Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Brian Paul Bunch

Paul E Christianson

Steve Mowry

Ratan Khatwa

Santosh Mathan

Paul Ferguson

Michael M Grove

Robert J Jensen

Ken Kuttler

Rodney A Rowen

David C Vacanti

Willard R True

Donald C Kauffman

Brad A Miller

James Christopher Kirk

Dongsong Zeng

Roland Szeto

Brennan Kilty

John M Noll

David W Syms

Sundara Murthy

Rodney Rowen

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.

System and method to identify regions of airspace having ice crystals using an onboard weather radar system

In some examples, a system includes a radar device configured to transmit first X-band radar signals in a weather mode and receive first return X-band radar signals in the weather mode. In some examples, the radar device is further configured to transmit second X-band radar signals in a landing mode and receive second return X-band radar signals in the landing mode. In some examples, the system also includes processing circuitry configured to detect, in the weather mode, weather formations based on the first return X-band radar signals. In some examples, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine, in the landing mode, a position of a transponder based on the second return X-band radar signals received by the radar device and determine a location of a runway based on the position of the transponder.

Determining a location of a runway based on radar signals

In one example, a device includes a receiver configured to receive a low-power X band radar transmission, and a transmitter operably coupled to the receiver and configured to transmit an X band transmission in response to receiving the low-power X band radar transmission.

Low-power X band beacon transponder

A vertical profile display includes weather information for an aircraft. In some examples, the weather is displayed in the vertical profile display as a plurality of weather blocks, each block indicating the weather in a volume of space associated with the block. In addition, in some examples, the vertical profile display shows a vertical profile view of a flight path of the aircraft and includes indications of primary weather and secondary weather, where the indication of primary weather is visually distinct from the indication of secondary weather.

Vertical profile display including weather blocks

A weather radar with an integrated flat plate slotted array antenna system mounted to a motorized, gimbaled platform. The integrated antenna system includes a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) receiver/transmitter antenna integrated with other printed circuit board (PCB) layers. The PCB includes radar transmitter, receiver and processing circuits configured to communicate with weather radar display and controller units. A protective shield provides radio-frequency (RF) shielding and mechanical support for the integrated antenna system.

Low-cost lightweight integrated antenna for airborne weather radar

A vertical profile display includes weather information for an aircraft. In some examples, the vertical profile display includes one or more weather icons, each weather icon indicating a weather condition for a volume of space at a particular altitude. Each weather icon is displayed within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the altitude of the weather condition indicated by the particular weather icon.

Vertical profile display including weather icons

A vertical profile display includes weather information for an aircraft. In some examples, the weather is displayed in the vertical profile display with a hazard band indication. The hazard band indication includes an upper limit line positioned within the vertical profile view at a position corresponding to an altitude greater than or equal to an altitude above which no hazardous weather cells were detected. In some examples, the vertical profile display also includes one or more weather icons, with each weather icon indicating a weather condition for a volume of space.

Vertical profile display including hazard band indication

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.

Weather radar with bright band suppression

A convective weather graphic element generator system generates graphic elements associated with severe convective weather for presentation on a display on an aircraft. An exemplary system employs a weather radar and a processing system. The processing system determines a value associated with the detected convective weather based on the received weather radar returns detected by the weather radar, compares the value associated with the detected convective weather with a threshold, and generates a graphic element for a region of airspace when the value associated with the detected convective weather exceeds the threshold. The display is configured to concurrently present the weather reflectivity information generated by the weather radar and the graphic element associated with the convective weather, wherein portions of both the presented graphic element and the presented weather reflectivity information of the corresponding area are concurrently visible on the display.

System and method of displaying convective weather on a weather radar display

Systems and methods for improving display quality for at range weather data of smaller antenna size radar weather systems. A processor receives a column of quantized reflectivity data associated with an antenna from a radar system. The processor adjusts the column of quantized reflectivity data based on estimated quantized reflectivity data associated with a beam pattern for an antenna that is larger than the antenna associated with the received column of quantized reflectivity data.

Weather radar beam-sharpening and de-quantization

A radar information processing system is operable to process high bandwidth radar information received from a radar system into low bandwidth radar information that may be communicated to a low bandwidth connection coupled to an electronic flight bag (EFB). An exemplary embodiment receives radar information from a radar system, the radar information communicated from the radar system at a first bandwidth; processes the received radar information into processed radar information, the processed radar information configured for communication over a connection operable at a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth lower than the first bandwidth; and communicates the radar information from a radar system, the radar information communicated from the radar system at a first bandwidth.

Systems and methods for radar data communication

Systems and methods for representing a weather hazard without also including a large percentage of non-hazard area. An exemplary system includes a memory that stores radar reflectivity data in a three-dimensional buffer, a display device and a processor that is in data communication with the memory and the display device. The processor receives a two-dimensional shape based on a portion of the data stored in the three-dimensional buffer, then finds a center of the shape. Next the processor finds the furthest away point of the shape in a plurality of regions sharing the center as a common point and generates a polygon based on the furthest away points. The display device displays the generated polygon. The shape is associated with hazardous weather information determined from the radar reflectivity data stored in the three-dimensional buffer. The display device is an aircraft weather radar display.

Methods and systems for identifying hazardous flight zone areas on a display

Systems and methods for efficiently updating text or symbol annunciations outputted by an avionics system on legacy displays. Instead of using a set sweeping pattern to update the display, a smart updating concept is used. The smart updating concept senses when the pilot is adjusting the selected altitude control (or other user interface device that will alter displayed annunciations), then gives priority to updating the radial lines on the display that contain the annunciation field. Once the annunciation field has been updated, the display returns to normal operation.

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Snohomish, WA, United States of America

Brian Paul Bunch