Radar / optical signal integrated gust detection system

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for a radar / optical signal integrated gust detection system. [Solution] In a particular embodiment, the system includes an optical system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide optical wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft. Furthermore, the system includes a radar system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide radar wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft. The system also includes a processor that receives optical wind measurements from the optical system and radar wind measurements from the radar system, the processor configured to characterize gusts in the volume of space by fusing the optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements, the fusing of optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements based on meteorological conditions in the volume of space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 724,755, filed on November 25, 2024, entitled "JOINT RADAR / OPTICAL SIGNAL WIND GUST DETECTION SYSTEM", the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] During the flight of an aircraft, the movement of air can affect the efficiency and safety of the aircraft's operation. For example, gusts and turbulence can force the aircraft operator to make rapid adjustments according to the external forces acting on the aircraft, leading to an increase in fuel consumption and structural stress. Furthermore, turbulence can pose a safety risk to the passengers inside the aircraft. Aircraft operators may attempt to characterize the air movements that can affect the aircraft, enabling the operator to respond efficiently and proactively to the air movements.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] This specification describes systems and methods for a radar / optical signal integrated gust detection system. In certain embodiments, the system includes an optical system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide optical wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft. Further, the system includes a radar system mounted on the aircraft and configured to provide radar wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft. The system also includes one or more processors configured to receive optical wind measurements from the optical system and radar wind measurements from the radar system, and the one or more processors are configured to characterize gusts within the volume of space by fusing the optical wind measurements with the radar wind measurements, and the fusion of the optical wind measurements with the radar wind measurements is based on the weather conditions within the volume of space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0004] The figures accompanying this specification illustrate only a few embodiments relevant to the appended claims. Therefore, the described and illustrated embodiments should not be considered limiting. The accompanying drawings and specification describe exemplary embodiments and their features, with further specifics and details. [Figure 1] This is a diagram of an aircraft passing through different environments, according to the aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a gust mitigation system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of an optical system for detecting gusts of wind according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of a radar system for detecting gusts of wind according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of a method for detecting gusts of wind according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In accordance with convention, the drawings do not show the various features described to scale, but they are shown to highlight the relevance of the features to exemplary embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0005] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification. The drawings illustrate specific exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that other embodiments may be used and that logical, mechanical, and electrical modifications may be made.

[0006] In certain embodiments, systems and methods are provided for radar / optical signal integrated gust detection systems. In particular, a gust mitigation system for a vehicle traveling in a specific direction may receive gust detection signals from both a radar detection system and an optical detection system. The gust mitigation system can then fuse the information from the radar detection system and the optical detection system to characterize gusts along the direction of travel. Because radar signals and optical signals are subject to different environmental constraints, by receiving both signals, the gust mitigation system can consistently determine wind conditions as the vehicle passes through various environmental conditions.

[0007] Gusts of wind can affect aircraft operations. In particular, gusts can stress the aircraft structure, affect fuel efficiency, and potentially threaten the safety of aircraft passengers. However, aircraft operators, such as pilots or autonomous control systems, can mitigate the threats posed by wind by identifying wind conditions ahead of the aircraft and adjusting the aircraft's actions in accordance with the expected impact of the identified future wind conditions. For example, an aircraft can avoid areas with specific gusts, adjust its aircraft structure (such as ailerons) to reduce stress on the aircraft from wind-induced forces, and adjust its flight speed in accordance with expected wind conditions, among other adjustments. Mitigating expected wind conditions has several potential benefits. For example, the aircraft can avoid turbulence caused by gusts, making flight smoother. Furthermore, the aircraft can be designed to be lighter because it is not exposed to the same forces caused by the wind. In addition, a lighter aircraft can be made to avoid some of the wind, making flight more efficient and resulting in significant fuel savings for the aircraft operator.

[0008] To identify future wind conditions, sensors can be mounted on aircraft to help sense the wind conditions in front of the aircraft. For example, optical sensors such as lidar can be used to detect the movement of air particles. Thus, optical sensors can be mounted on aircraft, allowing aircraft systems to use them to identify the wind conditions in front of the aircraft. However, lidar systems may struggle to detect wind conditions in different environmental conditions. For example, lidar systems may struggle to identify wind conditions in cloudy conditions. Since aircraft need to be able to identify wind conditions in almost all environments to provide some of the benefits of wind mitigation, using only lidar systems may not be sufficient to provide adequate knowledge of future wind conditions.

