Weather Radar Health Monitoring Method Based on Observational Characteristics and Natural Conditions

Abstract

This invention provides a method for monitoring the health status of weather radar based on observational characteristics and natural conditions. The method includes: parsing status data packets through a dedicated radar control communication data interface, extracting and analyzing status bits and numerical information from BITE data, and combining this with preset thresholds to achieve real-time hardware status monitoring; extracting the signal quality factor (SQI) and uniformity parameters from the base data parsed by the data interface, and evaluating the radar's Doppler coherence and polarization performance through multi-dimensional threshold comparisons; extracting reflectivity factors, differential reflectivity, and correlation coefficients based on natural observation base data, and diagnosing polarization balance and polarization isolation by combining threshold analysis of solar radiation and precipitation scenarios, and monitoring antenna lobe performance and system detection sensitivity; summarizing the monitoring results, determining the radar is healthy when all diagnostic items are normal, otherwise triggering an abnormal alarm. This invention solves the problems of observation pauses or interruptions caused by instrumentation monitoring of weather radar performance and health status.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of radar health monitoring technology, and in particular to a weather radar health monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the commonly used methods for monitoring the health status of weather radars are based on dedicated calibration hardware such as microwave delay lines, internal noise sources, phase shifters, and digitally controlled attenuators. External signal sources and spectrum analyzers are also used to monitor the overall performance of the radar system.

[0003] When testing the dynamic range, the receiver input port is switched to the test signal output port with a digitally controlled attenuator via a microwave switch, and known signals of different amplitudes are fed in to achieve the purpose of dynamic range testing.

[0004] When testing KD and RD, the receiver input port is switched to the test signal output port with a phase shifter or microwave delay line via a microwave switch. Through transmit coupling, the sample is phase-shifted to test transmit power, phase measurement accuracy, etc.

[0005] The aforementioned work was used to monitor the radar's health status. However, the radar was operating in test mode, which differs from the normal operating mode, resulting in inconsistencies between the detection data and the test data.

[0006] Monitoring radar health using instruments requires stopping or interrupting observations, leading to discontinuous data. Furthermore, radar development and production necessitate additional instruments, hardware physical radio frequency channels, and other components, significantly increasing manufacturing costs, reducing system reliability, and increasing failure rates. Additionally, signal flow may not traverse the complete radar signal operating channel, resulting in unmonitored nodes and incomplete monitoring. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a method for monitoring the health status of weather radar based on observation characteristics and natural conditions, solving problems such as observation pauses or interruptions caused by instrument-based monitoring of weather radar performance and health status.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] Weather radar health monitoring methods based on observational characteristics and natural conditions include:

[0010] S1: Parse status data packets through the dedicated data interface for radar control and communication, extract and analyze status bits and numerical information in BITE data, and combine them with preset thresholds to achieve real-time hardware status monitoring.

[0011] S2: Extract the signal quality factor (SQI) and uniformity parameters from the base data parsed from the data interface, and evaluate the radar Doppler coherence and polarization performance through multi-dimensional threshold comparison;

[0012] S3: Based on natural observation base data, extract reflectivity factor, differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient, combine with threshold analysis of solar radiation and stratiform cloud precipitation detection variables, diagnose polarization balance and polarization isolation, and monitor antenna lobe performance and system detection sensitivity;

[0013] S4: Based on the monitoring results of S1-S3, the radar is deemed healthy when all diagnostic items are normal; otherwise, an abnormal alarm is triggered.

[0014] In this specification, in step S1, the status bits in the BITE data are extracted and analyzed to determine the hardware circuit status. At the same time, the transmit power value, transmit reverse power value, transmit pulse duty cycle, transmit pulse width, transmit system temperature, and transmit port VSWR are extracted and compared in real time with their corresponding dynamic thresholds A±δ. If any parameter exceeds the range, the transmit power is determined to be abnormal or the transmit system is abnormal. δ is the allowable error.

