US 4,395,906 A · Storm mapping system

Abstract

A storm mapping system detects electrical activity caused by weather phenomona such as lightning strokes, and the like and displays information related to the electrical activity indicative of storm location in a frame of reference in which the observation location is taken as the origin. In order to give the observer good spatial understanding, signals detected from a relatively close disturbance (which produces relatively large signals) are displayed relatively close to the observation location as compared to display of signals generated from a relatively further disturbance which produces relatively smaller signals which are displayed relatively far from the observation location. The limited resolution display is effectively driven by signals read from digital storage wherein mapping between the different display segments and digital storage is maintained. The display indicates, in addition to location, intensity of the disturbance by providing a steady illumination for disturbances of relatively low intensity, a slowly flashing display for disturbances of increased intensity, and a quickly flashing display for disturbances of highest intensity. Intensity information is built up as a function of time over which signals may be received related to a particular display segment. In order to maintain the integrity of the data, all locations have the data reduced at a rate related to the intensity stored data.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A system for detecting and displaying relative geographic locations of sources of electrical disturbances generated by weather phenomena with respect to an observation location comprising:

receiving means for receiving electrical signals generated by said electrical disturbances in a predetermined frequency band and for producing received signals related thereto,
timing means responsive to said received signals for producing a plurality of control signals,
processing means responsive to said received signals and to said control signals for producing processed signals identifying said geographic locations relative to said observation location, said processed signals relating said received signals relative to an origin of a frame of reference corresponding to said observation location whereby relatively larger received signals are related closer to said origin of said frame of reference than relatively smaller received signals,
logic means, including storage means, with plural storage locations, responsive to said control signals and to said processed signals for storing data representing any particular processed signal at one of said storage locations determined by one of said geographic locations corresponding to said any particular processed signal and
display means driven by said logic means for displaying said stored data representing relative locations of said electrical disturbances to said frame of reference.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Storm mapping system

Life of this patent

Storm mapping system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13