Patent ID: 8874288
Filing Date: 2014-10-28
Classification: G01C,G01W,G08G

Abstract:
1. A method operable in a computer system for displaying dynamically updated weather information for a vehicle, the computer system comprising a processor and a memory, the method comprising the unordered steps of: (a) storing in the memory a table defining, for a predetermined plurality of different weather conditions, a corresponding predetermined plurality of sets of visually distinguishable icon settings, wherein each weather condition corresponds to a corresponding respective set of icon settings, the respective set of icon settings defining the appearance of a first weather icon configured to appear on a display in operable communication with the processor, wherein at least a portion of the display comprises an air traffic controller display and wherein the first icon is disposed at least partially within an electronic flight strip (EFS) that is displayed on the air traffic controller display, wherein the appearance of the weather icon, by itself, is sufficient to convey at least one weather condition; (b) receiving from a first database first information relating to a first travel path of a first vehicle; (c) parsing the first information, using the processor, to determine at least a first geographic location along the first travel path; (d) receiving from a second database, based at least in part on the at least first geographic location, a first set of recent weather data for the first geographic location; (e) analyzing, using the processor, the first set of weather data to determine a weather condition and corresponding respective set of icon settings in the table that best match the first set of data; (f) presenting the first icon on the display, the first icon having an appearance defined by the corresponding respective set of icon settings, wherein the appearance of the first icon is indicative of recent weather conditions at the first geographic location; (g) dynamically checking, using the processor, for changes in the first set of recent weather data for the first geographic location; and (h) dynamically updating the appearance of the first icon, during at least a portion of the travel by the first vehicle along its first travel path, to correspond to changes in the first set of weather data.