Abstract:
A data collection and display system that displays near real-time images of distant weather and runway conditions to pilots and other end users to be used in flight planning and execution. The system uses cameras and hardware at the distant location, which regularly transmit still video images of the sky, horizon and runways (if at an airport) to an Internet Service Provider. The images are then accessed by a web site and presented to the user to assist with flight planning. Each current image is juxtaposed on the computer monitor against a “clear-day” image that shows conditions as they appear when there are no weather related obstructions to vision. The current image may then be compared to the “clear-day” image to assist the user in ascertaining both quantitative and qualitative information about the weather and runway conditions at the site in question.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the obligations under his service in the U.S. Army. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to information collection and reporting systems for reporting real-time weather and runway condition information, and particularly to information that is obtained through the use of visual images of the sky, horizon and terrain transmitted from a distant location to a hub location wherein the images can be accessed by all interested users. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     For convenience, the following abbreviations and acronyms are defined here: 
     ASOS—Automated Surface Observing System 
     AWOS—Automated Weather Observing System 
     Clear-Day Image—Image of a particular view which has been captured on a day free of weather obstructions to vision and is annotated with written and graphic information about objects in the image. 
     Current Image—Image of a particular view no more than 30 minutes old 
     FAA—Federal Aviation Administration 
     Image—The visual product produced on a computer monitor 
     ISP—Internet Service Provider 
     NWS—National Weather Servicezx 
     View—The visual extent of coverage, top to bottom and left to right of the camera which is collecting the image 
     Since the beginning of air travel, pilots have had to deal with the weather. Bad weather may prevent pilots from approaching and landing at airports. Today, pilots get pre-flight and in-flight weather information to help them anticipate weather conditions they may encounter along their route of flight. Some airports have navigation aids, communications facilities and weather reporting systems to assist pilots in dealing with the weather. 
     The situation is not as good, however, for hundreds of other airports and landing fields throughout the world. For these locations, a pilot may get a regional briefing or a pilot report at best. Often, pilots arrive at an airport only to find it is “weathered in” and the pilot cannot land. This increases risk and may result in accidents or emergencies. It also results in inefficiencies and lost revenue for commercial air carriers. 
     To solve this problem, many weather observation resources have been developed. A human observer is an excellent source of weather information. He may be under contract with the FAA, NWS or a third party contractor that provides information to federal agencies. However, cuts in government budgets have encouraged a move away from human observers to automated systems. 
     Another type of observation system is the automated weather observing system (AWOS) or automated surface observing system (ASOS), which are in use by both the FAA and the NWS. They are an excellent source of information for wind speed, wind direction, temperature, dew point and altimeter setting. They are weak in their collection of visibility and ceiling data. For example, they provide no information about sky conditions in any of the cardinal directions (north, south, west or east). While an overcast ceiling directly above the airport may discourage a pilot from attempting a flight to that location, it is completely plausible to have poor conditions directly over the airport, but clearing or completely clear conditions to the north or south. Thus, they are limited in the extent to which they provide useful information about the complete celestial dome. In addition, the sensors that determine ceiling often do not operate properly in some weather phenomenon. Low temperatures, ice fog, haze and other anomalies often cause these systems to erroneously report that conditions do not support VFR flight when in fact they do. 
     The second problem with these systems relates to visibility. Automated systems use an emitter and sensor in close proximity to one another (several feet) to measure reflected light scattered by the atmosphere. Algorithms use the amount of reflected light to extrapolate over a large distance and establish a measure of visibility in miles. This system is also flawed in two ways. First, it only measures local visibility at the point of the instrument. To the extent that the microclimate at the point of the instrument is applicable to the area surrounding the airport for 15 miles, it may accurately state the prevailing visibility. This is often a poor assumption. Secondly, the automated systems extrapolate over a distance of 3 feet to distances measured in miles. Variations in weather, as well as smoke, haze, blowing dust, local fog, idling engines, chimney smoke, etc. confuse the sensors and may produce a completely inaccurate representation of current conditions. 
