JP4741674B2 - Lightning detection - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lightning detector. The invention particularly relates to a mobile lightning detector comprising an antenna, an amplifier front end, an A / D converter, and a digital signal processor. The invention also relates to a method for detecting lightning.

  Thunderstorms are a major meteorological disaster, but are difficult to predict. Thunderstorms may travel at a speed of 20-40 km / h, and lightning strikes may occur at some distance farther than 10 km ahead of the rain clouds and behind the rain clouds. While lightning strikes are caused by clouds or weather fronts, many of the most dangerous lightning strikes actually occur when no visible clouds appear as a thunderstorm warning. Thus, systems that warn of the possibility of a dangerous thunderstorm can be considered a major safety feature even about 10 minutes before they become visible.

  There are many people who would benefit from such safety features. For some, this could provide everyday knowledge that is simply fun to know. However, for a significant number of people, threatening storms and lightnings have a significant impact in the form of increasing risk, loss of property, or even fatal consequences. A lightning warning system is particularly relevant, for example, for people who spend a lot of time outdoors, and also for aviators or navigators. A system that provides lightning warnings, even when the weather appears to be completely calm and sunny, will allow people to take appropriate safety precautions, such as looking for a shelter .

Although many single-purpose lightning detectors are known in the state of the art, they have several drawbacks from a commercial point of view.
Scientific lightning detectors used in meteorology are very large and their effective range is several hundred kilometers.
Also, other high performance lightning detectors that use a single radio frequency (RF) band are large and relatively expensive compared to, for example, mobile phones. Furthermore, they usually have a specific orientation in order to obtain the required accuracy or directivity, for example standing on a wall or tabletop. They are therefore not well suited for true mobile applications. Furthermore, these devices typically must be positioned vertically and kept stable for several minutes before reliable thunderstorm detection is possible.
In addition, there are currently relatively inexpensive low lightning detectors that are completely portable in size and do not require a special orientation. However, these detectors are extremely sensitive to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) radiation and therefore tend to cause false warnings, especially in urban environments or near highways.

  The present invention begins by considering that a lightning strike is a single flash that generates a short but intense electromagnetic pulse extending over a wide range of wavelengths, in addition to a visual signal as well as a partial audible pressure signal. A typical electromagnetic pulse caused by electric shock ranges from 10 Hz to 5 GHz with a peak around 500 Hz, that is, a voice frequency range. At a normalized distance of 10 km, the amplitude of such a pulse ranges from 107 mV / m to 1 mV / m with a 1 kHz bandwidth. The strongest signal of an electromagnetic pulse is an induced electric field caused by a vertical current during a lightning strike, which is the most commonly measured parameter in large scale equipment to detect lightning heading and distance.

However, due to the complexity of lightning strikes, there are strong signals in the ultra low frequency (ELF) range of hundreds of Hz or less, and weaker signals that reach the GHz range or higher.
It is a well-known fact that the exact characteristics and time spectrum of electromagnetic interference (EMI) signs are different in the MHz region than in the kHz and Hz regions due to the slightly different weather mechanisms that cause them.
However, for the purposes of the present invention, it is sufficient to note that at all relevant frequencies, lightning strikes are accompanied by EMI pulses that can be identified at a distance of many kilometers.

  As a result of the EMI pulse, the RF channel is disturbed for a short time during lightning strikes in the vicinity. RF receiver failure due to EMI caused by electrical shock can be experienced on AM / FM radio, in TV, or on transmission lines in the form of noise, clicks, crisp, image interference, or loss of sound There is. Interference in the RF channel due to electrical shock can be sensed at very long distances. Professional and large-scale lightning detectors can detect lightning disturbances, so-called statics, at distances of several hundred kilometers from lightning strikes, but these detectors are usually voice or RF signals as in the present invention. It works by measuring the induced electric field, not the internal disturbance.