[0009] In certain embodiments, multiple sensors, including different types of sensors capable of measuring wind conditions under various environmental conditions, are deployed on the aircraft. For example, the multiple sensors may include a light-sensing system (such as lidar) capable of measuring wind conditions in clear weather conditions. Furthermore, the multiple sensors may include a radar system capable of measuring wind conditions in cloudy weather conditions. Thus, multiple sensors mounted on the aircraft may provide measurements of wind conditions within a specific distance in front of the aircraft along the direction of travel. Furthermore, the aircraft may include a computing device that analyzes and fuses measurements from the multiple sensors to provide measurements of wind conditions.

[0010] Figure 1 shows an aircraft 101 flying through several types of atmospheric conditions subject to gusts of wind. In particular, the atmospheric conditions include clear skies 103 and cloudy skies 107. As shown in the figure, the aircraft 101 may be traveling in the direction of travel 111. As described herein, the aircraft 101 may be an airplane, a spacecraft, a helicopter, or a similar vehicle. The aircraft 101 may also be a manned or unmanned aircraft. As described herein, a gust of wind refers to a change in wind speed.

[0011] As aircraft 101 travels along the direction of travel 111, it may experience gusts of wind within clear-sky conditions 103 and / or cloudy-sky conditions 107. For example, gust 105 may occur within clear-sky conditions 103, and gust 109 may occur within cloudy-sky conditions 107. Therefore, as aircraft 101 travels along the direction of travel 111 through clear-sky conditions 103, gust 105 may impose a force on aircraft 101 that could affect its efficiency, safety, and the structural stress experienced. Similarly, as aircraft 101 travels along the direction of travel 111 through cloudy-sky conditions 107, gust 109 may impose a force that could affect its efficiency, safety, and the structural stress experienced.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the aircraft 101 includes at least one sensor capable of detecting gusts 105 in clear-sky conditions 103. For example, the at least one sensor may be an optical sensor, such as a lidar, which emits a laser signal into clear-sky conditions 103 and then receives the reflected laser signal. In particular, the optical sensor may emit light forward of the aircraft 101 that is reflected by moving particles within a certain distance in front of the aircraft 101 in clear-sky conditions 103. By detecting the movement of the particles, the controller can identify the presence of a gust and, accordingly, characterize the identified gust. Characterization may include determining the speed and direction of the gust. However, the optical sensor may not be able to accurately detect gusts 109 in cloudy conditions 107 due to water vapor in the clouds absorbing and reflecting the light emitted by the optical sensor.

[0013] In additional embodiments, the aircraft 101 includes at least one radar sensor capable of detecting gusts 109 within cloudy conditions 107. For example, the radar sensor may emit radio waves into the clouds, in which case the radio waves can detect the movement of particles throughout the cloudy conditions 107. In particular, reflected radio waves can be used by a controller to identify the presence of gusts and to characterize the identified gusts. However, the radar sensor may not be able to accurately detect gusts 105 in clear conditions 103.

[0014] In some embodiments, the aircraft 101 may include at least one radar sensor and at least one optical sensor for detecting gusts in both clear weather conditions 103 and cloudy weather conditions 107. In particular, a computing device may receive measurements from at least one radar sensor and at least one optical sensor and fuse the measurements to provide an integrated measurement of gusts along the aircraft 101's direction of travel 111. In some embodiments, the sensors acquire measurements of wind conditions within a defined range ahead of the aircraft 101 along the direction of travel 111. For example, the defined range may be about 100 to 300 meters ahead of the aircraft.

[0015] In certain embodiments, after characterizing the wind conditions, the gust mitigation system may instruct the aircraft 101 to take measures to mitigate the potential adverse effects of the gust on the aircraft 101. For example, the gust mitigation system may instruct the aircraft 101 to change its direction of travel 111 to avoid the gust. Furthermore, the gust mitigation system may instruct the aircraft 101 to change the position of the aircraft structure to prepare the aircraft 101 to respond more reliably to the identified gust. For example, the gust mitigation system may adjust ailerons, flaps, and speed, among other components and parameters, to mitigate the effects of the gust on the aircraft 101. Because the gust mitigation system can mitigate the effects of the gust, the aircraft 101 may experience less structural stress during flight. Thus, the aircraft 101 may be designed to be lighter and more fuel-efficient, which leads to safer and more efficient flight.