     The next type of weather aid is satellite imagery. These products provide both visible spectrum and infrared images of the weather from space. While they provide excellent information about the presence of major cloud layers or the lack thereof, they provide no information about the actual conditions beneath a broken or overcast layer of clouds. Therefore, once they establish that the sky is overcast at a particular location, they cannot discern the ceiling, the type of layers, the number of layers or other information that is helpful to a VFR pilot. 
     Another weather aid is NEXRAD radar. Radar helps immensely in establishing the density of cloud buildups and the amount of precipitation or water vapor within the region. While they detect the presence of very bad flying conditions due to heavy precipitation, or impaired flying conditions due to light precipitation NEXRAD does not positively identify areas where the ceiling or visibility is such that it is conducive to VFR flight. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention overcomes all these problems. It uses systems to transfer live images from distant locations to an Internet service provider (ISP) that provides the public with access to those images through an Internet website. The invention is used to display images of the sky, horizon and runway environment from distant airports or aviation critical locations (e.g., mountain passes, coastlines, rivers etc.) and to display these images at regular intervals on a website. To further enhance this information, the image is displayed on the same screen with an annotated, clear-day image of the same view. 
     The juxtaposition of the current and the clear-day images allows the user to glean important information about the current weather and runway conditions at distant locations to be used as part of his flight planning. Without the clear-day image, a user has no clear understanding of what the surrounding terrain, horizon or airport environment should look like when there is unlimited visibility and unlimited ceiling. The system provides information that is more intuitive, more complete and more accurate that existing systems, and which may be used to corroborate the accuracy of existing automated systems. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a detail view of a typical rural airport. 
     FIG. 2 is a detail view of a typical rural airport showing the camera locations and the camera&#39;s field of view, as part of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a computer display showing both a current airport image and a contrasting clear-day image for comparison. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a computer display showing a current image with weather information displayed. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged display of a clear day image with geographic annotations. 
     FIG. 6 is a view of a display showing a particular route selected by a pilot. 
     FIG. 7 is a view of a printout of images along the selected route for selected locations. 
     FIG. 8 is a sequence of computer displays showing a layered set of screens that display various selected locations in a stepped sequence. 
     FIG. 9 shows representations of where a user of the invention may gain access to it, such as a home, airplane, or FAA facility. 
     FIG. 10 shows the communications path for the images produced as part of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the main components of the invention. 
     FIG. 12 shows a first type of communication path from various sites to an ISP. 
     FIG. 13 shows a second type of communication path to an ISP. 
     FIG. 14 shows a communication path from an ISP to end-users. 
     FIG. 15 is a display of an image showing an airport sectional map with the camera location and fields of view superimposed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention uses four modules: Image collection, image transfer, image dissemination, and image presentation. Each of the modules is described below. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the image collection hardware is located at the site at which weather and runway information is to be determined. In the preferred embodiment, the image collection system has from 1 to 5 cameras at any particular site. This number may be increased as the need arises. Note that wherever the word camera is used, it refers to any type of image collecting device, including video cameras, digital cameras, infrared cameras, and any similar type of equipment that can capture an image for transmission. 
     Normally the cameras are mounted on an existing structure (building, AWOS), although they may be mounted on their own integral structure (a pole for example). The cameras are pointed in the direction that provides the most information to the user for the particular site. The camera directions are determined based on the following criteria: distance from the camera to the runway; orientation of runway from camera (perpendicular or oblique); cardinal direction to the runway; visible length of runway from the camera; the location of the predominant terrain on the horizon; the line of sight from the camera to the terrain; and the normal direction of approach that pilots take into airport or through the site, e.g., a mountain pass. A site survey is normally done to gather the information needed to make the final siting decisions. FIG. 1 shows typical site details. A runway  1  is shown surrounded by mountains  2 , a lake  3 , a building  4  and a fog bank  6  each of which may be viewed by the cameras. The building  4  produces smoke  7  and the vehicle  5  produces exhaust  8 , which can confuse existing automated sensors, but which may be clearly defined by the camera image. 