Conventional AM radios are known to be affected by EMI interference at distances of 30 km or longer from lightning strikes, which can even be heard directly in the audio signal as various clicks. At frequencies higher than the AM band (SW, LW, MW), the signal is usually weaker due to both atmospheric attenuation and mechanisms of different causes, but is still detectable over long distances. is there.
In known mobile RF devices such as ordinary mobile phones, electromagnetic interference in the received RF signal can be immediately removed by filtering or as a result of the modulation used, but in the present invention the monitored RF channel We propose to evaluate these electromagnetic interferences. If the detected interference appears to be caused by lightning, for example, a mobile phone user can be alerted. For example, if the interference exceeds a predetermined threshold or if the interference has a frequency spectrum that is characteristic of a lightning strike, the interference can be considered as caused by a lightning strike. Lightning detection can be turned on while RF detection is on.

Thus, the present invention provides a new security feature that can be implemented in a mobile RF device such as a mobile phone.
In many cases, the desire to detect lightning in the vicinity will not be large enough to justify the cost and difficulty of carrying a proprietary lightning detector, but many people You will appreciate the value of an inexpensive sensing system that can be integrated with devices you carry around, especially mobile phones. Known techniques have not achieved integration of such lightning detection as a new function into known RF devices.

  In most known commercial lightning detectors, electromagnetic signals from lightning are detected in a relatively low frequency band, i.e., audio frequency, compared to the RF frequency. Voice codecs in mobile RF devices typically amplify signals by 40-60 dB over bandwidths up to 48 kHz, so voice codecs are also used for signal amplification and subsequent processing from the lightning detection front end You can also The voice codec also includes a high quality A / D converter, which can be used for lightning detection as well. In addition to amplification and A / D conversion, a portion of the digital audio processing block in the codec can be used for lightning detection signal processing.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the present invention is based on using a speech codec in a mobile RF device as a lightning detector.
Thus, for the first aspect of the invention, the lightning detector is a mobile RF device with an audio codec, whereby the codec preamplifier is used for amplification of the detected lightning signal, and the codec A / D converter is used for A / D conversion of the amplified lightning signal and thereby the digital audio processing unit of the codec is used for lightning detection signal processing .

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lightning detection front end is connected in parallel with the microphone so that the microphone input of the voice codec is shared by lightning detection and other applications.
In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, a microphone input that would otherwise not be used is used as the lightning detection front-end interface.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the voice codec of the mobile RF device is utilized for lightning detection, whereby the A / D converted lightning signal is processed in the voice codec path and detected by the voice codec. The output symbols are analyzed from the point of view of lightning detection using digital signal processing (DSP) methods.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the amplification path of the speech codec is used for lightning detection together with the mobile RF device AM and / or FM radio receiver.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, lightning detection is implemented as a combination of detections on two or more frequency channels.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there are at least two microphone inputs that can be utilized for lightning detection, and lightning detection is performed on two different audio frequency bands.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, two orthogonally positioned antenna coils are used to implement a detector that can also detect the direction of a lightning strike.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the RF device contains means for determining the orientation of the mobile RF device during a lightning strike.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the detected lightning information including the time of occurrence is stored in a memory for determining the distance of the likely lightning strike from the mobile device.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the mobile RF device can store additional weather information received from the network in a memory.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, weather information can be displayed on a display showing intensity, distance, and relative and true direction to a thunderstorm.
The specific features of the lightning detector according to the invention and the method of lightning detection are set forth in detail in the claims.

The present invention enables the creation of integrated systems utilizing existing architectures, modules, and signal processing or computing capabilities in mobile RF devices.
In addition, if the amplification path in the mobile RF device and preferably other parts of the audio codec are also used for lightning detection, no separate hardware is required for lightning detection, so cost and space requirements are significant. Decrease.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cellular communication system that enables a lightning alarm according to the present invention. The system can be, for example, a GSM system.
The cellular communication system includes a mobile phone 10 and a base station 20 of a cellular communication network.
The mobile phone 10 includes a reception RX antenna 11, which is connected to a microphone processor 13 through an RF module 12. Furthermore, the mobile phone 10 includes a microphone 14 and a speaker 15, and an audio codec 16 for forming an audio amplification path, A / D conversion, and digital signal processing of the audio signal. Further, the microphone processor 13 is connected to the display 17. The display can be divided for multiple applications (18). The mobile phone 10 may further include an electronic compass 19 and a memory 21 that are divided (22) for multiple applications. Further, the mobile phone 10 includes other components that are not shown but are known to be included in conventional mobile phones.