[0015] In this specification, the threshold determination method for the signal quality factor SQI in S2 is as follows: when SQI ≥ threshold A, the Doppler system coherence is determined to be normal; otherwise, a coherence degradation alarm is generated. The threshold A is dynamically configured according to the radar model.

[0016] In this specification, the polarization performance evaluation in S2 includes: extracting the Uniform Sum parameter from the base data, and when its value is lower than the preset threshold B, determining that the polarization variable is not significant enough and marking the antenna feed system as abnormal.

[0017] In this specification, the polarization balance diagnosis in S3 includes: comparing the differential reflectance Zdr of the H / V channel with a first threshold under solar radiation scenario, and comparing Zdr with a second threshold under stratiform cloud precipitation scenario. If either scenario exceeds the limit, polarization imbalance is determined.

[0018] In this specification, the antenna beamwidth performance monitoring method in S3 is as follows: by analyzing the 3dB beamwidth of the solar radiation reflectivity factor Z, when the measured beamwidth deviates from the theoretical beamwidth by more than ±0.5° or within a predetermined range, the antenna is determined to be deformed and its performance is abnormal.

[0019] In this specification, the sensitivity monitoring in S3 includes: extracting the Zmax value of the strong echo center reflectivity, calculating the coverage area after it is attenuated by 3dB, and determining that the receiving link gain has decreased when the area shrinks abnormally.

[0020] In this specification, the polarization isolation diagnosis in S3 includes: synchronously comparing the correlation coefficient CC of solar radiation and light rain echo, and performing dual-scenario verification with the isolation thresholds B and D respectively. If CC exceeds the limit in either scenario, an isolation abnormality alarm is triggered.

[0021] In this manual, the weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions also includes a data storage step: storing the parsed BITE data, characteristic parameters, and natural observation data in a specified configuration directory of the control terminal software according to timestamps.

[0022] In this specification, the comprehensive judgment of S4 adopts a hierarchical alarm mechanism: when S1 is abnormal, a level 1 hardware fault alarm is triggered; when S2 is abnormal, a level 2 performance degradation alarm is triggered; when S3 is abnormal, a level 3 urgent calibration alarm is triggered, and a diagnostic report containing the abnormality location code is generated.

[0023] In summary, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] This application replaces the conventional method of monitoring radar health status with radar operation observation characteristics and continuous observation based on natural conditions. Traditional monitoring methods will pause or interrupt observation, resulting in discontinuous observation. Therefore, the technical solution of this application has a more significant technical effect in ensuring the reliability of observation data. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the weather radar health monitoring method based on observation features and natural conditions involved in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the embodiments of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0028] The following disclosure provides many different implementations or examples for carrying out different structures of the embodiments of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the embodiments of the present invention, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or reference letters may be repeated in different examples of the embodiments of the present invention; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various implementations and / or arrangements discussed.

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions, including:

[0031] S1, within the dedicated "data interface" data stream for radar control and communication, parses the radar status data packet (BITE data) to diagnose the radar's health status. Information identification and numerical judgment directly obtain the radar hardware's operational status. It parses the status flags in the BITE data to determine the hardware circuit status, and simultaneously extracts the transmit power value, transmit reverse power value, transmit pulse duty cycle, transmit pulse width, transmit system temperature, and transmit port VSWR, comparing them in real-time with their corresponding dynamic thresholds A±δ. If any parameter exceeds the range, it is determined that the transmit power is abnormal or the transmit system is abnormal, where δ is the allowable error.

[0032] S11, the radar health status monitor extracts status bits related to the radar's health status from the radar's status data packet via a dedicated "data interface" for radar control communication, thus achieving "status bit extraction." Simultaneously, the extracted and parsed information is saved in a BITE file within a specified configuration directory of the control terminal software, achieving "BITE information acquisition and storage," providing data support for "BITE information analysis."

[0033] S12 reads the status results of the real-time hardware circuit monitoring from the status flag bits in the BITE data, and diagnoses the real-time health status of the radar hardware based on whether the status bits are normal or not, thus completing the "status bit recognition" process.

