Systems and methods for time corrected lightning detection

• US 6,868,339 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vaisala Oyj
• Original Assignee: Vaisala Oyj
• Inventors: Schulz, Wolfgang, Cummins, Kenneth L., Murphy, Martin J., Pifer, Alburt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US10/395,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/4, 342/460, 324/72
• US Class Current: 702/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/16 Measuring atmospheric potential differences, e.g. due to electrical charges in clouds measuring potentiels in general G01R

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.

Claims

1. A method for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the method comprising:

a. a step for 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. a step for determining a plurality of first suggested locations, each determination of first suggested location comprising combining information from a multiplicity of associations;

c. a step for 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. a step for 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. a step for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each association comprises one record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each association comprises a plurality of records associated in accordance with an identification of the lightning event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step for estimating the estimated location comprises a step for combining the plurality of second suggested locations according to an error reduction technique.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each time correction accounts for a path length between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each time correction accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each time correction accounts for a path length and accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix is stored as an array having dimensions of longitude and latitude for access in accordance with a longitude and latitude of the first suggested location of the lightning event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix is stored as an array having dimensions of distance and bearing for access in accordance with a distance and bearing between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 performed by an analyzer and a plurality of sensors coupled to the analyzer by a network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated location is estimated by combining the plurality of second suggested locations according to an error reduction technique.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a particular second suggested location provides an initial location for the error reduction technique.

13. The method of claim 1 further for providing an estimate of current of the lightning event wherein the method further comprises:

a. a step for 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 at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix in accordance with the second estimated location and the identification of the associated respective sensor.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length and accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

17. A method for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the method comprising:

a. a step for 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. a step for 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. a step for estimating a first estimated location in accordance with the plurality of first suggested locations;

d. a step for 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. a step for 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. a step for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each association comprises one record.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein each association comprises a plurality of records associated in accordance with an identification of the lightning event.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step for estimating the estimated location comprises a step for combining the plurality of second suggested locations according to an error reduction technique.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein each time correction accounts for a path length between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein each time correction accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein each time correction accounts for a path length and accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix is stored as an array having dimensions of longitude and latitude for access in accordance with a longitude and latitude of the first suggested location of the lightning event.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix is stored as an array having dimensions of distance and bearing for access in accordance with a distance and bearing between the respective first suggested location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

26. The method of claim 17 performed by an analyzer and a plurality of sensors coupled to the analyzer by a network.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the estimated location is estimated by combining the plurality of second suggested locations according to an error reduction technique.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the first estimated location provides an initial location for the error reduction technique.

29. The method of claim 17 further for providing an estimate of current of the lightning event wherein the method further comprises:

a. a step for 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 correction recalled from at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix in accordance with the second estimated location and the identification of the associated respective sensor.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length and accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the second estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

33. A method for providing an estimated current of a lightning event, the method comprising:

a. a step for 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. a step for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of associations; and

c. a step for 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.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length between the estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein each amplitude correction accounts for a path length and accounts for nonuniform conductivity between the estimated location and the respective location of the identified associated sensor.

37. A system for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the system comprising:

a. means for 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. means for determining a plurality of first suggested locations, each determination of first suggested location comprising combining information from a multiplicity of associations;

c. means for 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. means for 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. means for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.

38. A system for providing an estimate of the location of a lightning event, the system comprising:

a. means for 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. means for 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. means for estimating a first estimated location in accordance with the plurality of first suggested locations;

d. means for 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. means for 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. means for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of second suggested locations.

39. A system for providing an estimated current of a lightning event, the system comprising:

a. means for 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. means for estimating the estimated location in accordance with the plurality of associations; and

c. means for 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.