Vehicle specific hazard estimation, presentation, and route planning based on meteorological and other environmental data

Abstract

This invention combines meteorological and other environmental data with data specific to a particular craft or vehicle, such as, for example, the weight, speed, response characteristics, propulsion, mode of propulsion, and configuration, of a particular aircraft, and produces a simplified display map showing environmental conditions data as the environmental conditions data relates to that specific vehicle. The environmental conditions data is presented on the display map in the form of environmental condition annotations that have different coloring, shading, and/or iconization as determined by the type, severity, and area of the various environmental conditions relative to the vehicle. This invention separately provides travel route optimization for a particular craft or vehicle based on the combination of meteorological and other environmental data with data specific to the particular craft or vehicle. The travel route may be optimized based on default criteria or criteria selected by a user, such as, for example, best fuel economy, most comfortable ride, fastest traverse of a particular region, and/or changing configuration of the particular craft or vehicle. The travel route may be altered or updated by this invention based on either a request from the user or a change in either the environmental conditions or the characteristics of the particular craft or vehicle.