     At least one camera  10  is normally trained on the runway and its environment to capture runway condition. The balance of the cameras  10  are trained on the sky and horizon in up to three cardinal directions (assuming four cameras). Camera  10   a  looks toward the runway and produces a view A 1 . A second camera  10   b  looks in the opposite direction and produces a view B 1 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a typical camera location and viewpoints. Here, three cameras  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c  produce camera views A 1 , B 1 , and C 1  as shown. FIG. 2 also shows a cloud cover  9  producing a 600-foot ceiling as shown. 
     The cameras produce images of the site that are transmitted to a website. This website includes a screen display  15  that displays a current image  16  of the site simultaneously with a clear-day image  17 . See FIG.  3 . In the preferred embodiment, the images are side by side in order to allow the user to make direct comparisons between them. The images also are the same size and both encompass exactly the same view. FIG. 3 also shows some of the annotation details. The screen display  15  displays the location of the site  18  and the direction of view  19 . Both the current image and clear day images are also labeled as shown. 
     FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the current image display  16 . In the preferred embodiment, this screen  16  is annotated with the date and time at which the image was created  20 . The current image  16  portrays automated weather information from locations where automated systems exist, including: wind direction in degrees  21 , wind speed in knots  22 , temperature  23 , dew point  24 , altimeter setting  25 , measured ceiling  26 , and measured visibility  27 . FIG. 4 shows the preferred placement of these data. However, they can be displayed anywhere on the screen. 
     FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the clear day image  17 . In the preferred embodiment, the clear-day image is created on a day when there is unlimited cloud ceiling, unlimited visibility and such that the natural lighting provides a well-defined view of both the landscape and the sky. The clear-day image is consistent with the season of the year in which it is being viewed, i.e., a new clear-day image is produced each time major changes occur in the presentation of the terrain. Thus, the preferred embodiment includes one image for summer when vegetation is at its peak; one image for autumn when vegetation is dying, leaves are falling, but there is no snow cover on the ground; one image for winter when trees are bare and there is snow cover on the ground; and one image for spring when snow cover has melted and new vegetation is growing. These images may be adjusted for the geographical location and archived to eliminate the need to produce a new image every year (provided the images remain correct). The change in images may also be automated such that the website displays the appropriate view based on a given date. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the clear-day image is annotated with the following information: the magnetic azimuth at the left extreme of the image  30  corresponding to the magnetic direction aligned with the left side of the view; the magnetic azimuth at the right extreme of the image  31  corresponding to the magnetic direction aligned with the right side of the view; the mean sea level (MSL) altitudes of the peaks or other important features of prominent terrain on the horizon; the above ground level (AGL) altitudes of the peaks or other important features of prominent terrain on the horizon; the distance in statute miles, nautical miles or kilometers and the names of peaks or other important features of prominent terrain on the horizon such as mountains, rivers, hills, valleys, lakes or oceans  32 . Also shown is a description of man-made structures in view in the image; the distance in statute miles, nautical miles or kilometers and the names of man-made structures in view in the image such as villages, cities, buildings, roads, highways or skylines. Also the magnetic direction and distance to important man-made (cities, villages) or naturally occurring (mountains, valleys) terrain features which are not in view in the image but which may be important to a pilot to discern particular weather patterns in his direction of flight. 
     Other important features in the image that may be of interest to a pilot are also highlighted. Some of these include: the windsock or windcone  35  at an airport; the extent of the runway  1  at an airport; the parking apron and taxiways  36  at an airport; and a snow stake  37  to indicate the depth of snow. Finally, the Clear-Day image is labeled  38  to distinguish it from the Current Image. 
     As noted above, labels are used to identify each of these features on the clear day image. 
