초록 ▼

A weather radar system for improving output of potential lightning and hail weather conditions. An exemplary system includes a processor that receives and stores the weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, receives an outside air temperature value, and determines freezing

A weather radar system for improving output of potential lightning and hail weather conditions. An exemplary system includes a processor that receives and stores the weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, receives an outside air temperature value, and determines freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value. The processor generates lightning icon(s) when a reflectivity value stored at cell(s) of the three-dimensional buffer above determined freezing level is greater than a first threshold amount. Also, the processor adds 1.6 km to the determined freezing level and generates hail icon(s) when a reflectivity value stored at cell(s) at the determined freezing level plus 1.6 km are greater than a second threshold amount. The display device displays the hail and lightning icons when an altitude value that corresponds to the cells associated with the generated lightning icons has been selected for display.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method performed on an aircraft, the method comprising: automatically receiving weather radar reflectivity values;automatically receiving an outside air temperature value;automatically determining freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value;automatically generating one or

1. A method performed on an aircraft, the method comprising: automatically receiving weather radar reflectivity values;automatically receiving an outside air temperature value;automatically determining freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value;automatically generating one or more lightning or hail icons when a received reflectivity value is greater than a respective lightning or hail threshold amount relative to the determined freezing level; andautomatically displaying the one or more lightning or hail icons on a weather display based on a display selection,wherein automatically generating one or more lightning icons comprises generating the one or more lightning icons when the received reflectivity value is greater than a respective lightning threshold amount above the determined freezing level and an echo top temperature is less than an echo top temperature threshold. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically storing the weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, wherein automatically generating one or more lightning or hail icons further comprises automatically generating one or more lightning or hail icons only when a threshold number of adjacent cells includes reflectivity values greater than the respective lightning or hail threshold amount. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lightning threshold amount is within a threshold amount from 35 dBZ. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the lightning threshold amount is 35 dBZ. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically storing the weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, wherein automatically generating one or more hail icons comprises: automatically adding a threshold value to the determined freezing level;automatically generating one or more hail icons when a reflectivity value stored at one or more cells of the three-dimensional buffer above determined freezing level plus the threshold value is greater than a hail threshold amount; andautomatically displaying the one or more hail icons on the weather display when an altitude value that corresponds to the one or more cells associated with the generated hail icons has been selected for display. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically generating one or more hail icons further comprises automatically generating one or more hail icons only when a threshold number of adjacent cells includes reflectivity values greater than the hail threshold amount. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the hail threshold amount is within a threshold amount from 45 dBZ. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hail threshold amount is 45 dBZ. 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value is within a threshold from 1.6 km. 10. A weather radar system having radar components for generating radar signals and receiving weather radar reflectivity values based on the generated radar signals, the system comprising: a memory configured to store the received weather radar reflectivity values in a three-dimensional buffer;a processor in signal communication with the memory and the radar components, the processor configured to: receive weather radar reflectivity values;receive an outside air temperature value;determine freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value;generate one or more lightning icons when a received reflectivity value is greater than a respective lightning threshold amount relative to the determined freezing level;add a threshold value to the determined freezing level; andgenerate one or more hail icons when a reflectivity value stored at one or more cells of the three-dimensional buffer at the determined freezing level plus the threshold value is greater than a hail threshold amount; anda display device in signal communication with the processor, the display device configured to display the one or more lightning icons based on a display selection and to display the one or more hail icons when an altitude value that corresponds to the one or more cells associated with the generated hail icons has been selected for display. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a memory comprising a three-dimensional buffer, wherein the processor generates the one or more lightning or hail icons only when a threshold number of adjacent cells in the three-dimensional buffer include reflectivity values greater than the respective lightning or hail threshold amount. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the lighting threshold amount is within a threshold amount from 35 dBZ. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the lighting threshold amount is 35 dBZ. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor generates one or more hail icons only when a threshold number of adjacent cells include reflectivity values greater than the hail threshold amount. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the hail threshold amount is within a threshold amount from 45 dBZ. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hail threshold amount is 45 dBZ. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the threshold value is within a threshold from 1.6 km. 18. A system comprising: a means for receiving and storing weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer;a means for receiving an outside air temperature value;a means for determining freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value;a means for generating one or more lightning icons when a reflectivity value stored at one or more cells of the three-dimensional buffer above determined freezing level is greater than a first threshold amount;a means for displaying the one or more lightning icons on a weather display when an altitude value that corresponds to the one or more cells associated with the generated lightning icons has been selected for display;a means for adding 1.6 km to the determined freezing level;a means for generating one or more hail icons when a reflectivity value stored at one or more cells of the three-dimensional buffer at the determined freezing level plus approximately 1.6 km is greater than a second threshold amount; anda means for displaying the one or more hail icons on the weather display when an altitude value that corresponds to the one or more cells associated with the generated hail icons has been selected for display.