The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
May. 28, 1999
Keith D Hutchison, Austin, TX (US);
Phillip C Topping, Saratoga, CA (US);
Thomas Turner Wilheit, Jr, College Station, TX (US);
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space Co., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Brazos Earth System Science, College Station, TX (US);
Abstract
A method exploits the spectral signature of cloud bases in microwave moisture sounder data to determine cloud base heights. This signature requires the accurate specification of cloud top height, which in a preferred embodiment, comes from the analysis of data provided by an electro-optical sensor (EO) such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument flown on operational NOAA satellites. The method includes a receiving step in which satellite EO (visible through infrared) and microwave radiance data of a view of the earth's atmosphere is received. The view has both location and time information. In a determining step, cloud top height is determined based on the EO and infrared radiance data. Moisture profiles of the view are retrieved in a retrieving step based on the microwave radiance data. Subsequently, in a determining step, cloud base heights of clouds in the view are determined using cloud top heights as a constraint in the retrieval of moisture profiles with tile microwave data. With the cloud base height information, three dimensional models of the clouds may be constructed based on the cloud top heights, cloud base heights and moisture data which may be used for weather visualization and prediction.