     The cameras  10  must be protected from the elements when installed in the field. FIG. 11 shows that each camera  10  is enclosed inside of an environmental housing  50  that provides protection from the wind, moisture, dust, pests and other natural phenomena that could endanger the integrity of the camera hardware. The housing is typically a pre-manufactured unit, such as those is manufactured by Pelco Company, 300 E. Pontiac Way, Clovis Calif. 93612. The environmental housing is thermostatically controlled, providing heat  51  when the internal temperature drops below a predetermined level, and activating a fan  52  to circulate air when the internal temperature rises above a predetermined level. The environmental housing has a window allowing the camera to see through the housing to the outside  53 . The window is equipped with a thermostatically controlled defroster that activates to melt ice, or evaporate moisture off the window as needed. Each environmental housing requires electrical power  55  which can vary based on the specific application from 12 V D.C., to 24 V AC or DC, to 110 volts AC. The power to the housing powers the camera, heaters, fan and defroster. 
     FIG. 11 also shows a camera server  60 . The cameras  10  are connected to the camera server  60  by means of RG-6 coaxial cable, or similar cable. The image from each camera is transmitted through this cable to the camera server  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the camera server is an AXIS 240, manufactured by AXIS Communications, Inc., 100 Apollo Drive, Chelmsford Mass. 01824, which hosts up to 5 cameras in one box. The camera server is a piece of equipment which allows up to five video cameras to be hooked directly to any Ethernet network, intranet or the Internet, which then allows authorized users to monitor the sites from anywhere through a Web browser. The camera server also requires electric power. 
     Once the image is captured, it must be transmitted to the end user. FIG. 11 shows some methods of transferring the captured images. As shown, the images can be transmitted using an external modem  61 , a satellite telephone  62 , a cellular telephone  63  or a direct Internet connection  64 . The choice of transmission hosts depends on the location, the transmission ability and the cost. 
     Once the images are collected and transmitted, they must be displayed. In one embodiment, images are displayed at a minimum interval of 30 minutes. That is, a new image is captured, transferred and displayed to users at least every 30 minutes. The choice of interval is based primarily upon operational cost. A smaller interval ensures a more timely image; one which is more useful to the end user. However, more frequent updates of the images require more frequent transmission, with the accompanying increased costs. 
     The images may take one of two routes from the camera site to reach the ISP where the images are made available to a website for public use. The two routes are either direct to the ISP, or to a hub computer first, then to the ISP. 
     FIG. 12 shows the direct-to-ISP system, the camera server  60  at each camera site  66  sends the images directly to the ISP  70 , where they are stored and made available to the website. The automation required for this procedure is handled through internal programming of the camera server. The benefit of this arrangement is that one connection (call) is required to move the image from the camera site to the ISP. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that changes to the overall polling program must be communicated to each camera server independently. This can be accomplished from one location, but takes more time than the arrangement below. Users are also restricted to using only programming commands available on the camera server. 
     FIG. 13 shows the first-to-a-hub-computer-then-to-the-ISP system. In this system, a hub computer  80  calls each individual camera site  66  and polls the camera server to provide images from that site. After images are downloaded from the site to the hub computer, the hub computer then terminates that call, dials the local ISP  70  and uploads the images to the ISP where they are made available to the website. The automation required for this procedure is handled through a computer program at the hub site, using ordinary programming techniques. The benefits of this configuration are that changes in the system may be made centrally on the hub computer that then applies the changes to all subsequent polling of cameras at remote sites. In addition, any programming language supporting communications protocols may be used to program the hub computer. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that two different connections (calls) are required to move the image from the camera location to the ISP. 
     FIG. 10 shows the complete communication links for either of the systems just discussed. It also shows the four modules of the system: image collection; image transfer; image dissemination and image presentation. As shown in FIG. 10, the signals from the cameras can take one of two paths. That is either path  1  or path  2 . 
     Once the images have successfully arrived at the ISP  70 , they are made available to a website designed to host the current images and their clear-day equivalents. FIG. 14 shows this process. Once on a public website these images are accessible to all users/subscribers  88  to the website. 
