Microburst precursor detector utilizing microwave radar

Patent 5130712 Issued on July 14, 1992. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 9, 2011. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Re33152

3646555

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Inventors

Application

No. 683356 filed on 04/09/1991

US Classes:

342/26D, Ground based (EPO)340/949, Wind direction340/968, Wind shear342/460Storm or atomic explosion location

Examiners

Primary: Sotomayor, John B.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Levine; Seymour, Starr; Mark T.

International Classes

G01S 013/64
G01S 013/95

Abstract

A microburst precursor detector utilizes a multiplicity of radar beams and samples radar returns, in each beam, from meterological radar signal reflectors and processes the signal returns in a statistical manner to determine average radar reflectivity and to extract doppler signal parameters. These parameters are utilized to determine a second set of parameters; average doppler frequency within each radar beam, doppler spectral spread within each radar beam, and the skewness of the doppler spectrum in each beam. The second set of parameters is processed to establish the existence of a microburst, predicted surface impact, time to impact, wind shear surface location and track, and the magnitude of the wind shear.