# US 8,543,267 B2 · System and method for merging meteorological data predicted and measured on an aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,267 B2 - Document ID: US8543267B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/553,305 - Filed: 2009-09-03 - Published: 2010-03-25 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-09-05 - Assignees: Thales - Applicants: Philippe Chaix; Alex Bourdon; Alexandre Grattard - Inventors: Philippe Chaix; Alex Bourdon; Alexandre Grattard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543267B2 ## CPC - G01W 1/08: Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes (transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; {balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00}) - G01W 1/04: giving only separate indications of the variables measured - G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95) ## Abstract The invention consists in merging together the predicted and measured meteorological data to supply them to the flight prediction calculation system so as to smooth the discontinuities brought about in the prior art by the simple update which is carried out. This merging is advantageously done by linear weighting of the data, the weighting coefficient depending upon the positioning in vertical and horizontal distances between the predicted point and the aeroplane in relation to chosen thresholds. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for calculating flight predictions of an aircraft, the system comprising: at least one sensor configured to capture first atmospheric data (WM, TM) in the vicinity of the aircraft; an interface to a computing capability configured to input second atmospheric data (WF, TF) at waypoints in front of the aircraft; and said computing capability being configured to merge said first and second atmospheric data into third atmospheric data (W, T) for calculating flight predictions which are substantially continuous from one leg of said flight predictions to another leg in front of the aircraft, wherein said first and second atmospheric data are merged by calculating a linear weighting of the first and second atmospheric data according to coefficient K and formulae W=WM×(1−K)+WF×K and T=TM×(1−K)+TF×K, and wherein said coefficient K is a function of values of projected horizontal X and vertical H distances between a predicted point and a position of the aircraft in relation to predetermined thresholds Da, Db, Ha, Hb. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said first, second and third atmospheric data comprise temperature indicators and wind indicators. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined thresholds Da, Db, Ha, Hb are chosen according to at least one parameter selected from the group comprising horizontal speed of the aircraft, rate of climb of the aircraft, average leg length, reliability, refreshing frequency of atmospheric forecasts horizontally and vertically, refreshing frequency of system predictions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined thresholds Da, Db, Ha, Hb have different values in the same flight plan, the different values being chosen according to criteria selected from the group comprising flight phase and geolocation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein, if X≦Da and H≦Ha, then K=0. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein, if X≧Db and H≧Hb, then K=1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein, if X≦Da and Ha