Abstract: A method of correcting the reflectivity measurements performed by a radar such as a weather radar, a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume includes analyzing the current resolution volume to determine whether the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through it. When the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through the current resolution volume, the volume is split into two parts lying on either side of said plane, the attenuation associated with the resolution volume is determined by taking into account the contribution of each of the parts to the measured reflectivity. The reflectivity associated with the current resolution volume is corrected using the attenuation thus determined. An onboard weather radar implements the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting a trend of a meteorological phenomenon on the basis of data originating from a meteorological radar. The method includes at least the following steps: a first step of extracting gray level skeletons from images representing the data of the radar; a second step of associating characteristic data indicative of the state of the meteorological system with the gray level local extrema points; a third step of pairing each gray level skeleton of the two successive images; a fourth step of predicting future positions of the forms of the images; a fifth step of predicting trend data of the meteorological system; and a sixth step of representing the information originating from the sixth tracking step. The invention can notably be applied to the establishment of a prediction of trend of a cloud mass. The prediction of the trend of a meteorological situation may be presented to a pilot of an aircraft.

Abstract: A method of correcting reflectivity measurements performed by a radar, such as a weather radar, includes a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume. The method includes acquiring the reflectivity measurement Zm corresponding to the current resolution volume, estimating the attenuation kc introduced by the cloud droplets, said estimating being carried out by using an average vertical profile of the cloud liquid water content, estimating the attenuation kg,O2 introduced by dioxygen, estimating the attenuation kg,H2O introduced by the water vapor, determining the total specific attenuation k of the non-detectable components taking into account the attenuation kc, the attenuation kg,O2 and the attenuation kg,H2O estimated in the preceding steps, and correcting the measured reflectivity taking into account the estimated total specific attenuation k. The method may be implemented by an onboard weather radar.

Abstract: A method of correcting the reflectivity measurements performed by a radar such as a weather radar, a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume includes analyzing the current resolution volume to determine whether the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through it. When the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through the current resolution volume, the volume is split into two parts lying on either side of said plane, the attenuation associated with the resolution volume is determined by taking into account the contribution of each of the parts to the measured reflectivity. The reflectivity associated with the current resolution volume is corrected using the attenuation thus determined. An onboard weather radar implements the method.

Abstract: A method of correcting reflectivity measurements performed by a radar, such as a weather radar, includes a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume. The method includes acquiring the reflectivity measurement Zm corresponding to the current resolution volume, estimating the attenuation kc introduced by the cloud droplets, said estimating being carried out by using an average vertical profile of the cloud liquid water content, estimating the attenuation kg,O2 introduced by dioxygen, estimating the attenuation kg,H2O introduced by the water vapor, determining the total specific attenuation k of the non-detectable components taking into account the attenuation kc, the attenuation kg,O2 and the attenuation kg,H2O estimated in the preceding steps, and correcting the measured reflectivity taking into account the estimated total specific attenuation k. The method may be implemented by an onboard weather radar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of characterizing the convection intensity of a cloud by a meteorological radar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the angular aperture corresponding to the extent in a plane of an object seen by a radar antenna, the object being situated at a given distance from the radar antenna. Echoes are measured in directions ? p - ?? 2 ? ? and ? ? ? p + ?? 2 of the plane, where ?p is a variable angle corresponding to directions of the plane and ?? is a given angular aperture. The pairwise differences are calculated between the echo measurements taken in the directions ? p - ?? 2 ? ? and ? ? ? p + ?? 2 . The slope is determined at a value ?p of a function e of ?p interpolated between the calculated differences, the angular aperture which corresponds to the extent of the object at the given distance being deduced from the slope. The invention has an application in meteorological radar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for angularly refining the antenna beam of a radar. The antenna performs M pointings along an axis, a signal being received by the antenna for each of said pointings, each of said signals being, on account of the shape of the antenna pattern, formed by the sum of signals reflected by several contributors distributed over the space scanned by the antenna beam, the method determining an estimation of the real-reflectivity vector w of N contributors by performing an inverse filtering on the vector s of the M signals received signals, said inverse filtering being established as a function of the known shape of the antenna pattern. The invention applies notably to airborne radars, and more particularly to meteorological radars.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting a trend of a meteorological phenomenon on the basis of data originating from a meteorological radar. The method includes at least the following steps: a first step of extracting gray level skeletons from images representing the data of the radar; a second step of associating characteristic data indicative of the state of the meteorological system with the gray level local extrema points; a third step of pairing each gray level skeleton of the two successive images; a fourth step of predicting future positions of the forms of the images; a fifth step of predicting trend data of the meteorological system; and a sixth step of representing the information originating from the sixth tracking step. The invention can notably be applied to the establishment of a prediction of trend of a cloud mass. The prediction of the trend of a meteorological situation may be presented to a pilot of an aircraft.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the angular aperture corresponding to the extent in a plane of an object seen by a radar antenna, the object being situated at a given distance from the radar antenna. Echoes are measured in directions ? p - ?? 2 ? ? and ? ? ? p + ?? 2 of the plane, where ?p is a variable angle corresponding to directions of the plane and ?? is a given angular aperture. The pairwise differences are calculated between the echo measurements taken in the directions ? p - ?? 2 ? ? and ? ? ? p + ?? 2 . The slope is determined at a value ?p of a function e of ?p interpolated between the calculated differences, the angular aperture which corresponds to the extent of the object at the given distance being deduced from the slope. The invention has an application in meteorological radar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of characterizing the convection intensity of a cloud by a meteorological radar.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention process a radar image arising from a radar antenna, by reading the reflectivity information associated with each pixel forming the radar image, processing the reflectivity information, pixel by pixel, with the aid of a first procedure. The method further includes a second processing of the radar image using a second procedure that includes extracting objects from the radar image, then calculating the extent and the position of each object, with the aid of an angular aperture between two signals. For each part of the radar image processed by the first procedure, corresponding to an extracted object, pixel within the result of the first procedure are replaced by corresponding pixels of the radar image processed by the second procedure, if the reflectivity value associated with the second pixel is greater than the reflectivity value of the first pixel, the parts of the radar image corresponding to zones situated at a distance greater than a given threshold from the radar antenna.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention process a radar image arising from a radar antenna, by reading the reflectivity information associated with each pixel forming the radar image, processing the reflectivity information, pixel by pixel, with the aid of a first procedure. The method further includes a second processing of the radar image using a second procedure that includes extracting objects from the radar image, then calculating the extent and the position of each object, with the aid of an angular aperture between two signals. For each part of the radar image processed by the first procedure, corresponding to an extracted object, pixel within the result of the first procedure are replaced by corresponding pixels of the radar image processed by the second procedure, if the reflectivity value associated with the second pixel is greater than the reflectivity value of the first pixel, the parts of the radar image corresponding to zones situated at a distance greater than a given threshold from the radar antenna.