[0016] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle 201, including a gust mitigation system 203 that functions similarly to that described above. As shown, the gust mitigation system 203 includes a gust controller 207 that receives measurements from a radar system 211 and an optical system 213. The gust controller 207 fuses the measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 to identify and characterize gusts in front of the vehicle 201. Based on the characterized gusts, the gust controller 207 provides the vehicle control unit 205 with information describing the identified gusts. The vehicle control unit 205 can then control the operation of the vehicle 201 based on the characterization of the identified gusts.

[0017] Generally, the gust controller 207 may include any one or more of the following: a processor, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent individual or integrated logic circuits. In some embodiments, the gust controller 207 may include multiple components, such as one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, or one or more FPGAs, and any combination of other individual or integrated logic circuits. The functions attributed to the gust controller 207 herein may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The gust controller 207 may be part of a system controller, a component controller, or part of a controller shared with the radar system 211 and optical system 213 of the air data system.

[0018] The gust controller 207 may also access and write data from memory 209 to support the operation of the gust mitigation system 203. Memory 209 may store computer-readable operation instructions that, when executed by the gust controller 207, provide functionality for the gust mitigation system. Computer-readable instructions may be encoded within memory. Memory is a suitable non-temporary storage medium and includes, but is not limited to, any volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical medium, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other storage medium.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the gust controller 207 communicates with the radar system 211 and the optical system 213. The gust controller 207 may periodically receive gust measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213. Based on operation commands stored in memory 209, the gust controller 207 uses data from at least one of the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 to determine whether a gust has been detected. If a gust is detected, the gust controller 207 commands the vehicle control unit 205 to adjust the operation of the vehicle 201 in anticipation of the gust, thereby mitigating the effects of the gust on the vehicle 201 that could cause passenger discomfort and stress on the vehicle.

[0020] To provide the vehicle with sufficient time to compensate for any gusts it may encounter, the radar system 211 and optical system 213 may monitor an area of ​​the atmosphere several hundred meters ahead of the vehicle. For example, a controller for the radar system 211 and optical system 213 (or gust controller 207) may set a time for periodically monitoring the returned reflected beam or radar signal, which will provide measurements from a desired distance from the vehicle 201. Furthermore, the gust controller 207 may use the speed of the vehicle 201 along the direction of travel 111 to determine when to sample the reflected beam or radar signal. In addition, the characteristics of the signal transmitting and receiving components, as well as the signal power, may be selected based on the distance between the areas of the atmosphere being monitored by the gust mitigation system 203.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the gust controller 207 may fuse the measurements received from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213. In particular, the gust controller 207 may execute data fusion algorithms known to those skilled in the art that combine the measurements. In some embodiments, both the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 may independently provide measurements to the gust controller 207. The gust controller 207 may determine how to fuse the measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 based on the information received from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213.

[0022] When the vehicle 201 is in clear weather conditions and the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 are providing measurements, the radar system 211 may report that there are no measurable gusts with a significant level of uncertainty. Conversely, the optical system 213 may generate measurements for clear weather environments over the desired measurement range. Accordingly, the gust controller 207 may determine that the optical system 213 is generating more accurate measurements than the radar system 211.

[0023] When the vehicle 201 is in cloudy weather conditions and the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 are providing measurements, the radar system 211 may provide measurable gusts with a sufficient level of uncertainty (e.g., variance). Conversely, in cloudy weather conditions, the optical system 213 may generate strong signal measurements from close distances, but as the distance increases, the optical signal weakens and becomes increasingly inaccurate. Accordingly, it may be possible for the gust controller 207 to determine that the radar system 211 is generating more accurate measurements than the optical system 213.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the gust controller 207 may determine that it can use measurements from both the radar system 211 and the optical system 213. Further, when the vehicle 201 moves between an area with sunny conditions and an area with cloudy conditions, the transition between different areas is generally not abrupt. Between these transition areas, both the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 may provide reliable measurements of gusts. Further, at low altitudes, the air density may be high enough for both the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 to provide reliable measurements of gusts. The gust controller 207 may determine that measurements from both the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 are usable by cross-checking the measurements against each other.

[0025] For example, if the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 provide the same measurement, the gust controller 207 may determine that both measurements are usable to characterize the gust. Also, the gust controller 207 may use the reliability of the measurements to weight and / or filter the measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213 when fusing measurements from different sensing systems.