  As can be seen in FIG. 2, most of the electromagnetic energy radiated by lightning is on a frequency near 5-10 kHz (ie, audio frequency). Therefore, it makes sense to perform lightning detection at a relatively low frequency. However, the level of EMC produced by humans is highest at the same low frequency, but decays rapidly with frequency, so that lightning detection is performed somewhat higher so that lightning detection is performed without being disturbed by the human-generated EMC. It is advantageous to use the detection frequency or alternatively to downconvert the higher lightning detection frequency first to baseband.

The present invention is based on using the voice codec of the mobile phone 10 as an amplification path for A / D conversion and for digital processing of lightning signals in lightning detection. The idea is to use the voice codec input 34 to connect an antenna (such as a coil) or multiple components or front end 31 that houses the frequency conversion means required for lightning detection. The lightning detection front end 31 can be connected in parallel with the microphone, so the microphone input 32 of the audio codec 35 is shared by two applications (see FIG. 3): the lightning detection front end 31 and the microphone 14. The
Alternatively, a microphone input that would otherwise not be used can be dedicated to the lightning detection front end. Depending on the performance of the speech codec, some filtering and amplification may be required in the lightning detection front end before the signal is input to the speech codec to achieve sufficient performance characteristics.

  The analog lightning detection signal from the front end is amplified and A / D converted in the audio codec. Audio codecs also contain analog or digital filters. After A / D conversion and filtering, the lightning detection signal can be analyzed using digital signal processing (DSP) methods, and information about the detected lightning can be obtained from the device user interface (ie, display and / or Speaker).

An audio codec with one or several microphone inputs can also be utilized by sharing the input, such as with a lightning detection front end and an attached headset. Alternatively, the lightning detection front-end accessory could be attached to the same I / O connector (such as POP port) used for the headset and hands-free accessory. Such a proprietary patent “Nokia POP” connector is represented as 63 in FIG. All “Nokia POP” ports to which accessories can be attached can accommodate a circuit (ACI chip) in which parameters necessary to optimize the use of the DSP are stored. By using the parameters in the ACI, the DSP is configured to better support the use of accessories attached to the POP port.
Alternatively, the lightning detection front end accessory can be housed in a functional cover removable by the user of the portable terminal 60 or used for contactless charging using the battery charging coil 61 or coil 61 It is considered that a circuit to be embedded can be embedded.

  One important matter from an implementation point of view is the implementation of a lightning detection antenna at audio frequencies. Conventionally, the antenna is implemented as an independent coil. However, coils require a great deal of area and space, so it is essential to find an effective way to implement a coil / multiple coils in a target device. In the present invention, the audio codec amplification path could also be used with one or more secondary coils 61 used for inductive battery charging.

  The lightning detection front end can be implemented on the audio frequency for the example as shown in FIG. The lightning detection antenna coil L and the front end can be implemented with the illustrated topology. Coil L and capacitor C include bandpass filters, and diodes D1 and D2 are required to protect the gain stage from excessively large voltage peaks. An optional operational amplifier stage 41 having gain setting resistors R1, R2 may be required before the signal is sent to the voice codec to achieve sufficient gain in the entire amplification path.

Lower lightning detector designs typically have a gain of 76 dB in the detection frequency band. Since known speech codecs typically have a gain of 34-59.5 dB, some additional amplification may be required to achieve sufficient gain over the entire amplification path. However, it may be possible to achieve sufficient gain for lightning detection on the voice frequency without any additional amplification path of the voice codec.
It is also possible to use a voice codec for lightning detection. The A / D converted lightning signal can be processed using the voice codec path and detected symbols, and the output of the voice codec is from a lightning detection perspective using a digital signal processing (DSP) method. Can be analyzed. Furthermore, a combination of the audio circuits 51 and 52 and the audio codec 53 can also be used to analyze the lightning signal. The advantage of using a voice codec for lightning detection is that the voice codec is not normally used for a long period of time and thus can increase utilization.

