Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Daniel L Woodell

Richard D Jinkins

Roy E Robertson

Richard Marcel Rademaker

Jeffery A Finley

James B West

Gregory J Koenigs

Kevin Michael Kronfeld

Patrick Dennis McCusker

Charles J Dickerson

Lee M Paulsen

Nathanael A Meyer

John G Conkling

Brian J Herting

Joel Michael Wichgers

Steve Paramore

Venkata A Sishtla

John C Mather

Wajih A ElSallal

Terrence P Wey

James H Doty

Koji Katakura

Bret W Spars

Peter A Olander

Sarah Barber

Russell David Wyse

Michael L Hageman

Vladislav Gavrilets

Michael J Buckley

Mark C Fersdahl

Roger A Dana

Shih-Yih Young

Mark B Godfrey

Ian J Bull

Adrian A Hill

Karen L Walling

Robert D Pond

Jeffrey J Deloy

Steven Sperling

Bo S Hagen

Damien B Jourdan

Keith L Kerley

Ying Cho Lai

David L Van Dusseldorp

Kevin M Kronfield

Marvin L Hooker

James Alva Young, Jr

Sergey B Shishlov

An aircraft hazard warning system or method can be utilized to determine a location of turbulence, hail or other hazard for an aircraft. The aircraft hazard warning system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine an inferred presence of a weather condition in response to lightning sensor data, radar reflectivity data, turbulence data, geographic location data, vertical structure analysis data, and/or temperature data. The system can include a display for showing the weather condition and its location.

System and method for turbulence detection

An enhanced vision method or a weather radar system can be used with an aircraft and includes an antenna and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to provide radar beams via the antenna toward external surroundings and is configured to receive radar returns. The control circuit is configured to process a collection of radar measurements from the radar returns, wherein each of the radar measurements is associated with a location determined using an antenna position, an antenna attitude, a beam sharpening angle, and a range. The radar measurements are processed to determine power density per grid cell associated with the power and location of the radar measurements, and the power density per grid cell is used to provide an image associated with the power and location of the radar measurements.

Radar beam sharpening system and method

A radar system, such as a weather radar system, includes a radar antenna and a processor. The processor is configured to cause a first radar beam to be provided using a first portion of the radar antenna. The processor is configured to cause a second radar beam to be provided using a phase adjusted portion of the antenna and a remaining portion of the radar antenna. A radar method and system can allow multiple low-loss overlapping radar beams to be rapidly generated to support a sequential lobbing process which may be used to generate intra-beam target angle estimates. The production of these overlapping beams does not require mechanical antenna movement but beam selection is controlled by a simple electronic switch in some embodiments.

Beam sharpening radar system and method

An aircraft hazard warning system or method can be utilized to determine a location of turbulence, hail or other hazard for an aircraft. The aircraft hazard warning system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine an inferred presence of turbulence in response to lightning sensor data, radar reflectivity data, turbulence data, geographic location data, vertical structure analysis data, and/or temperature data. The system can include a display for showing the turbulence hazard and its location.

An enhanced vision method uses or an enhanced vision system includes an onboard weather radar system configured to improve angular resolution and/or resolution in range. The onboard weather radar system generates image data representative of the external scene topography of a runway environment associated with radar returns received by the onboard weather radar system. The radar returns are in an X-band or a C-band. The enhanced vision system also includes a display in communication with the onboard weather radar system and is configured to display an image associated with the image data that is generated by the onboard weather radar system. The enhanced vision system can also be used as an enhanced flight vision system.

Display system and method using weather radar sensing

The hazard warning system that included processing system for detecting a high altitude ice crystal (HAIC) condition. The aircraft warning system can use at least two types of radar returns to detect the HAIC condition. Warnings of high altitude ice crystal conditions can allow an aircraft to avoid threats posed by HAIC conditions including damage to aircraft equipment and engines.

Weather radar system and method for detecting a high altitude crystal condition using two or more types of radar signals

An airborne navigation system that uses Doppler information from an on-board weather radar to improve the system's accuracy and/or fault tolerance. The system can determine a drift angle and ground speed from Doppler information associated with radar returns from the Earth's surface. Alternatively, the system can be configured to determine heading angle using the drift angle and a track angle received from another sensor.

System and method for doppler aided navigation using weather radar

Electronically scanned arrays and multi-chip modules (MCMs) that may be used in such arrays are provided. One MCM may include a set of one or more first semiconductor components and a plurality of second semiconductor components. The first semiconductor component set is coupled to the plurality of second semiconductor components, and the first semiconductor component set is configured to control the plurality of second semiconductor components. Each of the plurality of second semiconductor components is accessible through a plurality of data strings providing communication between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, each data string defining a unique path between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, such that the plurality of data strings provide redundant data paths between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components.

Multi-chip module architecture

A system and method relates to a weather detection system using millimeter wave radar data. Processing electronics receives millimeter wave radar (MMWR) data and senses a presence of weather spatial extent using return strength data associated with the MMWR data. The processing electronics uses spectral width data associated with the MMWR data to assign a level to the weather in the spatial extent.

Millimeter wave radar system for and method of weather detection

Systems and methods for use in a vehicle are provided. A vehicle can be an aircraft, truck, ship, automobile, locomotive, etc. A system includes a housing having an exterior surface for housing sensor or communication equipment and interior surface for housing electronics associated with the equipment. The sensor or communication equipment can include a radar antenna mounted on or adjacent to the exterior surface, and at least one of a Satcom antenna, altimeter antenna, vision sensor or any communication link antenna.

Multi-sensor system and method for vehicles

A method for calibrating an ESA radar to mitigate degradation of its radiation system. The radiation system includes the distribution manifold, the ESA radiating elements and the radome the ESA may be operating through. Sensing of degradation takes place both locally with a switchable matched load to identify individual ESA element characteristics and globally with target based radar return data. The data generated by this sensing of both local and global characteristics is then used to modify available ESA element complex weighting to produce a desired far-field radiation pattern.

Calibration and optimization of ESA in aircraft radomes

A aircraft hazard warning system or method can be utilized to determine a location of turbulence, hail or other hazard for an aircraft. The aircraft hazard warning system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine an inferred presence of turbulence in response to lightning sensor data, radar reflectivity data, turbulence data, geographic location data, vertical structure analysis data, and/or temperature data. The system can include a display for showing the turbulence hazard and its location.

A device and method is disclosed for a hybrid multi-mode airborne and rotary wing radar Electronically Scanned Antenna (ESA). Pulsed Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) Transmit and Receive Modules (TRM) are nested with Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) transmit elements within the aperture of an ESA. FMCW elements only transmit while the pulsed TRM receive both the pulsed return and the FMCW return. During the hybrid configuration, both the pulsed and FMCW performance is limited to less than the full ESA aperture. In an alternate configuration, individual TRM are configured for transmit and receive of both FMCW and pulsed signals are coupled within the aperture of the ESA. The individual elements offer full aperture performance in both pulsed and FMCW operation. A diplexer controls channel deconfliction between the pulsed and the FMCW transmissions/receptions while a switching network directs the individual elements to hop between the pulsed and FMCW modes.

Hybrid pulsed-FMCW multi-mode airborne and rotary wing radar ESA device and related method

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Daniel L Woodell