[0026] In some embodiments, the gust controller 207 may establish a certainty threshold for measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213, and this threshold is used by the gust controller 207 to determine whether the measurements are reliable. For example, the gust controller 207 may use a predetermined difference threshold for measurements from the radar system 211 and the optical system 213. If the difference in the measurements exceeds the threshold, the gust controller 207 may use the measurements to characterize the gust. In some embodiments, the gust controller 207 may use an adaptable weight for the measurements based on the difference.

[0027] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary optical system 213. In some embodiments, the optical system 213 may be modular. As shown, the optical system 213 includes an optical head 301, which may include a controller 303 and a memory 313. Similarly, the controller 303 and memory 313 may be implemented as the gust controller 207 and memory 209, as described above in Figure 2. In particular, the controller 303 may include any one or more of a processor, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent individual or integrated logic circuits. In some embodiments, the controller 303 may include multiple components such as one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, one or more FPGAs, and any combination of other individual or integrated logic circuits. The functions attributed to the controller 303 herein may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The controller 303 may be part of a system controller or a component controller. Memory 313 may contain computer-readable operation instructions that, when executed by controller 303, provide functionality for the optical system 213. Computer-readable instructions may be encoded within memory. Memory is a suitable non-temporary storage medium, including, but not limited to, any volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other storage medium.

[0028] In exemplary embodiments, the optical head 301 may include a laser 305 and a beam-splitting optical element 307. A controller 303 may control the laser 305 to generate a pulsed light beam. The beam-splitting optical element 307 of the optical head 301 can be used to split the light beam into emitted optical fiber paths 320. Each of the emitted optical fiber paths 320 is coupled to associated modules 300-1, 300-2 to 300-n. Each of the emitted optical fiber paths 320 may provide a generated signal path for the generated light beam. Each module 300-1 to 300-n may generally be referred to as “module 300”.

[0029] Each module 300 includes an input interface 308 or input connector coupled to an associated emission optical fiber path 320, and an emitter 302 optically coupled to the input interface 308. The emitter 302 includes a transmitting optical element configured to direct a laser beam generated from the laser 305 into the atmosphere in a desired direction. The reflected light beam is received by a receiver 304 which includes a telescope optical element for directing the reflected light beam that has been reflected by particles in the atmosphere and returned. The reflected light beam is optically coupled to an output interface 306, such as an output coupler. Each output interface 306 is coupled to an associated reflection optical fiber path 322. Each reflection optical fiber path 322 provides a reflection signal path for the reflected light beam. A detector 309 of the optical head 301 communicates with each reflection optical fiber path 322. The detector 309 may include an interferometer for measuring at least the change in wavelength between the generated light beam and the reflected light beam.

[0030] In some embodiments, the optical system 213 may provide multiple lines of sight for periodic detection of wind conditions within a volume along the potential direction of travel. For example, the optical system 213 may emit light signals along two or more lines of sight. In particular, each module 300 may emit multiple lines of sight, or separate modules 300 may work together to emit light signals along multiple lines of sight. Light signals along multiple lines of sight may enable the optical system 213 to measure gusts of wind at defined repeating distances (i.e., every 10 meters) within a defined distance (such as between 100 meters and 300 meters) in front of the vehicle along the potential direction of travel.

[0031] The controller 303 communicates with the optical detector 309. The controller 303 is configured to process the output of the optical detector 309 to determine air data. The determined air data may include, but is not limited to, wind speed using Doppler shift calculations, temperature based on the spread of the reflected light beam, and particle density.

[0032] In one example, an association between a reflective fiber path 322, an associated module 300, and a direction or position configured for monitoring by module 300 is stored in memory 313. The controller 303 uses this association when determining air data associated with a specific region of the atmosphere surrounding the aircraft. Furthermore, in one example, separate areas of the detector 309 are each associated with module 300. This association is stored in memory 313 and used by the controller 303 when determining air data associated with a specific region of the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle.

[0033] In this example, the optical head 301 further includes a clock 311. The controller 303 uses the clock 311 to measure the time it takes for the pulsed reflected light beam to be received by the optical detector 309 from the time the light beam is generated by the laser 305. Based on the elapsed time and the speed of light, the controller 303 can determine not only the air data but also the distance from the aircraft where the air data was detected. In one example, the controller 303 executes an operation command stored in memory 313 to pulse the light beam from the laser 305, uses the clock to read the output from the detector 309 at a specific time from the pulse, and collects air data at a specific distance from the vehicle in the direction provided by the associated module 300. The controller 303 outputs the air data that can be used by other vehicle systems while they are operating.

