Patent ID: 9583020
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: G09B

Claim:
1. A method of simulating a weather pattern for use in a flight simulator comprising a cockpit having a plurality of flight control inputs, the cockpit comprising a seat, a dashboard, and an electronic display in the dashboard, the method comprising: receiving, at the flight simulator, an input of a weather forecast for a desired simulated route, wherein the weather forecast is a prediction, made with respect to presently occurring weather events, of weather events in the future; determining, by the flight simulator, a set of weather parameters pertaining to the weather forecast, wherein the weather parameters comprise at least a storm top height, the storm cell severity, turbulence parameters, rate of convective growth or decay of a storm, a number of storm cells, a lightning density, or storm structural considerations, wherein the weather parameters are determined from the weather forecast; searching, by the flight simulator, a weather event database stored in an electronic, optical, or magnetic memory for a matching weather event using an electronic processor, and the set of weather parameters relating to the weather forecast, wherein the weather event database includes weather data for a plurality of weather events and weather characteristics associated with each of the weather events; identifying, by the simulator, the matching weather event, the matching weather event including at least a portion of the set of the weather characteristics matching the set of weather parameters pertaining to the weather forecast; receiving, at the simulator, weather data corresponding to the matching weather event; creating; by the simulator, a model of the matching weather event using the weather data; simulating a flight of an aircraft through the model including creating simulated display data based the position of the aircraft within the model; receiving, at the simulator, flight control signals from the flight control inputs wherein the flight control signals control the simulated flight of the aircraft; and providing a visual on the electronic display of the cockpit based upon the simulated display data, updating the visual on the electronic display based on changes to the simulated display data.