Patents by Inventor Alburt E. Pifer
Alburt E. Pifer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7460956Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2005Date of Patent: December 2, 2008Assignee: Vaisala OyjInventors: Martin J. Murphy, Wolfgang Schulz, Alburt E. Pifer, Kenneth L. Cummins
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Patent number: 6868339Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2003Date of Patent: March 15, 2005Assignee: Vaisala OYJInventors: Martin J. Murphy, Wolfgang Schulz, Alburt E. Pifer, Kenneth L. Cummins
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Publication number: 20040204854Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2003Publication date: October 14, 2004Applicant: Vaisala Inc.Inventors: Martin J. Murphy, Wolfgang Schulz, Alburt E. Pifer, Kenneth L. Cummins
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Patent number: 6791311Abstract: A lightning detection and data acquisition system. A plurality of remote programmable sensor is utilized to detect cloud to ground and IC lightning strikes. Analog representations of the lightning strikes are converted to digital signals. The digital signals are classified according to user changeable criteria. The classified digital signals are compressed and optionally decimated. The compressed information is transmitted to a central location where it is decompressed and used to correlate the location, magnitude, and travel path of the detected lightning strikes.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Vaisala OyjInventors: Martin J. Murphy, Kenneth L. Cummins, Alburt E. Pifer
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Patent number: 6788043Abstract: A lightning detection and data acquisition system. A plurality of remote programmable sensor is utilized to detect cloud to ground and IC lightning strikes. Analog representations of the lightning strikes are converted to digital signals. The digital signals are classified according to user changeable criteria. The classified digital signals are compressed and optionally decimated. The compressed information is transmitted to a central location where it is decompressed and used to correlate the location, magnitude, and travel path of the detected lightning strikes.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2002Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: Vaisala OyjInventors: Martin J. Murphy, Kenneth L. Cummins, Alburt E. Pifer
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Publication number: 20030151397Abstract: A lightning detection and data acquisition system. A plurality of remote programmable sensor is utilized to detect cloud to ground and IC lightning strikes. Analog representations of the lightning strikes are converted to digital signals. The digital signals are classified according to user changeable criteria. The classified digital signals are compressed and optionally decimated. The compressed information is transmitted to a central location where it is decompressed and used to correlate the location, magnitude, and travel path of the detected lightning strikes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2002Publication date: August 14, 2003Inventors: Martin J. Murphy, Kenneth L. Cummins, Alburt E. Pifer
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Publication number: 20030151398Abstract: A lightning detection and data acquisition system. A plurality of remote programmable sensor is utilized to detect cloud to ground and IC lightning strikes. Analog representations of the lightning strikes are converted to digital signals. The digital signals are classified according to user changeable criteria. The classified digital signals are compressed and optionally decimated. The compressed information is transmitted to a central location where it is decompressed and used to correlate the location, magnitude, and travel path of the detected lightning strikes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2002Publication date: August 14, 2003Inventors: Martin J. Murphy, Kenneth L. Cummins, Alburt E. Pifer
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Patent number: 5448161Abstract: An efficient optical radiation detector for lightning or other light signals such as pulses, bursts, flashes, and steady fluctuations. A silicon photodiode (or similar light-sensitive silicon device) is arranged to receive light signals (infrared, visible, ultraviolet, broadband, etc.) of interest. The photodiode is connected across the primary winding of a properly-designed transformer. The transformer-coupled photodiode circuit gives AC coupling, photodiode bias, voltage gain, and several other desirable detector characteristics. Light fluctuations on the photodiode produce variations of photocurrent in the transformer primary circuit which, in turn, induce current in the secondary winding and circuit of the transformer. The current induced in the secondary circuit of the transformer is used to do useful work (such as energize an audible alarm, increment a counter, latch a relay, etc.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1992Date of Patent: September 5, 1995Assignee: Lightning Protection TechnologyInventors: Leon G. Byerley, III, Alburt E. Pifer
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Patent number: 5168212Abstract: An omnidirectional lightning ranging, identification and protection system having circuits that produce no false alarms or failures to alarm, responsive to cloud to ground and cloud discharges, capable of differentiating between cloud to ground and cloud discharges insensitive to background noise, autonomous with respect to power and communications conductors for operating reliably in the presence of nearby lightning discharges, requiring no field calibration, that provides local and remote lightning rate and range data, and that provides mechanisms for automatically signalling and disconnecting electrical equipment for the purpose of lightning protection. The system has circuits that are responsive to the electric field changes produced by lightning discharges in the frequency range between 2 khz and about 200 khz and to time coincident optical radiation in the 6000 to 9000 angstroms wavelength range.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 1991Date of Patent: December 1, 1992Assignee: Lightning Location and Protection, Inc.Inventors: Leon G. Byerley, III, Kenneth L. Cummins, Alburt E. Pifer, Kenneth Hufnagel, William Hiscox
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Patent number: 4914444Abstract: A synchronization system and method for a lightning location system having a plurality of remote lightning detectors transmitting data to a lightning position analyzer via a communication system having variable transmission delays. Each lightning detector includes a clock for identifying the time of occurrence of a lightning event such as cloud to ground lightning discharge, the time of occurrence data being transmitted to the position analyzer along with other data representing the lightning event. The position analyzer also includes a clock for identifying the time of arrival at the analyzer of data representing a lightning event. Lightning events are correlated by the position analyzer by comparing the time intervals between the occurrence of lightning events detected by one detector and the time intervals between the occurrence of lightning events detected by a second detector.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 1987Date of Patent: April 3, 1990Assignee: Lightning Location and Protection, Inc.Inventors: Alburt E. Pifer, Dion W. Howard
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Patent number: 4806851Abstract: The thunderstorm sensor of the present invention includes a pair of orthogonally positioned magnetic loop antennas to provide signals representative of the north-south and east-west components of the magnetic field produced by a lightning discharge. The system also includes an omni-directional electric field antenna to provide a signal representative of the electric field produced by a lightning discharge. The magnetic field and electric field signals from the antennas are coupled to an analog signal processor and digitizer which provides digital representations of the peak north-south and peak east-west components of the radiated magnetic field. The analog signal processor and digitizer also provides digital representations of the peak radiated electric field and the electric field sampled at a time subsequent to the time of occurrence of the peak radiated field wherein the second sampled electric field value represents the electrostatic field change due to the lightning discharge.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 1987Date of Patent: February 21, 1989Assignee: Lightning Location and Protection, Inc.Inventors: E. Philip Krider, Alburt E. Pifer, Leon G. Byerley, III