  Alternatively, the audio codec amplification path can be used for lightning detection with an AM or FM radio receiver. Although the present invention has been described above based on detection on audio frequencies, these higher frequency signals are multiplied even on higher frequencies such as AM (150 kHz to 30 MHz) and FM (87.5 to 108 MHz) high frequencies. Detection is possible by converting the sound frequency to a low frequency with a down converter. The best results can be achieved by combining detection on two or more frequency channels that are sufficiently far from each other. Some detection and ranging methods are based on different attenuations of lightning noise on different frequencies, so two or more receiver combinations are better with respect to distance to lightning activity during a thunderstorm Bring an estimate.

  In addition, to detect and classify lightning signals, amplify the signal by using an AM or FM radio receiver front end and using a voice codec coding (TX) path as part of the detection chain; Signals from lightning can be detected using codes generated as input to digital signal processing (DSP) methods or using the same codec decoding (RX) path for this purpose .

  If more than one microphone input is available, lightning detection can be performed on different audio frequency bands and detection and analysis can be performed more accurately. See FIG. 5a for the implementation principle. Two orthogonally positioned antenna coils 54, 55 are used to implement the detector and can also detect the direction of the lightning strike (see FIG. 5b). Direction detection is based on a comparison of levels received from orthogonal coils. In addition, two coils can be used to achieve an omnidirectional lightning detector (see FIG. 5). An omnidirectional detector can be implemented by using separate channels for the signals from coils L1 (54) and L2 (55) as shown in FIG. 5b, or the signals from the two coils are It can be summed (58) as in FIG. 5c and analyzed as one signal after possible filtering in filter 59. Of course, the summed signal from adder 56 does not give any information regarding the direction of the lightning strike. Even when the orthogonal coil shown in FIG. 8 is used, the direction determination is ambiguous. If a signal is received from the front 81 or from the rear 82, it cannot be determined without an additional antenna. However, this ambiguity can be resolved by combining weather information received from the network or simply having the user enter the wind direction. One coil or both coils in FIGS. 5a-5c may also be a dielectric charging coil, such as charging coil 61 in FIG. 6, or for some other purpose such as used for RFID purposes, for example. It can be used as a coil.

  The speech codec used in the present invention may be of the type commonly used in mobile RF devices and available in the general market. Such a speech codec is for example a Texas speech codec with a microphone input stage consisting of inputs for 3 signals, a 3ME multiplexer and a differential microphone amplifier, and a stereo speech codec with integrated headphone amplifier. Instruments TLV320AIC23B ".

The present invention can include ideas for improving measurement performance and current consumption of the device by utilizing the orientation of the detector device. Please refer to FIG. 7 where the detection antenna horizontal 72 and vertical 73 bi-directional is shown.
Since the antenna gain of the loop antenna varies greatly as a function of the angular position relative to the RF source 71, it can be used to improve detector detection, ranging, and / or direction measurement performance.

In essence, all known lightning detection devices that rely on the detection of the magnetic component (H) of the electromagnetic field have one coil or two orthogonal coils used to receive the RF signal emitted by the lightning strike. Exists. Radiation from lightning strikes is basically strongest on frequencies below 50 MHz, so the only receive antenna option that can be integrated into a mobile device is a small loop antenna.
One main characteristic of a coil antenna is a directivity pattern. This pattern looks like donuts 74 and 75, and its axis is parallel to the axis of the ferrite core 76. If only one antenna is used, the detection situation is similar to the situation shown in FIG. The variation in angular position for the detected lightning strike causes a variation of 10-30 dB with respect to the derived signal. This variation occurs when the coil axis is horizontal. If the axis is oriented vertically, the derived signal may be even smaller than 30 dB compared to the optimal orientation.

  If only one coil antenna is used, the main difficulty of distance estimation (and detection itself) is to vary the antenna gain depending on the direction of radiation reception. Theoretically, gain can vary from 0 dB (angle 0 ° or 180 °) to −30 dB (angle 90 ° or 270 °) depending on the reception angle when receiving RF radiation from lightning. is there. If the antenna gain changes significantly (between two consecutive measurements) and no position information is present, either the amplitude variation is due to a change in the radial distance between the storm and the detector, or the amplitude variation is the antenna gain It is very difficult to find out (by using only one coil antenna) what is caused by a change in the angle of the detector that causes medium fluctuations.