[0034] S13, the radar health status monitor extracts numerical information related to the radar's health status from the radar's status data packet via a dedicated "data interface" for radar control communication, achieving "numerical status extraction." Simultaneously, the extracted and analyzed information is saved in a BITE file within a specified configuration directory of the control terminal software, achieving "BITE information acquisition and storage," providing data support for "BITE information analysis."

[0035] S14: Read the numerical status results of hardware acquisition and monitoring from the BITE data and compare them with a pre-set threshold B (e.g., the transmission sample power; if the normal monitoring power is A, then the threshold B is A±δ). If A is outside the range of A±δ under the condition that transmission is on, then the radar transmission output power is judged to be abnormal; otherwise, the radar transmission output power is judged to be normal. The diagnostic logic for other numerical quantities is the same as the diagnostic logic for whether the transmission output power is normal or not, thus completing the "numerical threshold comparison" process.

[0036] S15, through steps S11, S12, S13, and S14, achieves the purpose of monitoring the radar health status via BITE information, completing the "real-time hardware status monitoring" function.

[0037] S2 parses the base data calculated by the signal processor in the data stream of the dedicated "data interface" for radar control and communication, extracts feature data from the observation base data, and diagnoses the radar health status based on the feature data. It obtains the system coherence of Doppler performance, radar polarization performance, and evaluates the significance or effectiveness of polarization variables.

[0038] S21, the radar health status monitor extracts the signal quality factor SQI from the radar's base data packet based on the data stream frame header feature identifier "S SQI". At the same time, the extracted and parsed feature value data is saved in the observation base data file in the specified configuration directory of the control terminal software, realizing "observation base data acquisition and storage" and providing data support for "SQI numerical threshold comparison".

[0039] S22. The signal quality factor (SQI) value is compared with the threshold A. If the SQI value is greater than or equal to the threshold A, the system coherence of the radar Doppler performance is good. Otherwise, the coherence performance is poor and the radar health status is abnormal.

[0040] S23, the radar health status monitor extracts uniformity and Uniform Sum from the radar's base data packet based on the data stream frame header feature identifier "S US". At the same time, the extracted and parsed feature value data is saved in the observation base data file in the specified configuration directory of the control terminal software, realizing "observation base data acquisition and storage" and providing data support for "US numerical threshold comparison".

[0041] S24. Uniformity and (Uniform Sum) are compared with threshold B. If the Uniform Sum value is greater than or equal to threshold B, the significance or effectiveness of the polarization variable in diagnosing radar polarization performance is good. Otherwise, the significance or effectiveness of the polarization variable in diagnosing radar polarization performance is poor, and the radar health status is abnormal.

[0042] S25, through steps S21, S22, S23, and S24, the observation operation characteristic value is compared with the threshold, that is, the "characteristic data threshold comparison" is realized to realize the monitoring function of the radar health status.

[0043] S3. Parse the base data calculated by the signal processor in the data stream of the dedicated "data interface" for radar control and communication. Extract base data such as the reflectivity factor Z, differential reflectivity Zdr, and correlation coefficient CC from the observation base data. Diagnose the radar health status based on the natural observation data. Diagnose polarization balance and polarization isolation, monitor antenna lobe performance, and obtain radar sensitivity, etc.

[0044] S31, the radar health status monitor extracts the reflectivity factor Z, differential reflectivity factor Zdr, and correlation coefficient CC from the radar's base data packet based on the data stream frame header feature identifiers "S Zdr", "S Zh", and "S Rhv". At the same time, the extracted and analyzed natural observation base data is saved in the natural observation base data file in the specified configuration directory of the control terminal software, realizing "acquisition and storage based on natural observation data" and providing data support for "numerical threshold comparison".

