System and method of displaying convective weather on a weather radar display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9268019-B2
Application number	US-201313910652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2013
Priority date	Jun 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A convective weather graphic element generator system generates graphic elements associated with severe convective weather for presentation on a display on an aircraft. An exemplary system employs a weather radar and a processing system. The processing system determines a value associated with the detected convective weather based on the received weather radar returns detected by the weather radar, compares the value associated with the detected convective weather with a threshold, and generates a graphic element for a region of airspace when the value associated with the detected convective weather exceeds the threshold. The display is configured to concurrently present the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather, wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A convective weather graphic element generator system comprising:
a weather radar configured to receive weather radar returns from convective weather and stratiform weather in proximity to the aircraft, and configured to generate weather reflectivity information;
a processing system configured to:
detect a convective weather cell based on the weather reflectivity information;
determine a value associated with the detected convective weather cell based on the received weather radar returns,
compare the value associated with the detected convective weather cell with a threshold, and
generate a graphic element indicating a region of airspace within the detected convective weather cell, wherein the region of airspace has its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the threshold; and

a display configured to concurrently present the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather cell,
wherein the weather reflectivity information is presented on the display to indicate the location of the convective weather cell and the stratiform weather,
wherein the graphic element is superimposed over the weather reflectivity information of a corresponding area, and
wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphic element comprises a pattern of lines.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pattern of lines is bounded by a boundary line, wherein the boundary line defines the extent of the convective weather cell having a value exceeding the threshold.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein an intensity of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing thickness indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein a rate of flashing of the presented pattern of lines corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphic element comprises a pattern of dots.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the pattern of dots is bounded by a boundary line, wherein the boundary line defines the extent of the convective weather cell having a value exceeding the threshold.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of the boundary line corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing thickness of the boundary indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein an intensity of the presented pattern of dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein a size of the presented dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing dot size indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein a rate of flashing of the presented dots corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphic element comprises a region of solid color with a degree of transparency, such that the transparency of the graphic element permits concurrent viewing of the presented weather reflectivity information.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a rate of flashing of the region of solid color corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein a faster flashing rate indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein an intensity of the color of the region of solid color corresponds to the severity of the convective weather cell, wherein an increasing intensity of the color indicates an increasing severity of the convective weather cell.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is a first threshold, the graphic element is a first graphic element, and wherein the processing system is further configured to:
compare the value associated with the detected convective weather cell with a second threshold; and
generate one of the first graphic element or a second graphic element based on the comparison,
wherein the processing system is configured to generate the first graphic element for the region of airspace in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the first threshold and not exceeding the second threshold, and
wherein the processing system is configured to generate the second graphic element for the region of airspace in response to its respective value associated with the detected convective weather cell exceeding the second threshold.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first graphic element is a pattern of dots and the second graphic element is a pattern of lines, and wherein the value of the pattern of lines is greater than the value of the pattern of dots such that the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of lines is greater than the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of dots.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first graphic element is a pattern of dots and the second graphic element is a region of solid color, and wherein the value of the solid color is greater than the value of the pattern of dots such that the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of solid color is greater than the severity of the convective weather cell shown by the region of the pattern of dots.

19. A method of presenting convective weather graphic elements on a display of a weather radar system implemented on an aircraft, the method comprising:
detecting weather radar returns from convective weather and stratiform weather in proximity to the aircraft;
generating weather reflectivity information based on the detected weather radar returns; determining a value associated with the detected convective weather based on the received weather radar returns;
detecting a convective weather cell based on the weather reflectivity information;
comparing the value associated with the detected convective weather with a threshold;
generating a graphic element indicating a region of airspace within the convective weather cell, wherein the region of airspace has its respective value associated with the detected convective weather exceeding the threshold; and
concurrently presenting the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather cell,
wherein the weather reflectivity information is presented on the display to indicate the location of the convective weather cell and the stratiform weather,
wherein the graphic element is superimposed over the weather reflectivity information of

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Bunch Brian Paul
• Christianson Paul
• Jensen Robert J

Classifications

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title

• Y02A90/10

  Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation · CPC title

• G08G5/0021

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01W2001/003

  Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts · CPC title