[0034] Figure 4 shows a conceptual block diagram of a radar system 211 mounted onboard a vehicle such as vehicle 201 in Figure 2. The radar system 211 is configured to acquire information about air conditions along the potential direction of travel for vehicle 201. The radar system 211 may include a controller 403 that incorporates a weather detection module for detecting weather conditions in the sensed data along the potential direction of travel. The controller 403 may include processing circuits such as the gust controller 207 described above. In addition, the controller 403 may communicate with a memory device such as memory 209. The controller 403 is configured to acquire measured values ​​of weather conditions from the sensed radar data. Furthermore, the controller 403 may also calculate reliability information about the acquired measurements, such as difference and similar metrics.

[0035] Furthermore, the radar system 211 may include a radar device 401. For example, the radar device 401 may be a phased array radar device or another type of radar device, along with any associated processing circuits. The radar device 401 may be configured to transmit radar signals 409 into a volume of space 407 outside the vehicle along a potential direction of travel. In some examples, the transmitted radar signals 409 may be electromagnetic waves at frequencies generally associated with radar signals. The transmitted radar signals 409 may travel away from the radar device 401 and collide with particles such as water molecules and other particles in the volume of space 407. A portion of the transmitted radar signals may be reflected or scattered and returned to the radar device 401 as reflected or scattered radar signals 411. The radar system 211 may also be configured to store information related to the returned radar signals 411 in an embedded or mounted memory device and / or to transmit the returned radar signals 411 to a controller 403 or other processing circuit such as the gust controller 207 in Figure 2. In some cases, the returned radar signal 411 may indicate the reflectivity of molecules and the presence of gusts of wind within the volume of space 407.

[0036] The radar device 401 may be configured to transmit and receive signals at a specified frequency or within a specified frequency band. The radar device 401 may be configured to transmit and receive signals by using an antenna array. In some examples, the antenna array may include a one-dimensional line of antennas and / or a two-dimensional matrix of antennas. The radar device 401 may be configured to control the direction of the beam transmitted by the antenna array by controlling the phase shift across the antenna array. In some examples, the radar device 401 may be configured to scan a volume of space 407 in a relatively short time, such as 5 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second, or less than 1 second. In contrast, a radar device 401 having a single mechanical scanning element may scan the same volume of space 407 over a much longer period.

[0037] In additional embodiments, the radar system 211 may also include other components not shown in Figure 4, such as a user interface configured to receive user input and present information regarding weather information and / or conditions within the volume of space 407. The radar system 211 may also include one or more memory devices for storing data related to conditions within the volume of space 407. Thus, the radar system 211 may provide meteorological condition measurements that can be fused with optical data from the optical system 213 by the gust controller 207, as described above.

[0038] Figure 5 is a flowchart of Method 500 for a radar / optical signal integrated gust detection system. Method 500 proceeds to 501, where optical wind measurements are received from an onboard optical system on the aircraft, which generates optical wind measurements for the volume of space along the aircraft's direction of travel. Method 500 further proceeds to 503, where radar wind measurements are received from a onboard radar system on the aircraft, which generates radar wind measurements for the volume of space along the direction of travel. Method 500 also proceeds to 505, where the optical wind measurements are fused with radar wind measurements to characterize the wind movement within the volume of space, and the fusion of optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements is based on meteorological conditions within the volume of space.

[0039] Exemplary Embodiments Example 1 includes a system comprising: an optical system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide optical wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft; a radar system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide radar wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft; and one or more processors configured to receive optical wind measurements from the optical system and radar wind measurements from the radar system, wherein the one or more processors are configured to characterize gusts in a volume of space by fusing optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements, the fusing of optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements being based on meteorological conditions in the volume of space.

[0040] Example 2 includes the system of Example 1, where the volume of space is within a defined range along the direction of motion.

[0041] Example 3 includes the system from Example 2, and the optical system characteristics and radar system characteristics are selected based on a defined range.

[0042] Example 4 includes any of the systems in Examples 1-3, wherein one or more processors are further configured to instruct the aircraft to take one or more actions based on the characterized gust to mitigate potential adverse effects.

[0043] Example 5 includes the system of Example 4, wherein one or more measures include at least one of changing the direction of travel and changing the position of the aircraft structure.

[0044] Example 6 includes any of the systems in Examples 1 to 5, wherein one or more processors are further configured to determine that both the optical wind measurement and the radar wind measurement are available by cross-checking the optical wind measurement against the radar wind measurement.