[0045] S32, compare the differential reflectivity factor Zdr, which is the difference between the H and V channels receiving solar radiation, with the threshold A, i.e., “Zdr numerical threshold comparison”, to diagnose the polarization balance of the system. If Zdr is less than or equal to the threshold A, the polarization balance of the system is diagnosed as good; otherwise, the polarization balance of the radar is diagnosed as abnormal.

[0046] S33, compare the correlation coefficient CC of received solar radiation with the threshold B, i.e. "CC numerical threshold comparison", to diagnose the polarization isolation of the radar. If CC is less than or equal to the threshold B, the polarization isolation of the system is diagnosed as good; otherwise, the polarization isolation of the radar is diagnosed as abnormal.

[0047] S34 receives the reflectivity factor Z of solar radiation. The echo region corresponding to the strong center reflectivity factor Zmax minus 3dB is identified, i.e., "Zh numerical analysis". This monitors the antenna beamwidth. If the 3dB echo width is comparable to the antenna beamwidth, the antenna beamwidth is excellent; otherwise, the antenna beamwidth is abnormal. At the same time, the strongest echo power can be identified to monitor radar sensitivity.

[0048] S35, observe the differential reflectivity factor Zdr of the light rain echo and compare it with the threshold C, i.e. "Zdr numerical threshold comparison", which can diagnose the polarization balance of the system. If Zdr is less than or equal to the threshold C, the polarization balance of the system is diagnosed as good; otherwise, the polarization balance of the radar is diagnosed as abnormal.

[0049] S36. The correlation coefficient CC of the observed light rain (stratocumulus precipitation) echo is compared with the threshold D, i.e., "CC numerical threshold comparison". This can diagnose the polarization isolation of the system. If the correlation coefficient CC is less than or equal to the threshold B, the polarization isolation of the system is diagnosed as good. Otherwise, the radar polarization isolation is diagnosed as abnormal.

[0050] S37, through steps S31, S32, S33, S34, S35, and S36, the comparison between natural observation base data based on the sun and light rain and the threshold is realized, namely "natural numerical threshold comparison", to realize the function of monitoring the health status of the radar.

[0051] S4, combining the diagnostic results of steps S1, S2, and S3, achieves "real-time radar operation status diagnosis." Only when all results are normal can the radar's health status be diagnosed as normal; otherwise, the radar's health status is abnormal. This innovative and advanced health status monitoring method for weather radar yields radar health status monitoring results.

[0052] This invention can replace the calibration source, phase shifter, noise source, and digitally controlled attenuator in conventional weather radar systems, and achieve the purpose of radar health monitoring when operating in the working channel.

[0053] It changes the traditional instrument-based monitoring method and provides a brand-new means of assessing the quality of weather radar data, offering a convenient, reliable, and trustworthy method for monitoring radar performance and health status.

[0054] The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Therefore, any changes in numerical values ​​or substitutions of equivalent elements should still fall within the scope of this invention.

[0055] The above detailed description will enable those skilled in the art to understand that the present invention can indeed achieve the aforementioned objectives and has complied with the provisions of the Patent Law.

[0056] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention. The above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. It should be noted that any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0057] It should be noted that the above description of the process is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of this specification. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the process under the guidance of this specification. However, these modifications and changes remain within the scope of this specification.

[0058] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art who have read this application, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore, such modifications, improvements, and corrections still fall within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0059] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe its embodiments. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this application can be appropriately combined.

[0060] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that aspects of this application can be described and illustrated through several patentable types or situations, including any new and useful combination of processes, machines, products, or substances, or any new and useful improvements thereof. Therefore, aspects of this application can be implemented entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software. All of the above hardware or software can be referred to as a “unit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, wherein computer-readable program code is contained therein.

[0061] The computer program code required for the operation of each part of this application can be written in any one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET, and Python; general programming languages ​​such as C; Visual Basic, Fortran2103, Perl, COBOL2102, PHP, and ABAP; dynamic programming languages ​​such as Python, Ruby, and Groovy; or other programming languages. This program code can run entirely on the user's computer, or as a standalone software package on the user's computer, or partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any network, such as a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet), or in a cloud computing environment, or used as a service such as Software as a Service (SaaS).

