Weather radar system and method for detecting a high altitude crystal condition using two or more types of radar signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720082-B1
Application number	US-201414206651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 27, 2011
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

The hazard warning system that included processing system for detecting a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) condition. The aircraft warning system can use at least two types of radar returns to detect the HAIC condition. Warnings of high altitude ice crystal conditions can allow an aircraft to avoid threats posed by HAIC conditions including damage to aircraft equipment and engines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
a processing system associated with an active radar system configured to detect a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) or high altitude ice crystal cloud (HAIC 2 ) condition using at least two types of radar signals, wherein a first type of radar return and a second type of radar return are processed to: 1. determine a size of particles in a high altitude region for detecting at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition where a larger size indicates the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition; or 2. determine a shape of the particles for detecting the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition where a less spherical shape indicates the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition, wherein the processing system causes a display to provide at least one of a HAIC or HAIC 2 warning in response to detection of the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition;
a downconverter;
a receiver;
an antenna system comprising an X band antenna having first elements for a first polarization signal in an X band and second elements for a second polarization signal in the X band and a W band antenna for a signal in the W band, the W band antenna being disposed in a face of the X band antenna;
a duplexer, wherein a first path and a second path is disposed between the downconverter and the duplexer, wherein the first path is for the first type of the return from a first type of radar signal of the two types of radar signals and the second path is for the second type of return from a second type radar signal of the two types of radar signals, wherein the first type of radar signal is the first polarization signal in the X band and the second type of radar signal is the second polarization signal in the X band or the first type of radar signal is in the X band and the second type of radar signal is the signal in the W band.

2. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the two types of radar signals comprise the first polarization signal in the X band and the second polarization signal in the X band.

3. The aircraft warning system of claim 1 , wherein the two types of radar signals comprise the first type radar signal being at a first polarization and the second type radar signal being at a second polarization.

4. The aircraft warning system of claim 3 , wherein the HAIC condition is detected using the at least two types of radar signals after a region of interest is identified.

5. The aircraft warning system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system determines a region of interest using an inferred process.

6. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 5 , wherein the inferred process uses a temperature anomaly detection.

7. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 2 , wherein the first type radar signal is an X band frequency and the second type radar signal is a millimeter Ka, or W band frequency.

8. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 3 , wherein the first polarization signal is an H polarization signal and the second polarization signal is a V polarization signal.

9. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 8 ,
wherein the antenna system is an active scanning array antenna system.

10. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 9 , wherein the antenna system is electronically steerable.

11. A method of detecting a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) condition or a high altitude ice crystal cloud (HAIC 2 ) condition on an aircraft using an electronic processor associated with an active radar system, the method comprising:
providing a first type of radar signal to an antenna system, the antenna system comprising an X band antenna having first elements for a first polarization signal in an X band and second elements for a second polarization signal in the X band and a W band antenna for a signal in the W band, the W band antenna being disposed in a face of the X band antenna;
providing a second type of radar signal to the antenna system;
receiving a first type of radar return from the first type of radar signal on a first receive path and a second type of radar return from the second radar signal on a second receive path;
processing the first type of radar return and the second type of radar return to determine at least one of HAIC or HAIC 2 condition, wherein the first type of radar return and the second type of radar return are processed to: 1. determine a size of particles in a high altitude region for detecting the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition where a larger size indicates at least one the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition; or 2. determine a shape of the particles for detecting at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition where a less spherical shape indicates the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition; and
displaying at least one of a HAIC or HAIC 2 warning in response to detection of the at least one of the HAIC or HAIC 2 condition.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the HAIC warning of the HAIC condition is provided on a weather radar display.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electronic processor is part of an avionic weather radar system.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first type radar return is associated with a first frequency and the second type radar return is associated with a second frequency.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first type radar return is associated with a first polarization and the second type radar return is associated with a second polarization.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the HAIC warning of the HAIC condition is provided as a speckled region on a plan view display.

17. An active aircraft weather radar system, comprising:
a display;
a radar antenna for receiving two types of radar return signals; and
means for determining a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) condition in response to at least the two types of radar return signals, wherein the two types of radar return signals are processed to: 1. determine a size of particles in a high altitude region for detecting at least one of the HAIC condition where a larger size indicates the HAIC condition; or 2. determine a shape of the particles for detecting the HAIC condition where a less spherical shape indicates the HAIC condition, wherein the processing system causes the display to provide a HAIC warning in response to detection of the HAIC condition;
a downconverter;
a receiver;
an antenna system comprising an X band antenna having first elements for a first polarization signal in an X band and second elements for a second polarization signal in the X band and a W band antenna for a signal in the W band, the W band antenna being disposed in a face of the X band antenna;
and
a duplexer, wherein a first path and a second path is disposed between the downconverter and the duplexer, wherein the first path is for a first type of return of the two types of radar return signals and the second path is for a second type of return of the two types of radar return signals, wherein the first type of radar signal is the first polarization signal in the X band and the second type of radar signal is the second polarization signal in the X band or the first type of radar signal is in the X band and the second type of radar signal is the signal in the W band.

18. The weather radar system of claim 17 wherein the display provides weather images.

19. The aircraft weather radar system of claim 17 , wherein a high altitude associated threat (HAAT) is sensed and a warning of the HAAT condition is displayed.

20. The aircraft weathe

Assignees

• Dana Roger A
• West James B
• Kronfeld Kevin M
• Koenigs Gregory J
• Finley Jeffery A
• Woodell Daniel L
• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Dana Roger A
• West James B
• Kronfeld Kevin M
• Koenigs Gregory J
• Finley Jeffery A
• Woodell Daniel L

Classifications

• G06T11/10

  Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) · CPC title

• G01S13/953 Primary

  mounted on aircraft · CPC title

• B64D15/20

  Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G01S7/04 Primary

  Display arrangements · CPC title