This embodiment describes a portable device having at least one magnetic coil and some method of determining the orientation of the device. The latter method can also be manual (the user needs to point the device). The combination can be used to provide a better distance estimate for the lightning source (and also allow direction detection).
If the orientation is known, the coil orientation problem can be solved or at least minimized. Also, rapid changes in orientation can be used to detect conditions where accurate measurements are not possible.

  The idea of the present invention is to make use of lightning detector position, orientation and / or movement information to compensate for imperfections in the antenna used to detect RF radiation from lightning strikes. Since the RF radiation from lightning strikes is mostly vertically deflected and mostly concentrated on low frequencies (less than 100 MHz), small loop antennas are the most space-efficient measure of low frequency RF pulses. Used in reception. High directivity is one typical characteristic of small loop antennas, so the level of the received signal varies drastically depending on the orientation of the antenna relative to the source.

  If a suitable or optimal detection position for a lightning detector can be determined and some other orientation is not very practical, the device is moving violently (ie the antenna gain is changing rapidly) ) Or detecting a lightning strike when the orientation of the device is not suitable for detection (ie, the antenna gain is low). For example, in these environments, the lightning detector can be switched off to save power and continue detection after the device is stationary or in a more optimal direction from a lightning detection perspective. Can do.

  In practice, it is not essential how the orientation information of the device is identified. The simplest method is to measure orientation by using a magnetometer or accelerometer sensor, which can be integrated into the mobile detector in a manner similar to the flux compass 19 of FIG. For practical use, the compass should be tilt compensated to allow use in a plane different from the horizontal plane without losing directional accuracy. Another viable alternative is to interact with weather information received from the network as input from the user and how additional equipment is available when the device is oriented in terms of lightning detection. To get related, get instructions from the user interface.

  The basic idea of this embodiment can be used in many individual embodiments, and the following embodiments describe different detection principles. The specification begins with the simplest example, with more complex combinations listed at the end of the embodiment specification. The typical characteristics of a small loop antenna are valid in all embodiments, and information from the sensor or other source (ie, from the user) that indicates the orientation or position of the device is used in various ways.

In the simplest possible embodiment, an orientation and / or motion detector is used to determine whether the device is stationary. The measurement is performed only when the device is stationary where the gain is constant.
The simplest embodiment of the present invention only utilizes information whether or not the detector is stationary. Since the radiation pattern of the coil antenna is directional, the detection environment is not considered constant when the device is moving. For example, if the implementation of a simple lightning detection algorithm requires that the device be stationary, as in some commercial lightning indicators, it will require instructions regarding the movement of the detector device.

If the detector is moving and the detection accuracy is indeterminate, the detection function can be switched off. Another alternative is that only lightning-like pulses are detected and remain in a trigger mode, for example where the distance is done in a static condition.
If one or two coil antennas are used to receive RF radiation from a lightning strike, an optimal position can be determined from a detection point of view. The optimal orientation can be an orientation in which the axis of the coil antenna is horizontal. This is because most of the very strong radiation is deflected vertically, so that the antenna axis is near vertical and the coupling between the lightning channel and the antenna coil is small (or the coupling from the lightning channel has a vertical component) Means that there is no value in measuring or detecting lightning strikes.

In a practical case, this is, for example, that a 2D device (i.e. the detector contains only one coil) is used when the device is held on the side of the pocket / hook (in this case the main signal is Means zero in the direction of arrival).
In more advanced embodiments (ie, including two orthogonal coils with two individual receive channels), one of the channels can be switched off if orientation detection is not feasible.

As already shown in FIG. 7b, the direction in which the axis of the coil antenna is vertical is not the most useful from the point of view of lightning detection. The lightning strike channel is usually vertical, so the RF radiation from the lightning strike can be considered to be predominantly vertically deflected. If the axis of the coil antenna is not horizontal, the combined signal strength can be compensated using the angle.
In the case of a mobile device with a user interface, the user can be notified to move and orient the device in an optimal orientation. The optimal orientation is the orientation that minimizes interference. This assumes that there is a local interference source (such as a fluorescent lamp). In other words, the detection device is positioned so that the interference source is in a direction parallel to the coil axis.

