Patent ID: 7579978

Claim:
A method of identifying a runway, the method comprising: performing a first scan of an area of ground known to include a runway, the first scan being accomplished using a weather radar system at a predetermined position; obtaining a first image from the first scan; storing the first image in a memory; performing a second scan of an area of ground proposed to include the runway, the second scan being accomplished using the weather radar system at what is believed to be the predetermined position; obtaining a second image from the second scan; retrieving the first image from the memory; determining whether features in the first image correlate to features in the second image; sending a runway confirmation signal to a pilot of the aircraft when there is a substantial certainty of correlation between the features in the first image and the features in the second image; creating a composite image of the runway based upon the first image and second image; storing the composite image in the memory; performing a third scan of an area of ground proposed to include the runway, the third scan being accomplished using the weather radar system at what is believed to be the predetermined position; obtaining a third image from the third scan; retrieving the composite image from the memory; determining whether features in the composite image correlate to features in the third image; and sending a runway confirmation signal to a pilot of the aircraft when there is a substantial certainty of correlation between the features in the composite image and the features in the third image.