[0045] Example 7 includes any of the systems in Examples 1-6, wherein one or more processors are configured to merge optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements by determining whether the optical wind measurements are reliable and whether the radar wind measurements are reliable based on at least one certainty threshold.

[0046] Example 8 includes the system of Example 7, wherein at least one certainty threshold includes a difference threshold and an adaptable weight based on the difference threshold.

[0047] Example 9 includes one of the systems from Examples 1 to 8, and further comprises a user interface configured to receive weather conditions from the user.

[0048] Example 10 includes a method comprising: receiving optical wind measurements from an onboard optical system on an aircraft, wherein the optical system generates optical wind measurements for a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft; receiving radar wind measurements from an onboard radar system on an aircraft, wherein the radar system generates radar wind measurements for a volume of space along the direction of travel; and fusing the optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements to characterize the wind movement within the volume of space, wherein the fusing of the optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements is based on meteorological conditions within the volume of space.

[0049] Example 11 includes the method of Example 10, where the volume of space is within a defined range along the direction of motion.

[0050] Example 12 includes the method of Example 11, in which the optical system characteristics and radar system characteristics are selected based on a defined range.

[0051] Example 13 includes any of the methods in Examples 10–12, and further includes instructing an aircraft to take one or more measures based on characterized wind patterns to mitigate potential adverse effects.

[0052] Example 14 includes the method of Example 13, wherein one or more measures include at least one of changing the direction of travel and changing the position of the aircraft structure.

[0053] Example 15 includes any of the methods in Examples 10-14, and further includes determining that the optical wind measurement is usable and the radar wind measurement is usable by cross-checking the optical wind measurement against the radar wind measurement.

[0054] Example 16 includes any of the methods in Examples 10–15, wherein fusing optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements further includes determining whether the optical wind measurements and the radar wind measurements are reliable based on at least one certainty threshold.

[0055] Example 17 includes the method of Example 16, wherein at least one certainty threshold includes a difference threshold and adaptable weights for the difference threshold.

[0056] Example 18 includes any of the methods in Examples 10-17, and further includes receiving weather conditions via a user interface.

[0057] Example 19 includes a system comprising: an optical system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide optical wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft; a radar system mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide radar wind measurements from a volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft; and one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to receive optical wind measurements from the optical system and radar wind measurements from the radar system, and to characterize gusts in a volume of space by fusing the optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements, wherein the fusing of optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements characterizes based on meteorological conditions in the volume of space, and instructs the aircraft to take one or more actions based on the characterized gusts to mitigate potential adverse effects.

[0058] Example 20 includes the system of Example 19, wherein one or more processors are further configured to fuse optical wind measurements with radar wind measurements by determining whether the optical wind measurements are reliable and whether the radar wind measurements are reliable based on at least one certainty threshold.

[0059] While specific embodiments are illustrated and described herein, those skilled in the art will understand that any arrangement expected to achieve the same objective may be used instead of the specific embodiments shown. Therefore, it is clearly intended that the present invention is limited only by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. It is a system, An optical system (213) mounted on an aircraft and configured to provide optical wind measurements from the volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft, A radar system (211) mounted on the aircraft and configured to provide radar wind measurements from the volume of the space along the direction of travel of the aircraft, A system comprising one or more processors configured to receive optical wind measurements from the optical system (213) and radar wind measurements from the radar system (211), wherein the one or more processors are configured to characterize gusts within the volume of space by fusing the optical wind measurements with the radar wind measurements, and the fusing of the optical wind measurements with the radar wind measurements is based on meteorological conditions within the volume of space.

2. The one or more processors are further configured to instruct the aircraft to take one or more measures based on the characterized gust to mitigate potential adverse effects, wherein the one or more measures are Changing the direction of travel, and The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one of changing the position of an aircraft structure.

3. Receiving optical wind measurement values ​​from an optical system mounted on an aircraft, wherein the optical system (213) generates and receives the optical wind measurement values ​​for the volume of space along the direction of travel of the aircraft. Receiving radar wind measurement values ​​from a radar system (211) mounted on the aircraft, wherein the radar system (211) generates and receives the radar wind measurement values ​​for the volume of the space along the direction of travel. A method comprising fusing the optical wind measurement with the radar wind measurement to characterize the wind movement within the volume of the space, wherein the fusing of the optical wind measurement with the radar wind measurement is based on meteorological conditions within the volume of the space.

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