If more accurate distance estimation is required, the user can be informed to keep the detector in two orthogonal positions. This effectively creates a “virtual orthogonal coil pair” using only one coil. In the single coil embodiment, the distance is estimated at two different locations, such as from two successive lightning strikes.
The measurement situation is similar to the situation described in FIG. The detector device is instructed to hold in two orthogonal orientations as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. The algorithm needed to measure the distance to successive lightning strikes with sufficient accuracy may require the detection of several lightning strikes in both orientations. The user can be instructed to reorient the device according to the estimation and detection algorithm.

  If the lightning detector uses two (or even three) orthogonal coils as receiving antennas, direction information for lightning strikes is available. However, directional measurements against a storm by using only two orthogonal coils will leave a 180 ° uncertainty if only the relationship of the connected signals from the orthogonal coils is used (see FIG. 7). If a lightning strike occurs in position 81 or 82, the detected signal is similar). Direction information may be available by using three coils.

If the detector has the ability to determine direction information with respect to the center of the lightning or storm, the detected direction information can be used to correct the device's orientation data during successive measurements, and more Can be given accurately.
One suggestion for overcoming the 180 ° uncertainty in determining the direction to a lightning strike is that it is often enough information to determine the direction 83 and 84 where the lightning strike is not occurring in many cases. That is. Another alternative is to enter the wind direction. In any case, if the user moves in direction 83 or 84, it is most likely to avoid an approaching storm or to gain more time to find shelter. The direction estimate can of course be updated as the storm approaches or moves away.

  In one embodiment, two modes are used, i.e., the trigger mode is initiated whenever any interference is observed (at least the interference can be lightning related). The trigger mode then initiates the actual sensing mode and optionally changes the display mode if necessary. The user is notified to correctly orient the device (eg horizontally on the table). Distance estimation is performed only when this orientation is correct.

  Assuming that the user is roughly in constant motion, the angles cover all possible angles and the gain parameter is omitted. This requires a considerable amount of time to obtain a good statistical estimate. A simpler version is to let the user rotate the device several times on the table so that most angles are included. In particular, letting the user keep the device in one orientation for a while and then changing it 90 degrees makes it possible to cover the minimum and maximum gains.

Finally, the front end can be integrated into the mobile RF device, but it can also be a separate display device or outside the RF device, for example a so-called functional cover as shown in FIG. It can even be integrated into 62. Such a user-changeable function cover that houses the lightning detection front end 31 can be sold as an accessory.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the different embodiments of the invention are not limited to the examples described above, but that they can be varied within the scope of the claims.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a system according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic signal caused by the lightning in the distance of 10 km. Fig. 3 is an exemplary circuit of a microphone input circuit that can be divided into a microphone and a lightning detection front end. It is a figure which shows the Example of the lightning detection front end in an audio | voice frequency. FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which two lightning detection antenna coils can be used, showing detection on two different frequencies. FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which two lightning detection antenna coils can be used, showing detection and direction estimation using two orthogonal coils. FIG. 6 shows an example in which two lightning detection antenna coils can be used to show omnidirectional detection. FIG. 6 shows a proprietary patent port used in a mobile RF terminal, a removable functional cover of the mobile terminal, a battery charging coil used for lightning detection, and / or an RFID coil used for lightning detection. It is a figure which shows the antenna oriented perpendicularly | vertically among two directions of a lightning detection antenna. It is a figure which shows the antenna oriented horizontally among two directions of a lightning detection antenna. It is a figure which shows roughly the ambiguous front / rear detection situation.

