Systems and methods for terrain and obstacle detection by weather radar
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsNathanael A. Meyer, Daniel L. Woodell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is provided for controlling an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams. The method includes providing at least one output to the radar system that causes the radar system to sweep the radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set. The method further includes providing at least one output to the radar system that causes the radar system to conduct two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location.
Claims26
A method for controlling an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the method comprising:
- causing the radar system to sweep a radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set, and
- causing the radar system to conduct two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps being offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location, wherein the horizontal sweep set includes two primarily horizontal loops, each of the two primarily horizontal loops comprising a horizontal sweep at a first tilt angle and a horizontal sweep at a second tilt angle, the two primarily horizontal loops extending between a left maximum azimuth angle and a right maximum azimuth angle;
- wherein one of the two vertical sweeps is conducted during a single primarily horizontal loop;
- and
- wherein the vertical sweeps are conducted between the left maximum azimuth angle and the right maximum azimuth angle.
A method of using an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the method comprising:
- providing a radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set;
- and
- providing two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps being offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location, wherein each vertical sweep is conducted by scanning downward from a horizontal sweep of the horizontal sweep set and scanning upward to resume the horizontal sweep set.
A method of using an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the method comprising:
- providing a radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set;
- and
- providing two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps being offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location, and adjusting the offset between the center horizontal location and the azimuth angle at which the two vertical sweeps are conducted.
A method of using an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the method comprising:
- providing a radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set;
- and
- providing two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps being offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location, wherein each vertical sweep includes a downward scan and an upward scan that are separated by less than two beam widths.
An apparatus for controlling an aircraft-mounted radar system configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, comprising:
- at least one output to the radar system;
- processing electronics configured to cause the radar system to sweep a radar beam horizontally and away from a center horizontal location in a horizontal sweep set including two vertical sweeps, wherein the two vertical sweeps are offset from the center horizontal location, wherein the processing electronics are configured to cause the radar beam to continue the horizontal sweep upon completion of the vertical sweeps, wherein the horizontal sweep set includes two primarily horizontal loops, each of the two primarily horizontal loops comprising a horizontal sweep at a first tilt angle and a horizontal sweep at a second tilt angle, the two primarily horizontal loops extending between a left maximum azimuth angle and a right maximum azimuth angle;
- wherein one of the two vertical sweeps is conducted during a single primarily horizontal loop;
- and
- wherein the vertical sweeps are conducted between the left maximum azimuth angle and the right maximum azimuth angle.
A radar system for mounting to an aircraft and configured to project radar beams and to receive radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the radar system comprising:
- processing electronics configured to cause the radar system to sweep the radar beam horizontally to create a horizontal sweep set and to conduct two vertical sweeps during the horizontal sweep set, the two vertical sweeps offset from a center horizontal location by at least one beam width, and wherein each of the two vertical sweeps are on opposite sides of the center horizontal location, wherein each vertical sweep is conducted by scanning downward from a horizontal sweep of the horizontal sweep set and scanning upward to resume the horizontal sweep set.
A method for providing navigation information to a display in an aircraft using an aircraft-mounted radar system that projects radar beams and receives radar returns relating to the projected radar beams, the method comprising:
- causing the radar system to sweep radar beams horizontally in horizontal sweeps and providing the returns to memory;
- causing the radar system to break from the horizontal sweeps to conduct a vertical scan for terrain that is lateral relative to an aircraft heading, wherein each vertical scan is conducted by scanning downward from a horizontal sweep of the horizontal sweeps and scanning upward to resume the horizontal sweep;
- receiving returns from the vertical scan and storing the returns from the vertical scan in the memory;
- associating and retaining the returns from the vertical scan;
- causing the display to represent terrain features along the aircraft's heading based on the contents of the memory associated with the horizontal sweeps;
- recalling the returns from the vertical scan from the memory when the aircraft's heading has changed or is expected to change in a way that will bring the returns from the vertical scan into the display's field of view;
- and
- updating the display using the recalled returns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.