Radar beam sharpening system and method

A method of providing a real time sensor image on an electronic display using an X-band or C-band airborne weather radar system, the method comprising:

• determining an antenna position,
• determining an antenna attitude;
• receiving radar returns from an X-band or C-band airborne weather radar system;
• determining a location of each of a plurality of radar measurements associated with the radar returns using the antenna position, the antenna attitude, a beam sharpening angle, and a range;
• determining a power associated with the radar measurements;
• determining a power density per grid cell associated with the power and the location of the radar measurements, wherein the power density per grid cell is determined for each cell of a grid, wherein each cell is associated with an area or a volume greater than the location of each of the radar measurements such that a plurality of locations are located in each cell, wherein the power density per grid cell is determined for each cell using the volume or area of each cell and an accumulation of the radar measurements for each location of the locations in each grid cell;
• and
• using the power density per grid cell to provide a real time sensor image on an electronic display, wherein the beam sharpening angle is determined by a beam sharpening process that improves antenna-induced poor angular resolution related to beam width.

An enhanced vision system, comprising:

• a weather radar system configured to generate image data representative of a runway environment associated with radar returns received by the weather radar system, the radar returns being in an X-band or a C-band, wherein the weather radar system is configured to process a collection of radar measurements from the radar returns, wherein each of the radar measurements is associated with a location determined using an antenna position, an antenna attitude, a beam sharpening angle, and a range, wherein power and the location of the radar measurements are processed to determine power density per grid cell associated with the power and the location of the radar measurements, wherein the power density per grid cell is used to provide an image, wherein the power density per grid cell is determined for each cell of a grid, wherein each cell is associated with an area or a volume greater than the location of each of the radar measurements, wherein the power density per grid cell is determined for each cell using the volume or area of each cell and an accumulation of the radar measurements for each location of the locations in each grid cell, wherein the beam sharpening angle provides a higher resolution value for angle to target than the antenna attitude due to beam width;
• and
• a display in communication with the weather radar system and configured to display the image associated with the image data.