New patent aims to warn callers of impending lightning strikes
Finnish phone maker Nokia has applied for a U.S. patent on technology that will equip mobile handsets with the ability to detect lightning.
Lightning bolts typically produce radio waves in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 5 GHz. This often produces pops and crackles audible on AM/FM radio receivers and TV sets. Nokia plans to provide software in the phone to detect and analyze those signals, providing information to handset users on their proximity to approaching lightning strikes.
According to the patent application, the Nokia system would use two adjacent radio channels to detect the atmospheric disturbances, allowing the phone to provide its owner with as much as 10 minutes warning before a thunderstorm actually becomes visible at the user's location.
"There is a large population that would benefit from such a safety feature," the application states. "To some persons, it might provide only a nice-to-know everyday knowledge. To a considerable number of persons, however, storm and lightning originated threats have significant implications in the form of an increased risk, loss of property or even fatal consequences."
Nokia claims that an accurate lightning predictor would be particularly useful to people who spend a significant amount of time outdoors, allowing them "to take suitable safety measures in time, for instance seek shelter." Aviators would also be a valuable target market for the weather-enabled phones.
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