초록 ▼

The present invention is a method for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for an aircraft. The method may include directing electromagnetic signals from a weather radar system of an aircraft towards a runway. The method may further include receiving return signals in response

The present invention is a method for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for an aircraft. The method may include directing electromagnetic signals from a weather radar system of an aircraft towards a runway. The method may further include receiving return signals in response to the directed signals. The method may further include, based on the received return signals, determining an azimuth angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, determining an elevation angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, and determining a range for the aircraft relative to the runway. The method may further include based on the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range, calculating the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation for the aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for an aircraft, comprising: directing electromagnetic signals from a weather radar system of an aircraft towards a runway; receiving return signals in response to the directed signals; based on the rece

What is claimed is: 1. A method for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for an aircraft, comprising: directing electromagnetic signals from a weather radar system of an aircraft towards a runway; receiving return signals in response to the directed signals; based on the received return signals, determining an azimuth angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, determining an elevation angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, and determining a range for the aircraft relative to the runway; and based on the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range, calculating the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation for the aircraft. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: creating a runway location depiction based on the received return signals, the runway location depiction including the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, the range, the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: providing the runway location depiction to an on-board display. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: displaying the runway location depiction via the on-board display. 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display is one of a Synthetic Vision System (SVS) display, or an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) display. 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: directing electromagnetic signals from a millimeter wave radar system of the aircraft towards the runway. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: receiving millimeter wave radar return signals in response to the signals directed from the millimeter wave radar system. 8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: based on the received millimeter wave radar return signals, creating a runway location depiction. 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: providing the runway location depiction to an on-board display; and displaying the runway location depiction via the on-board display. 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: receiving Infrared (IR) radiation via a Forward Looking Infrared Radiation (FLIR) camera system of the aircraft. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: based on the received IR radiation, creating a runway location depiction. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: providing the runway location depiction to an on-board display; and displaying the runway location depiction via the on-board display. 13. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: creating a first runway location depiction, the first runway location depiction being based on the received return signals, the first runway location depiction including the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, the range, the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation; directing electromagnetic signals from a millimeter wave radar system of the aircraft towards the runway; receiving millimeter wave radar return signals in response to the signals directed from the millimeter wave radar system; based on the received millimeter wave radar return signals, creating a second runway location depiction; receiving Infrared (IR) radiation via a Forward Looking Infrared Radiation (FLIR) camera system of the aircraft; based on the received IR radiation, creating a third runway location depiction; merging the first, second and third runway depictions to create a collective runway depiction; providing the collective runway location depiction to an on-board display; and displaying the collective runway location depiction via the display. 14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for an aircraft, said method comprising: directing electromagnetic signals from a weather radar system of an aircraft towards a threshold of a runway; receiving return signals in response to the directed signals; based on the received return signals, determining an azimuth angle for the aircraft relative to the threshold of the runway, determining an elevation angle for the aircraft relative to the threshold of the runway, and determining a range for the aircraft relative to the threshold of the runway; and based on the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range, calculating the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation for the aircraft. 15. A computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14, said method further comprising: creating a runway threshold location depiction based on the received return signals, the runway threshold location depiction including the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, the range, the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: providing the runway threshold location depiction to an on-board display. 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: displaying the runway threshold location depiction via the on-board display. 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the display is one of a Synthetic Vision System (SVS) display, or an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) display. 19. An on-board aircraft system for obtaining a localizer deviation and a glide slope deviation for the aircraft, comprising: a weather radar subsystem, the weather radar subsystem including: an antenna configured for directing electromagnetic signals from the weather radar subsystem of the aircraft towards a runway, the antenna further configured for receiving return signals in response to the directed signals; a memory communicatively coupled with the antenna, the memory configured for receiving return signal information based on the return signals, the memory further configured for storing the return signal information; and a processor communicatively coupled with the memory, the processor configured for retrieving the return signal information stored in the memory, the processor further configured for determining an azimuth angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, an elevation angle for the aircraft relative to the runway, and a range for the aircraft relative to the runway, the processor further configured for, based on the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range, calculating the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation for the aircraft. 20. A system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising: a display communicatively coupled with the processor, the display configured for receiving and displaying the calculated localizer deviation and glide slope deviation for the aircraft. 21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured for creating a runway location depiction and providing the runway location depiction to the display, the runway location depiction being created based on the received return signals, the runway location depiction including the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, the range, the localizer deviation and the glide slope deviation. 22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the system is configured for supporting low visibility operations for the aircraft, including operations with minima at Instrument Landing System (ILS) Category I, ILS Category II, or ILS Category IIIa.