[0062] Furthermore, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of processing elements and sequences, the use of numbers and letters, or other names described in this application are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods of this application. Although some currently considered useful embodiments of the invention have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure by way of various examples, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the substance and scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, although the implementation of the various components described above can be embodied in a hardware device, it can also be implemented as a purely software solution, such as an installation on an existing server or mobile device.

[0063] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this approach of the present application should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than expressly recited in each claim. Rather, the subject of the invention should possess fewer features than in any single embodiment described above.

Claims

1. A weather radar health status monitoring method based on observational characteristics and natural conditions, characterized in that, include: S1: Parse status data packets through the dedicated data interface for radar control and communication, extract and analyze status bits and numerical information in BITE data, and combine them with preset thresholds to achieve real-time hardware status monitoring. S2: Extract the signal quality factor (SQI) and uniformity parameters from the base data parsed from the data interface, and evaluate the radar Doppler coherence and polarization performance through multi-dimensional threshold comparison; S3: Based on natural observation base data, extract reflectivity factor, differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient, combine with threshold analysis of solar radiation and light rain echo, diagnose polarization balance and polarization isolation, and monitor antenna lobe performance and system detection sensitivity; S4: Based on the monitoring results of S1-S3, the radar is deemed healthy when all diagnostic items are normal; otherwise, an abnormal alarm is triggered. The polarization balance diagnosis in S3 includes: comparing the differential reflectivity Zdr of the H / V channel with the first threshold under the solar radiation scenario, and the Zdr with the second threshold under the light rain echo scenario. If either scenario exceeds the limit, polarization imbalance is determined. The polarization isolation diagnosis in S3 includes: synchronously comparing the correlation coefficient CC of solar radiation and light rain echo, and performing dual-scenario verification with the isolation thresholds B and D respectively. If CC exceeds the limit in either scenario, an isolation abnormality alarm is triggered.

2. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S1, the status bits in the BITE data are extracted and analyzed to determine the hardware circuit status. At the same time, the transmit power value, transmit reverse power value, transmit pulse duty cycle, transmit pulse width, transmit system temperature, and transmit port VSWR are extracted and compared in real time with their corresponding dynamic thresholds A±δ. If any parameter exceeds the range, the transmit power is determined to be abnormal or the transmit system is abnormal. δ is the allowable error.

3. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The threshold determination method for the signal quality factor SQI in S2 is as follows: when SQI ≥ threshold A, the coherence of the Doppler system is determined to be normal; otherwise, a coherence degradation alarm is generated. The threshold A is dynamically configured according to the radar model.

4. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polarization performance evaluation in S2 includes: extracting the Uniform Sum parameter from the base data; when its value is lower than the preset threshold B, determining that the polarization variable is not significant enough and marking the antenna feed system as abnormal.

5. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna beamwidth monitoring method in S3 is as follows: by analyzing the 3dB beamwidth of the solar radiation reflectivity factor Z, when the measured beamwidth deviates from the theoretical beamwidth by more than ±0.5° or within a predetermined range, the antenna is determined to be deformed and its performance is abnormal.

6. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation features and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensitivity monitoring in S3 includes: extracting the Zmax value of the strong echo center reflectivity, calculating the coverage area after it is attenuated by 3dB, and determining that the receiving link gain has decreased when the area shrinks abnormally.

7. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation features and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a data storage step: storing the parsed BITE data, feature parameters, and natural observation data in a specified configuration directory of the control terminal software according to timestamps.

8. The weather radar health status monitoring method based on observation characteristics and natural conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The comprehensive judgment of S4 adopts a hierarchical alarm mechanism: when S1 is abnormal, a level 1 hardware fault alarm is triggered; when S2 is abnormal, a level 2 performance degradation alarm is triggered; when S3 is abnormal, a level 3 urgent calibration alarm is triggered, and a diagnostic report containing the abnormality location code is generated.

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