US 20030025714A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2003/0025714 Al
Ebersole et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 6,2003
(54) METHOD TO VIEW UNSEEN
ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON USING
AUGMENTED REALITY
(76) Inventors: John Franklin Ebersole, Bedford, NH
(US); Mark Stanley Bastian,
Manchester, NH (US); John Franklin
Walker, Goffstown, NH (US); Richard
Wade Madison, Mission Viejo, CA
(US); John Franklin Ebersole JR.,
Bedford, NH (US)
Correspondence Address:
Mirick O'Connell DeMallie & Lougee, LLP
Attn: Brian M. Dingman
1700 West Park Drive
Westborough, MA 01581-3941 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/192,195
(22) Filed: Jul. 10, 2002
Related U.S. Application Data
(60) Provisional application No. 60/305,677, filed on Jul. 16, 2001. Provisional application No. 60/307,278, filed on Jul. 23, 2001.
The invention is a method for displaying otherwise unseen atmospheric phenomenon using augmented reality (the mixing of real media with computer generated media). The method uses computer generated images to represent existing weather conditions and presents this data to the user by combining the computer generated images with the user's real environment. Computer generated images are used to represent such weather phenomenon as wake vortices, wind shear, and microbursts. These images are represented in such a way as to intuitively display relevant properties of the phenomenon to the system user, which increases the user's situational awareness and safety. The primary intended applications are for air traffic controllers and pilots to view these disturbances.
