Systems and methods for time corrected lightning detection
AssigneeVaisala Oyj
InventorsMartin J. Murphy, Wolfgang Schulz, Alburt E. Pifer, Kenneth L. Cummins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightning detection system provides an estimated location of a lightning stroke. The system includes sensors, and an analyzer. Each sensor provides messages having sensor identification, an amplitude responsive to the lightning stroke, and a time of detecting the lightning stroke. The analyzer applies time corrections and amplitude corrections to improve the accuracy of determining the location of the lightning stroke. Time adjustments and amplitude adjustments for the time and amplitude corrections are recalled from a matrix accessed according to a suggested or estimated location. The matrix may be organized by coordinates of longitude and latitude.
Claims36
A method for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the method comprising:
- a. forming a plurality of associations, each association respectively comprising an identification of a respective sensor, a respective amplitude responsive to the lightning event, and a respective time of detecting the lightning event;
- b. determining a plurality of first suggested locations, each determination of first suggested location comprising combining information from a multiplicity of associations;
- c. preparing a plurality of revised associations in accordance with at least one of:
- (1) a time correction recalled from a first matrix in accordance with the respective first suggested location and the identification of the associated respective sensor;
- and
- (2) an amplitude correction recalled from at least one of the first matrix and a second matrix in accordance with the respective first suggested location and the identification of the associated respective sensor;
- d. combining information from each revised association with reference to locations of identified sensors, respective amplitudes, and respective times of detecting to determine a plurality of second suggested locations;
- and
- e. estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.
A method for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the method comprising:
- a. forming a plurality of associations, each association respectively comprising an identification of a respective sensor, a respective amplitude responsive to the lightning event, and a respective time of detecting the lightning event;
- b. combining information from each association with reference to locations of identified sensors, respective amplitudes, and respective times of detecting to determine a plurality of first suggested locations;
- c. estimating a first estimated location in accordance with the plurality of first suggested locations;
- d. revising each association in accordance with at least one of:
- (1) a time correction recalled from a first matrix in accordance with the first estimated location and the identification of the associated respective sensor;
- and
- (2) an amplitude correction recalled from at least one of the first matrix and a second matrix in accordance with the first estimated location;
- e. combining information from each revised association with reference to locations of identified sensors, respective amplitudes, and respective times of detecting to determine a plurality of second suggested locations;
- and
- f. estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.
A method for providing an estimated current of a lightning event, the method comprising:
- a. forming a plurality of associations, each association respectively comprising an identification of a respective sensor, a respective amplitude responsive to the lightning event, and a respective time of detecting the lightning event;
- b. estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of associations;
- and
- c. providing the estimated current of the lightning event in accordance with an average of adjusted amplitudes wherein each adjusted amplitude is computed in accordance with an amplitude of a respective association and an amplitude correction recalled from a matrix in accordance with the estimated location and the identification of the associated respective sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.