set of weather data and the second set of weather data comprises the off-screen weather conditions, and wherein the graphical elements comprise the fourth set of graphical elements;
receiving a user input selection of the fourth set of graphical elements, via a user interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and
in response to the user input selection, slewing the map display to the off-screen area to present the off-screen weather conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting the graphical elements using varying intensities of color associated with an age of data represented by the graphical elements.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
refreshing the graphical elements, in real-time during flight, by:
obtaining current weather data from the aircraft onboard radar system and the external sources; and
updating the graphical elements, based on the current weather data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting the graphical elements via a vertical situation display (VSD) onboard the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the current flight plan or secondary flight plan comprising the set of waypoints;
obtaining a user request for weather data associated with the set of waypoints, via a user interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and wherein the weather data comprises at least the first set of weather data and the second set of weather data; and
presenting the graphical elements via the display device, in response to the user request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a flight profile for the aircraft; and
automatically requesting the second set of weather data for areas beyond a range of the aircraft onboard radar system, based on the flight profile.

9. A system for presenting weather information onboard an aircraft, the system comprising:
a system memory element;
an aircraft onboard radar system, configured to obtain radar weather data for the aircraft;
a communication device, configured to obtain externally sourced weather data from external sources including at least one of one or more external aircraft, a satellite, a remote server, and a ground-based weather station, wherein the communication device is compatible with a communication protocol for the external sources, and wherein the communication protocol comprises at least one of a datalink communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, a very high frequency (VHF) radio communication protocol, and a transponder communication protocol;
a display device, configured to present weather data onboard the aircraft; and
at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the system memory element, the communication device, and the display device, the at least one processor configured to:
obtain a first set of weather data via the aircraft onboard radar system, wherein the radar weather data comprises the first set of data;
obtain a current flight plan comprising a set of waypoints;
determine a swath extending to sides of the current flight plan defined by the set of waypoints;
based on the current flight plan and the swath, automatically request a second set of weather data for areas extending beyond an operating range of the aircraft onboard radar system;
in response to automatically requesting the second set of weather data, obtain the second set of weather data via the communication device, wherein the externally sourced weather data comprises the second set of data;
present graphical elements via the display device, wherein the graphical elements comprise a first set of graphical elements associated with the first set of weather data and a second set of graphical elements associated with the second set of weather data, wherein the second set of graphical elements include visual characteristics distinguishable from the first set of graphical elements;
detect a rain attenuation area, via the aircraft onboard radar system;
in response to detecting the rain attenuation area, automatically request a third set of weather data for the rain attenuation area, wherein the third set of weather data is requested from the exter

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Gurusamy Saravanakumar
• Gadicherla Madhava
• B Jayasenthilnathan
• Burgin Roger W

Classifications

• G01S7/24 Primary

  the display being orientated or displaced in accordance with movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus, e.g. true-motion radar · CPC title

• G09G2320/0666

  for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature · CPC title

• G08G5/0013

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01S13/953

  mounted on aircraft · CPC title

• G09G2380/12

  Avionics applications · CPC title