Abstract: A weather radar detects and removes spurious aircraft from a weather radar display by using one of the methods of differentiating radar return length, estimating a vertical gradient of reflectivity, tracking radar returns into regions that are eliminated from the weather display to provide differentiation, tracking areas of radar returns that allow detection and removal of the spurious aircraft in relative geometries, differentiating Doppler velocity, and differentiating spectral width. The methods may be used individually or in combination to improve performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting volcanic eruption and predicting plume hazards are described. The system comprises a processor and a database having the location of a plurality of volcanoes communicating with the processor. The system also comprises a lightning detector communicating with the processor. The system further comprises a weather radar communicating with the processor. Further still, the weather radar comprises program logic running on the processor. The program logic is configured to correlate the location of a volcano from the database with the presence of lightning from the lightning detector and a volcanic ash plume from the weather radar.

Abstract: A weather radar for detecting taxi obstacles has a transmitter for transmitting intermixed short-range pulses to detect short-range stationary objects and longer-range Doppler pulses to detect long-range moving targets. A receiver receives short-range return pulses from the short-range stationary objects and longer-range Doppler return pulses from the long-range moving targets. A processor is connected to the transmitter and receiver for generating the intermixed short-range pulses and longer-range Doppler pulses and for processing short-range return pulses and longer-range Doppler return pulses. A display displays detected short-range stationary objects and longer-range moving targets.

Abstract: A weather radar system is coupled to antenna. The weather radar system includes a processor for generating pulses and for processing return pulses received by the antenna. The processor generates high resolution data from the return pulses. The processor uses the high resolution data to perform high resolution radar analysis including removal of point and/or point-like target returns and reassembles the high resolution data to perform high gain radar analysis at lower resolutions.

Abstract: A rotary joint is disclosed. The rotary joint comprise a power transfer interface for transferring power between a first portion having a first magnetic core and a second portion having a second magnetic core and rotatable relative to the first portion. The rotary joint may also comprise a data interface for transferring data between a cable and a second cable that is rotatable relative to the first cable.

Abstract: A weather radar system or method can be utilized to adjust a position of a weather radar system. The weather radar system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna control system. The processing electronics can determine an error associated with the position of the weather radar antenna and adjust the position of the weather radar antenna in response to data related to returns received by the weather radar antenna and data related to expected returns.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a maximum height of a storm cell for an aircraft is provided. First reflectivity data formed from a first scan of a storm cell by a radar is received and a first centroid of the storm cell is identified. Second reflectivity data formed from a second scan of the storm cell by the radar is received and a second centroid of the storm cell is identified. A scan axis for a third scan of the storm cell based on the first centroid and the second centroid is determined. Third reflectivity data formed from the third scan of the storm cell by the radar at a first time is received. The third reflectivity data is sampled to form pixel data that includes a reflectivity indicator determined for each pixel formed from the third reflectivity data. A maximum height of the storm cell is determined by processing the pixel data.

Abstract: A weather radar system or method can be utilized to determine potential weather hazard for an aircraft in a terminal area. The weather radar system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine presence of the potential in response to data related to returns received by the weather radar antenna. The data can include a mean velocity parameter or a spectral width parameter or reflectivity.

Abstract: A directed sequential hazard assessment weather radar system detects weather and hazards with low latency and high confidence in a hazard detection mode to detect a region of reflectivity and changes to an assessment mode after detecting the region of reflectivity. The weather radar system scans a volume in front of an aircraft to detect the region of reflectivity in the hazard detection mode using a multiscan process and a reflectivity pulse pattern. The weather radar system determines presence of a hazard in the region of reflectivity after detecting the region. The weather radar system changes to a turbulence pulse pattern in the assessment mode and scans the region of reflectivity with an auxiliary sweep to determine turbulence. The directed sequential hazard assessment weather radar system performs a qualification process by scheduling an additional radar scanning auxiliary sweep to determine if the turbulence is real.

Abstract: A method of adapting weather radar thresholds is disclosed. The method comprises generating a location from a location sensor, retrieving information representative of a weather type from a database, based on the location, and adjusting, automatically, the threshold for a radar display based on the information.

Abstract: An airborne weather radar system that detects potentially hazardous weather conditions associated with storms and includes a radar display featuring visual indications of these conditions. The radar display includes a vertical situation display having iconal representations and symbolic icons indicative hazardous weather conditions and aviation hazards along the aircraft's flight path not otherwise immediately apparent or shown on standard weather radar displays. The system includes processes for detecting and predicting hazardous weather conditions such as overshooting thunderstorm tops and vaulted thunderstorm energy and serious hazards such as turbulence and hail.

Abstract: An aircraft weather radar system is disclosed. The system comprises a radar antenna, aircraft sensors, and a database. The system also comprises a processing device receiving information from the radar antenna and from the aircraft sensors and able to retrieve information from the database. Further, the system comprises a cockpit display coupled to the processing device. The processing device is programmed to determine storm system hazards and to display the storm system hazards on the display using an iconal representation or textual representation.

Abstract: A weather radar display system is disclosed. The weather radar display system comprises a weather radar antenna, processing electronics, coupled to the weather radar antenna, enhancing weather radar returns based on a reflectivity model which differentiates lower level activity from higher level activity when the weather activity is detected from weather systems at long range and the reflectivity using short range thresholds would display only higher level activity. A weather radar display displays multiple colors representative of the different levels of weather activity based on the enhanced returns.

Abstract: An aircraft weather radar system is disclosed. The system comprises a radar antenna, aircraft sensors, and a database. The system also comprises a processing device receiving information from the radar antenna and from the aircraft sensors and able to retrieve information from the database. Further, the system comprises a cockpit display coupled to the processing device. The processing device is programmed to estimate storm system characteristics based on the received information from the aircraft sensors and the database and to display the storm system characteristics on a vertical weather profile display using a graphical representation.

Abstract: An airborne radar system is disclosed. The airborne radar system comprises a radar antenna, radar circuitry coupled to the radar antenna, and a runway database comprising runway location information. The airborne radar system also comprises a processing device retrieving from the runway database, runway location information for a runway being approached by an aircraft, based on the location of the aircraft, and directing a radar beam defined by a polygon which represents the runway and which is derived from the runway information, the processing device determining whether there are any obstacles on the runway.

Abstract: A system and method for adapting weather radar gain is disclosed. The system and method includes estimating a freezing altitude. The system and method also includes determining, based on the freezing-altitude estimate, the altitude of more than one atmospheric layer. The system and method further includes determining the proportion of a radar beam sample in each atmospheric layer and adjusting the radar gain, based on the proportion.

Abstract: A system and method for suppressing ground clutter in avionics weather radars which includes automatically making multiple scans, closely spaced in time and space, and comparing the returning signals to known ground return signals over known tilt angle variations.

Abstract: A multiple altitude radar system for an aircraft performs a main radar sweep at an altitude of the aircraft and at least one secondary radar sweep at an angle from the altitude of the aircraft to a ground altitude.

Abstract: An adaptive radar scanning system for an aircraft includes a radar antenna that is angularly movable to scan across a full scan range. A control system operates the radar antenna to scan in an adjusted scan range based on information related to a heading of the aircraft. As a result, the radar system is able to provide more weather information in the direction of a turn, by truncating the scan range of the radar antenna in the direction away from the turn.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting, processing, and displaying weather radar information which uses multiple scans, at differing antenna tilt angles, to generate a single displayed image. This can be used to reduce displaying of ground clutter returns and to simultaneously increase the range of weather information displayed on a single image.