     As noted above, the invention relates primarily to the presentation of data on the website to provide weather and runway condition information at distant locations. The information is provided via a clear-day image that is placed next to a current image on a computer monitor that is accessing the website. From the visual presentation, both quantitative and qualitative information can be gleaned about the current weather and runway conditions at the distant camera location. In the preferred embodiment, the website has a set of additional pages to achieve that end. One of these pages is an inset of a visual flight rules (VFR) sectional map  90 . FIG. 15 shows this map. The map  90  includes a set of black lines  92  that show the left and right limits of the view of each of the cameras at a particular site. These lines give the user a visual understanding of the direction that each camera points in relation to the cardinal directions on a map. Up is north, down is south, left is west, right is east. The user may click (with a mouse or similar instrument) anywhere inside the boundaries of the pie-shaped wedges  93  bounded by the black lines, and the web site jumps down to the page that presents that specific camera&#39;s images. From this inset view, the user may select the set of images he wishes to view, which correspond directly with the view directions shown on the map. The map has the names and heights of important mountains  94 , other terrain features, such as rivers  95 , the location of the cameras  10 , and the location of nearby major airports  96 . 
     OPERATION 
     In operation, the invention may be used in any of several ways. FIGS. 6-8 show some examples of these methods. In all cases, the user must have access to a monitor that is able to display graphic information. The user may be either in a fixed location, such as in a home or office, or in a mobile location, such as in an airplane. In either case, the user of the system follows these steps in accessing and using the images: first, the user connects to a system that provides access to the internet from a variety of sources, such as the user&#39;s personally owned hardware computer system; or over a hardware computer system owned and operated by a third party, such as the FAA in a pilot&#39;s lounge, for example; or the user accesses the images while airborne through a data link that provides current images of his intermediate or destination location. Next, the user accesses the website hosting the images using standard techniques in the art. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 show the basic steps of checking conditions over a planned route. Here, the user specifies his departure location, specific routing and termination point. These specifications may be made by entering the airport name, or identifier. They may also be specified by clicking on a graphic map wherein the user clicks sequentially on each location of his routing. The system then sequences all available views of his departure point, en route locations within a certain distance of his direct route, and termination point information. These views are presented sequentially on the screen so that the user may look from location A toward location B, then from location B back toward location A, then from location B toward location C etc. all the way to the end of the route. FIG. 6 shows the user  100  uses a computer  101  to display a series of sites  102 . The user then can obtain an onscreen presentation of the desired images for each site  104 . If desired, the user can print out a set of sequenced images  105  for the user&#39;s convenience. 
     FIG. 7 shows a representation of this process. The figure shows cameras  10  at each site location as well as the views on a sequence of screens  106 . Note that each screen shows the current image compared to the clear day image for each view from each site. 
     FIG. 8 shows another method for using the system. In this method, the user is shown an initial graphic map of the United States  110  with each state outlined and labeled. The user clicks on a state and is shown a graphic map  111  of that state with each camera location highlighted and labeled  113 . Note that the displayed map has these locations labeled with their actual names, such as “Fairbanks” or “Anaktuvuk Pass”. These names are not shown in the figure for clarity. The user clicks on a location and is shown all the current and clear-day images from that location  112 . 
     Consistent with these methods, the user may also select any number of locations using the site name or identifier and the system provides the current and clear-day images from those locations to him for examination. Once the user has reached the desired location, the user selects a camera view for the current site. If a routing option has been selected, these views may be automatically sequenced for the user. The user then views the monitor with the current image juxtaposed against the clear-day image. The user then makes use of all the specific aspects of the current and clear-day images as described above to discern weather and runway condition appropriate to the site in question. Finally, the user uses the information to assist in flight planning, scheduling and decision-making. 
     FIG. 9 is an illustration of the variety of ways this information can be obtained. The website can be reached from the user&#39;s home  120 , a pilots lounge  121 , an FAA flight service station  122 , or on an airplane  123 , using either ground-based communications  124  or satellite links  125 . 
     The present disclosure should not be construed in any limited sense other than that limited by the scope of the claims having regard to the teachings herein and the prior art being apparent with the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein and which reveals details of structure of a preferred form necessary for a better understanding of the invention and may be subject to change by skilled persons within the scope of the invention without departing from the concept thereof.