Weather Radar Enhanced Vision System for Low Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current enhanced vision systems for aircraft face limitations in providing clear imagery in low visibility conditions, such as heavy fog, and require expensive and space-consuming active millimeter wavelength radar systems, with passive sensors offering limited range and resolution.
Innovation Solution
An image processing system utilizing a weather radar system with X-band or C-band radar beams to enhance angular and range resolution, processing radar returns to provide high-resolution image data for displaying external scene topography, which can be integrated with existing avionic equipment to enhance situational awareness for pilots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If passive sensors (FLIR camera or visible light camera) are used for EVS imagery, then higher quality video imagery is provided, but the system is unable to identify required visual references in certain low visibility conditions such as heavy fog
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing systems (passive sensors and active radar sensors) into a single EVS that can operate effectively across different visibility conditions. The system merges the high-quality imagery capability of passive sensors with the all-weather penetration capability of active radar sensors to resolve the contradiction between image quality and reliability in low visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced vision system is designed to perform multiple functions by integrating both passive and active sensing capabilities. The system can automatically switch between or combine passive optical sensing and active radar sensing depending on environmental conditions, making it universally effective whether visibility is clear or obscured by heavy fog.
2Reliability
If active millimeter wavelength radar systems are used to provide EVS imagery in low visibility conditions, then the system can identify visual references in heavy fog, but the system is expensive and requires additional space on-board the aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the weather radar system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both its traditional weather detection function and enhanced vision sensing function. This eliminates the need for a separate dedicated active radar system for EVS, thereby reducing the volume and space requirements on the aircraft while maintaining the capability to identify visual references in low visibility conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the weather radar functionality with the enhanced vision system functionality, combining two previously separate systems into one. This integration reduces the overall space and volume requirements on the aircraft by eliminating redundant hardware while maintaining both weather detection and low-visibility visual reference identification capabilities.
3Reliability
If active millimeter wavelength radar systems are used to provide EVS imagery, then the system can operate in heavy fog conditions, but the system is costly and requires expensive radome technology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the weather radar system to serve dual purposes: traditional weather detection and enhanced vision sensing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate expensive active radar system and its associated radome technology, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining the capability to operate reliably in heavy fog conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing weather radar infrastructure to create the enhanced vision capability, effectively copying the vision sensing function onto the weather radar platform. This approach avoids the need to manufacture and install a completely new expensive radar system, reducing overall system cost while achieving the desired reliability in heavy fog.
4Volume of moving object
If weather radar sensing is used for providing images of external scene topography, then the system reduces the need for additional aircraft space and costly radar systems, but the radar returns require processing to achieve improved angular and range resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex hardware-based resolution improvement mechanisms with software-based signal processing techniques. Instead of using additional physical components or more complex radar hardware to achieve improved angular and range resolution, the system uses computational methods to process the radar returns from the existing weather radar system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides real-time, high-resolution imagery of runway environments and visual references, enabling safe operation below specified altitudes during instrument approaches, even in challenging weather conditions, and reduces the need for additional aircraft space and costly radar systems.
Implementation Method 1
An airborne weather radar system provides enhanced vision. The weather radar system includes an antenna, and a control circuit configured to provide radar beams via the antenna toward external surroundings and configured to receive radar returns.
Implementation Method 2
Active sensing systems, such as millimeter wavelength (MMW) radar systems (e.g., 94 GHz), transmit electromagnetic energy into the environment and then receive return electromagnetic energy reflected from the environment.
Data Source
AI summary
An enhanced vision method uses or an enhanced vision system includes an onboard weather radar system configured to improve angular resolution and/or resolution in range. The onboard weather radar system generates image data representative of the external scene topography of a runway environment associated with radar returns received by the onboard weather radar system. The radar returns are in an X-band or a C-band. The enhanced vision system also includes a display in communication with the onboard weather radar system and is configured to display an image associated with the image data that is generated by the onboard weather radar system. The enhanced vision system can also be used as an enhanced flight vision system.