Apparatus and method for determining wind profiles and for predicting clear air turbulence

A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

• a memory having stored therein:
• a) storm data bank of one or more storm templates, and
• b) clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of said storm templates;
• a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of returns of a weather detection and ranging sensor and a signal representative of one or more additional meteorological data, wherein said processor executes so are that:
• a) compensates said weather detection and ranging sensor return signal as a function of said meteorological data,
• b) extracts key features from said compensated weather detection and ranging sensor return signal,
• c) correlates said compensated key features with storm features stored in one or more of said storm templates;
• d) retrieves said clear air turbulence information from said memo as a function of said correlation, and
• e) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of a short-term prediction algorithm.

An electronic circuit generating a clear air turbulence nowcast using on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data and minimal additional meteorological data, the electronic circuit comprising:

• a) a memory for storing:
• i) a plurality of machine instructions,
• ii) weather detection and ranging sensor data,
• iii) additional current meteorological data, and
• iv) clear air turbulence information as a function of predetermined storm features;
• and
• b) a processor coupled to said memory, said processor executing said plurality of machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, said functions comprising:
• i) modifying key features of said weather detection and ranging sensor data as a function of said additional current meteorological data,
• ii) extracting said modified key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor data,
• iii) comparing said modified key features to said predetermined storm features;
• iv) retrieving said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;
• and
• v) generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information.

A method for using an electronic circuit to generate a clear air turbulence nowcast using meteorological data conveyed as a power return signal from an on-board weather detection and ranging sensor system and minimal additional meteorological data, the method comprising:

• a) processing the signal as a weather detection and ranging sensor signal;
• b) with the electronic circuit, extracting key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor signal;
• c) with the electronic circuit, compensating said key features as a function of current meteorological data;
• d) with the electronic circuit, correlating said compensated key features with predetermined storm features;
• e) with the electronic circuit, retrieving clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;
• and
• f) with the electronic circuit, generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information.

A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

• a memory having clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of predetermined storm features;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of a return from an airborne weather detection and ranging sensor and signal representative of one or more additional meteorological data, wherein said processor:
• a) extracts key features from said airborne weather detection and ranging sensor signal,
• b) determines a correlation between said extracted features and one or more of said storm features,
• c) retrieves said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation,
• d) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional meteorological data.

A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

• a memory having stored therein:
• a) storm data bank of predetermined storm features, and
• b) clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of said predetermined storm features;
• a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of returns of an airborne weather detection and ranging sensor and a signal representative of one or more additional current meteorological data, wherein said processor executes software that:
• a) determines key features from said airborne weather detection an ranging sensor signal,
• b) correlates said key features with said predetermined storm features;
• c) retrieves said clear air turbulence information from said memory as a function of said correlation, and
• d) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of a short-term prediction algorithm.

An electronic circuit generating a clear air turbulence nowcast using on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data and minimal additional meteorological data, the electronic circuit comprising:

• a) a memory for storing:
• i) a plurality of machine instructions,
• ii) weather detection and ranging sensor data,
• iii) additional current meteorological data, and
• iv) clear air turbulence information as a function of predetermined storm features;
• and
• b) a processor coupled to said memory, said processor executing said plurality of machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, said functions comprising:
• i) extract key features from said on-board weather detection and ranging sensor corresponding to said predetermined storm features,
• ii) extracting said key features from said on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data,
• iii) correlating said key features to said predetermined storm features;
• iv) retrieving said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;
• v) retrieving said additional current meteorological data, and
• vi) generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional current meteorological data.

A method for using an electronic circuit to generate a clear air turbulence nowcast using meteorological data conveyed as a power return signal from an on-board weather detection and ranging sensor system and minimal additional meteorological data, the method comprising:

• a) processing the signal as a weather detection and ranging sensor signal;
• b) with the electronic circuit, extracting key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor signal;
• c) with the electronic circuit, correlating said key features to predetermined storm features;
• d) with the electronic circuit, retrieving clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;
• e) with the electronic circuit, retrieving additional meteorological data, and
• f) with the electronic circuit, generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional meteorological data.