Explanation of symbols

10 Mobile phone 12 RF module 13 Microphone processor 16 Voice codec 20 Base station

Claims (27)

A mobile lightning detector implemented as a mobile RF device with an audio codec ,
A lightning detection front end for detecting lightning signals,
Includes a voice codec, the,
The audio codec is
A preamplifier for amplifying the detected lightning signal,
An A / D converter for the amplified lightning signal converting A / D,
A digital signal processor for signal processing the A / D converted lightning signal ;
The lightning detection front end is connected to a microphone input of the audio codec .   2. The lightning detection front end of claim 1, wherein the lightning detection front end is connected in parallel with a microphone so that a microphone input of a voice codec is shared by the lightning detection and another application. vessel. The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein the lightning detection front end is connected to an unused microphone input.   A voice codec of a mobile RF device is used for lightning detection, whereby the A / D converted lightning signal is processed in the voice codec path, and a symbol detected and output by the voice codec is the lightning detection. The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein the mobile lightning detector is analyzed in the DSP from the viewpoint of: The speech codec is used as amplifying paths that are used for lightning detection with a mobile RF device AM and / or FM radio receiver, is thereby AM and / or FM radio frequencies, using a down-converter The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein the mobile lightning detector is down-converted to a voice frequency.   The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two microphone inputs available for the lightning detection, the lightning detection being performed on at least two different voice frequency bands.   The mobile lightning detector of claim 1, wherein the lightning detection is implemented as a combination of detections on two or more frequency channels.   The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, characterized in that two orthogonally arranged antenna coils are used to implement a detector that can also detect the direction of lightning strikes. A lightning detection method with a mobile lightning detector implemented as a mobile RF device with an audio codec ,
Detecting a lightning signal using a lightning detection front end;
Providing the lightning signal to a microphone input of an audio codec;
A step of using the pre-amplifier of the audio codec, to amplify the detected lightning signal,
Using an A / D converter of the audio codec, comprising: the amplified lightning signal converting A / D, and using a digital audio processor of the speech codec, the A / D converted lightning signal comprising the steps of signal processing,
A method comprising the steps of:   10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lightning detection front end is connected in parallel with a microphone such that a microphone input of a voice codec is shared by the lightning detection and other applications. The method of claim 9, wherein the lightning detection front end is connected to an unused microphone input.   A voice codec of a mobile RF device is used for lightning detection, whereby the A / D converted lightning signal is processed in the voice codec path, and a symbol detected and output by the voice codec is the lightning detection. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method is analyzed in the DSP from the viewpoint of: The voice codec is used as an amplification path used for lightning detection with AM and / or FM radio receivers of mobile RF devices, whereby AM and / or FM radio frequencies use down converters. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method is converted down to a voice frequency.   10. The method of claim 9, wherein there are at least two microphone inputs available for the lightning detection, and the lightning detection is performed on at least two different voice frequency bands.   The method of claim 9, wherein the lightning detection is implemented as a combination of detections on two or more frequency channels.   Method according to claim 9, characterized in that two orthogonally arranged antenna coils are used to implement a detector that can also detect the direction of lightning strikes.   Further, two coils can be used to achieve an omnidirectional lightning detector, whereby the omnidirectional detector can be implemented by using separate channels, or two The mobile lightning detector according to claim 6, wherein signals from the coils can be added and analyzed as one signal.   Further, two coils can be used to achieve an omnidirectional lightning detector, whereby the omnidirectional detector can be implemented by using separate channels, or two The method of claim 14, wherein the signals from the coils can be summed and analyzed as a single signal.   The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein the RF device contains means for determining an orientation of the mobile RF device.   The method of claim 14, comprising improving the measurement performance and current consumption of the device by utilizing the orientation of the detector device.   21. An azimuth and / or motion detector is used to determine if the device is stationary and the measurement is performed only when the device is stationary. the method of.   The method of claim 14, wherein detected lightning strike information including time of occurrence is stored in a memory for determination of an estimated lightning strike distance from the mobile device.   The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile RF device is capable of storing additional weather information received from a network in the memory.   15. The method of claim 14, wherein the weather information can be displayed on a display that shows the intensity, distance, and relative and true direction to a thunderstorm. The mobile lightning detector of claim 1, wherein the lightning detection front end is integrated with the mobile RF device. The mobile lightning detector of claim 1, wherein the lightning detection front end is a separate display device or integrated outside the RF device.   The mobile lightning detector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator coil is an inductive charging coil or a coil used for some other purpose.

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