Altitude-Filtered Weather Data Display for Aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft weather display systems clutter the flight deck with excessive weather data, failing to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information for the aircraft's flight altitude, leading to inefficient pilot decision-making.
Innovation Solution
A system that receives and separates weather data into layers corresponding to specific altitude ranges, allowing pilots to select and display only relevant data, with processors updating and filtering the information at faster rates than data receipt to ensure timely and clear displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all weather data is displayed on the flight deck, then complete weather information is provided to pilots, but the display becomes cluttered and difficult to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments weather data by altitude ranges, creating distinct layers (e.g., 0-10000 feet, 10000-20000 feet, etc.). Each layer contains weather information relevant to specific altitude bands, allowing pilots to view only the layers pertinent to their current flight altitude. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by organizing complete weather data into manageable, altitude-specific segments that can be selectively displayed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and displays only the weather data relevant to the aircraft's current altitude range, removing irrelevant information from the display. The system identifies which altitude layers are currently applicable to the flight and extracts only those weather conditions for display, while retaining all weather data in the system for future reference. This extraction approach maintains information completeness while improving display clarity.
2Speed
If weather data is updated frequently, then current weather conditions are reflected, but processing and display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation to the update process by maintaining separate update cycles for different altitude layers. Rather than updating all weather data simultaneously at high frequency, the system segments updates by altitude range, allowing faster update rates for currently relevant altitude layers while using slower update rates for less relevant layers. This reduces overall processing complexity while maintaining current weather information for critical altitude ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic update rates that adjust based on flight conditions. The system monitors aircraft altitude and dynamically changes which weather layers are updated at high frequency versus low frequency. When the aircraft is in a specific altitude range, weather data for that range is updated frequently, while other ranges are updated less frequently. This dynamic approach optimizes processing complexity by adapting the update strategy to current operational needs.
3Loss of information
If weather data is separated into multiple altitude layers, then relevant information is easier to identify, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments weather data into standardized altitude layers with predefined ranges. This segmentation creates a structured framework that simplifies processing compared to handling unstructured weather data. Each layer is clearly defined with specific altitude boundaries, making it easier to determine which layers are relevant to the current flight. The segmentation approach reduces processing complexity by providing a systematic method for organizing and accessing weather information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal altitude layer structure that can be applied to any flight condition and aircraft type. The same layered framework serves multiple functions: organizing weather data, determining relevance to current altitude, managing update rates, and controlling display content. This multi-functional universal structure reduces overall system complexity by using a single coherent approach rather than multiple specialized processing systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Method, system, apparatus, and computer program product for displaying weather data on a computer display screen. Weather data for use in a flight of an aircraft is received. The weather data is updated at a first rate. The weather data is separated into weather data layers for a plurality of ranges of altitude. Each weather data layer corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of ranges of altitude, and the weather data is separated at the first rate. Embodiments monitor for a selection of at least one of the weather data layers. The monitoring is performed periodically at a second rate, and the second rate is faster than the first rate. Weather data in the selected at least one of the weather data layers is prepared for display and the weather data is output for display on a display screen in the aircraft.