# US 7,411,541 B2 · Systems and methods for presenting vertical weather information on plan view displays

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,411,541 B2
- Document ID: US7411541B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/621,932
- Filed: 2007-01-10
- Published: 2008-07-10
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2007-01-10
- Assignees: Honeywell International Inc.
- Inventors: Ratan Khatwa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411541B2

## CPC

- G01S 13/953: {mounted on aircraft}
- G01S 7/12: Plan-position indicators, i.e. P.P.I.
- G01S 7/22: Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
- Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

Systems and methods for presenting vertical weather information on plan view displays. An example method retrieves weather radar return information stored in a volumetric buffer and determines if a weather anomaly of the retrieved weather radar return information is above or below a predefined threshold from a present flight altitude of an aircraft. If a weather anomaly is determined to be above the threshold from the aircraft's present flight altitude, a first image is generated in a first geometric pattern and displaying the first image on a plan view display. If the weather anomaly is determined to be below the aircraft's present flight altitude, a second image is generated in a second geometric pattern and displaying the second image on the plan view display. The first geometric pattern is different from the second geometric pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aircraft weather radar display method comprising:
retrieving weather radar return information stored in a volumetric buffer, the weather radar return information includes at least one weather anomaly;
determining if the at least one weather anomaly is above or below a predefined threshold from a present flight altitude of an aircraft;
if the weather anomaly is determined to be above the threshold from the aircraft's present flight altitude, generating a first image in a first geometric pattern and displaying the first image on a plan view display; and
if the weather anomaly is determined to be below the aircraft's present flight altitude, generating a second image in a second geometric pattern and displaying the second image on the plan view display,
wherein the first geometric pattern is different from the second geometric pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometric pattern includes dots of a first size and the second geometric pattern includes dots of a second size that is smaller than the first size.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometric pattern includes one or more lines within the image that have a positive slope.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the second geometric pattern includes one or more lines within the image that have a negative slope.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining at least one of a top altitude value or a bottom altitude value of the weather anomaly based on the data stored in the volumetric buffer; and
displaying the determined at least one top value or bottom value adjacent to the associated image on the plan view display.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining if the weather anomaly is within a predefined threshold from a present flight altitude of the aircraft;
if the weather anomaly is determined to be within the threshold from the aircraft's present flight altitude, generating a third image in a third geometric pattern and displaying the third image on the plan view display.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the third geometric pattern is a solid object.

### Claim 8

An aircraft weather radar display system comprising:
a memory configured to store weather radar return information in a volumetric buffer, the stored weather radar return information includes at least one weather anomaly;
a display device configured to display a plan view; and
a display processor in data communication with the memory and the display device, the display processor comprising:
a first component configured to determine if the at least one weather anomaly is above or below a predefined threshold from a present flight altitude of an aircraft;
a second component configured to generate a first image in a first geometric pattern and display the first image on the plan view display, if the weather anomaly is determined to be above the threshold from the aircraft's present flight altitude; and
a third component configured to generate a second image in a second geometric pattern and display the second image on the plan view display, if the weather anomaly is determined to be below the aircraft's present flight altitude,
wherein the first geometric pattern is different from the second geometric pattern.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first geometric pattern includes dots of a first size and the second geometric pattern includes dots of a second size that is smaller than the first size.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first geometric pattern includes one or more lines within the image that have a positive slope.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the second geometric pattern includes one or more lines within the image that have a negative slope.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the display processor further comprises:
a fourth component configured to determine at least one of a top altitude value or a bottom altitude value of the weather anomaly based on the data stored in the volumetric buffer and display the determined at least one top value or bottom value adjacent to the associated image on the plan view display.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first component is further configured to determine if the weather anomaly is within a predefined threshold from a present flight altitude of the aircraft, further comprising a fourth component configured to generate a third image in a third geometric pattern and displaying the third image on the plan view display, if the weather anomaly is determined to be within the threshold from the aircraft's present flight altitude.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the third geometric pattern is a solid object.