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US 6,424,288 B1Granted
Multi-sweep method and system for detecting and displaying weather information on a weather radar system
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorDaniel L. Woodell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for detecting, processing, and displaying weather radar information which uses multiple scans, at differing antenna tilt angles, to generate a single displayed image. This can be used to reduce displaying of ground clutter returns and to simultaneously increase the range of weather information displayed on a single image.
Claims20
An apparatus for displaying weather information comprising:
- a transmitter for generating radar signals;
- an antenna for projecting said radar signals into a radar beam said antenna scanning at a tilt angle;
- a tilt control for controlling the tilt angle of said antenna;
- a receiver for receiving returns of radar signals;
- a multi-scan multi-tilt angle memory for storing the received returns from multiple scans of the antenna;
- a processor for processing said stored returns by merging portions of the returns, compensating for aircraft position changes between scans and generating a display signal;
- a display for displaying said display signal generated by said processor;
- and
- said display signal representative of the portions of the returns from said multiple scans of said antenna, wherein said scans have a plurality of antenna tilt angles.
6 more elements
A method of displaying weather information to a pilot of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
- sweeping an antenna to generate a first radar beam at a predetermined first tilt angle and collecting and storing a first set of radar returns resulting from said first radar beam;
- changing a tilt angle of said antenna to a second tilt angle;
- sweeping the antenna to generate a second radar beam at said second tilt angle and collecting and storing a second set of radar returns resulting from said second radar beam;
- analyzing said first set of radar returns and said second set of radar returns and making a ground clutter determination;
- and,
- displaying an image to a pilot based upon said first and said second sets of radar returns, where said image is formed by interspersing portions of said first radar return and said second radar return to form a composite set of radar returns having enhanced suppression of radar returns resulting from involvement of said first radar beam and said second radar beam with terrain.
3 more elements
A weather radar comprising:
- means for transmitting and receiving radar signals from an aircraft;
- means for adjusting a tilt angle of an antenna;
- means for storing received radar signals from a plurality of antenna sweeps at different tilt angles;
- means for generating an image of weather that is based upon the plurality of antenna sweeps at the different tilt angles, wherein said sweeps at different tilt angles and ranges are used to combine portions of returns from said plurality of antenna sweeps to produce a composite return.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.