Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting type I ice crystals using an aircraft's onboard weather radar system are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment identifies radar returns having a return level signal strength less than a radar return sensitivity threshold level, determines if at least one of a weather condition and a flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level, and identifies a region of airspace potentially having type I ice crystals when the at least one of the weather condition and the flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques, methods, devices, and systems for generating a two-dimensional weather map based on three-dimensional volumetric weather data that incorporates enhanced weather analysis techniques applied to weather radar data. An example method includes generating, by a computing system comprising one or more processors, a two-dimensional weather map based at least in part on three-dimensional volumetric weather data for a volume of airspace, wherein the two-dimensional weather map indicates levels of convection and levels of risk of other hazardous weather applicable to the volume of airspace. The method further includes outputting, by the computing system, the two-dimensional weather map for transmission to a receiving system.

Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting type I ice crystals using an aircraft's onboard weather radar system are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment identifies radar returns having a return level signal strength less than a radar return sensitivity threshold level, determines if at least one of a weather condition and a flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level, and identifies a region of airspace potentially having type I ice crystals when the at least one of the weather condition and the flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level.

Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting type I ice crystals using an aircraft's onboard weather radar system are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment identifies radar returns having a return level signal strength less than a radar return sensitivity threshold level, determines if at least one of a weather condition and a flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level, and identifies a region of airspace potentially having type I ice crystals when the at least one of the weather condition and the flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for processing a radar return signal to estimate reflectivity values. An example weather radar system includes one or more antennas configured to transmit a radar signal generated by a transmitter and deliver a radar return signal to a receiver. The example weather radar system further includes one or more processors configured to sample the radar return signal, determine a first signal power measurement of the sampled radar return signal based on Doppler signal processing, determine a quality of the first signal power measurement, and estimate reflectivity values of the sampled radar return signal based on the first signal power measurement when the quality is above a threshold. The example weather radar system further includes memory configured to store the estimated reflectivity values.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques, methods, devices, and systems for generating a two-dimensional weather map based on three-dimensional volumetric weather data that incorporates enhanced weather analysis techniques applied to weather radar data. An example method includes generating, by a computing system comprising one or more processors, a two-dimensional weather map based at least in part on three-dimensional volumetric weather data for a volume of airspace, wherein the two-dimensional weather map indicates levels of convection and levels of risk of other hazardous weather applicable to the volume of airspace. The method further includes outputting, by the computing system, the two-dimensional weather map for transmission to a receiving system.

Abstract: A method for tracking weather cells from a moving platform includes receiving, from a detection and ranging system, reflectivity data sampled for a volume of space and generating a feature map based on the reflectivity data, wherein the feature map is a representation of the volume of space that indicates locations with significant weather and generating a first segmented feature map based on the feature map that identifies the location and spatial extent of individual weather cells. The method further includes translating the first segmented feature map and a second segmented feature map, generated from data collected at a different point in time and/or space, to a common frame of reference and comparing the first segmented feature map to the second segmented feature map. The method further includes creating one or more track hypotheses based on the comparison of the first segmented feature map and the second segmented feature map.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to methods, devices, and systems for generating a weather radar output with bright band suppression. In one example, a method includes determining, for each of several portions of a vertical column from a weather radar signal, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges. The method further includes determining, in response to determining that portions of the vertical column are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather. The method further includes generating, in response to determining that the combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet the criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of the vertical column as associated with one of the lower reflectivity ranges.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for processing a radar return signal to estimate reflectivity values. An example weather radar system includes one or more antennas configured to transmit a radar signal generated by a transmitter and deliver a radar return signal to a receiver. The example weather radar system further includes one or more processors configured to sample the radar return signal, determine a first signal power measurement of the sampled radar return signal based on Doppler signal processing, determine a quality of the first signal power measurement, and estimate reflectivity values of the sampled radar return signal based on the first signal power measurement when the quality is above a threshold. The example weather radar system further includes memory configured to store the estimated reflectivity values.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to methods, devices, and systems for generating a weather radar output with bright band suppression. In one example, a method includes determining, for each of several portions of a vertical column from a weather radar signal, a reflectivity range selected from a highest reflectivity range and one or more lower reflectivity ranges. The method further includes determining, in response to determining that portions of the vertical column are in the highest reflectivity range, whether a combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather. The method further includes generating, in response to determining that the combination of the reflectivity ranges of the portions of the vertical column meet the criteria indicative of high-reflectivity stratiform weather, a weather radar output that indicates each of the portions of the vertical column as associated with one of the lower reflectivity ranges.

Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting type I ice crystals using an aircraft's onboard weather radar system are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment identifies radar returns having a return level signal strength less than a radar return sensitivity threshold level, determines if at least one of a weather condition and a flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level, and identifies a region of airspace potentially having type I ice crystals when the at least one of the weather condition and the flight condition concurrently exists with the identified radar returns having the return level signal strength less than the radar return sensitivity threshold level.

Abstract: A method for tracking weather cells from a moving platform includes receiving, from a detection and ranging system, reflectivity data sampled for a volume of space and generating a feature map based on the reflectivity data, wherein the feature map is a representation of the volume of space that indicates locations with significant weather and generating a first segmented feature map based on the feature map that identifies the location and spatial extent of individual weather cells. The method further includes translating the first segmented feature map and a second segmented feature map, generated from data collected at a different point in time and/or space, to a common frame of reference and comparing the first segmented feature map to the second segmented feature map. The method further includes creating one or more track hypotheses based on the comparison of the first segmented feature map and the second segmented feature map.

Abstract: Weather radar detecting systems and methods are operable to display a vertical view of intensities of turbulence regions. An exemplary embodiment has a radar operable to detect turbulence, a processing system operable to determine location and intensity of the detected turbulence, a three-dimensional (3-D) weather information database comprising of a plurality of voxels that is associated with a unique geographic location with respect to the aircraft wherein the information corresponding to the turbulence intensity is stored, and a display operable to display a vertical view of a selected vertical slice, wherein the displayed vertical view displays the determined turbulence intensity and the determined location of the turbulence.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating and correcting airborne radar antenna pointing errors. The methods and systems include predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using terrain elevation information, transmitting a radar signal to the at least one scattering source, measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, determining an antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power, and adjusting an antenna angle, an input value, or other components based on the determined antenna pointing error. The methods and systems also include a radar processing and control unit for predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using a model of the radar power measurement process that includes terrain elevation information, for measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, and for determining antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting information pertaining to a weather object on a display. A process includes displaying on the aircraft display terrain information, weather reflectivity information, and at least one hazardous weather icon corresponding to the weather, wherein the hazardous weather icon indicates a determined hazard level associated with the weather; receiving a selection to display only the hazardous weather icon; and in response to receiving the selection, continuing display of the hazardous weather icon and suppressing display of the terrain information and the weather reflectivity information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating and correcting airborne radar antenna pointing errors. The methods and systems include predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using terrain elevation information, transmitting a radar signal to the at least one scattering source, measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, determining an antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power, and adjusting an antenna angle, an input value, or other components based on the determined antenna pointing error. The methods and systems also include a radar processing and control unit for predicting expected received power from at least one scattering source using a model of the radar power measurement process that includes terrain elevation information, for measuring received power from the at least one scattering source, and for determining antenna pointing error based on the predicted and measured received power.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for storing turbulence radar return data into a three-dimensional buffer. The method involves modeling the radar signal scattering properties of space surrounding the radar/aircraft. Presented turbulent wind variance measurements are compared to predictions of the measurement using the modeled scattering properties, thereby producing more accurate turbulence information for storage into the three-dimensional buffer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for re-sampling terrain data in a vehicle from latitude/longitude format into a Cartesian format. The present invention permits incremental updates of the terrain elevation map as the vehicle travels. The present invention includes memory for storing terrain elevation data, a navigation component for generating aircraft position information, and a processor in communication with the memory and the navigation component. The processor retrieves terrain elevation data from the memory based on the generated aircraft position information, and generates a Cartesian coordinate-referenced terrain elevation map based on the retrieved terrain elevation data and the aircraft position information.

Abstract: Resolution of a radar operating within a bandwidth is improved by defining a quantity of substantially rectangular sub-band filters to subdivide the bandwidth in the frequency domain into the quantity of sequential sub-bands having a sub-bandwidth. Each signal sent by the radar is associated with a transmission temporal moment. Each of the quantity of return signals received is routed in one to one correspondence to the sub-band filters, each signal being received at a corresponding sub-band filter. The return signals received are summed by synchronizing the associated transmission temporal moment to produce a reconstructed return signal.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for storing weather radar return data into a three-dimensional buffer. The system includes a radar system that transmits a radar signal and generates a radar measurement as a result of radar return of the transmitted radar signal. A three-dimensional buffer includes a plurality of storage locations. A processor is coupled to the radar system and the buffer. The processor generates or updates a reflectivity value in storage locations in the three-dimensional buffer based on the generated radar measurement, a previously stored reflectivity value for the storage location, and at least one of an uncertainty value for the storage location. The generated reflectivity value is stored in the three-dimensional buffer according to the storage location.