Abstract: A method of providing convective weather data includes accessing lightning data, accessing statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data, and accessing at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data. The method includes generating a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data. The lightning flash map indicates at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat. The method provides the lightning flash map to an output port.

Abstract: A method of displaying a weather condition indicator with respect to an aircraft includes receiving weather data from a weather radar system. The weather data includes data indicative of a first location of the weather condition. The method also includes determining a second location of the weather condition based on data indicative of a movement of the weather condition, and displaying the weather condition indicator with reference to the second location.

Abstract: A method of displaying an image representative of a weather condition near an aircraft includes receiving weather data representative of the weather condition from a plurality of weather data sources. The weather data includes location data for the weather condition. The method also includes mapping the weather data received from each source to a common locational reference frame based on the location data, adjusting the weather data received from each source to a common hazard scale, determining a hazard level associated with the weather condition for a reference point in the reference frame based on the adjusted weather data for each source, and displaying the image representative of the weather condition near the aircraft based on the hazard level for the reference point.

Abstract: A present novel and non-trivial system and methods for exacting terrain elevation data contained in a plurality of terrain elevation databases or data sets, combining the terrain elevation data contained in each terrain elevation data set to produce a single, combined terrain database of a common resolution. A system is disclosed that could provide a processor with terrain elevation data from a plurality of terrain elevations data sets having differing resolution and accuracy parameters, a per-point error metric data from a plurality of error metric data sets, and a common resolution parameter. A method is disclosed which for combining terrain elevation data sets having difference resolutions into a single, combined terrain elevation data set having a common resolution utilizing a per-point error metric data from a plurality of error metric data sets.

Abstract: A weather radar system includes an input for receiving lightning detection data and processing electronics for determining a presence of a convective cell or associated hazard. The processing electronics receive weather radar data and the lightning detection data. The weather radar data is related to radar returns. The processing electronics provide temporal or spatial filtering of the lightning detection data to provide filtered data and determine a position of the convective cell or associated hazard in response to the weather radar data and the filtered data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for displaying weather and other hazard information to a pilot with additional content which helps a pilot avoid no-fly-zones and to prepare a new flight path through a group of widely scattered thunderstorms. The display shows a no-fly-zone around the storm and the no-fly-zone is depicted differently, depending upon variables, such as distance from the aircraft, velocity of the storm being tracked and others.

Abstract: Targets proximate to a travel route plan were evaluated to determine hazardousness. Projected geometric representation of a vehicle determines intrusion of hazardous targets along travel route plan. Geometric representation of hazardous targets projected along motion vector to determine intrusion upon travel route plan. Intrusion assessment presented on user display.