Weather radar system and method using data from a lightning sensor
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsDaniel L. Woodell, Kevin M. Kronfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A weather radar system or method can be utilized to determine a location of a weather hazard for an aircraft. The weather radar system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine presence of the hazard in response to data related to returns received by the weather radar antenna and data from a lightning sensor. The system can include a display for showing the hazard and its location.
Claims19
A weather radar processing system for use on an aircraft having a radar antenna for receiving radar returns and radar electronics, comprising:
- a first input for receiving lightning detection data;
- a second input for receiving weather radar data from the radar electronics;
- and
- processing electronics for determining a presence of a hazardous region, the processing electronics receiving the weather radar data from the second input and the lightning detection data from the first input, the weather radar data being related to the radar returns received at the radar antenna, the processing electronics determining a position and size of the hazardous region in response to the weather radar data and the lightning detection data;
- wherein the processing electronics commands the radar electronics to perform queuing in response to detection of a convective cell;
- wherein the processing electronics utilizes a reflectivity parameter and a spectral width parameter to determine the position and size.
A method of displaying an indication of a hazardous region on an aircraft display in an avionic system, the method comprising:
- receiving lightning sensor data;
- receiving radar returns;
- providing the indication on the aircraft display using the radar returns and the lightning sensor data, wherein a size and position of the hazardous region is determined on-board using the lightning sensor data and the radar returns, a reflectivity parameter, and a spectral width parameter;
- and
- commanding radar electronics on the aircraft to perform queuing in response to detection of a convective cell.
A system for mounting on-board an aircraft and for determining a presence of a hazard for the aircraft, comprising:
- a processor communicably coupled to a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising:
- means for determining an area of cells from weather radar returns;
- means for determining a presence of lightning;
- means for displaying the hazard on a display in response to the presence of lightning and the area of cells;
- means for utilizing a reflectivity parameter and a spectral width parameter to determine a position and size of the hazard;
- and
- means for commanding radar electronics on the aircraft to perform queuing in response to detection of a convective cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.