Apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling detection of stray voltage anomalies

1. A mobile apparatus, configured for mounting to a motor vehicle, for detecting an electric field produced by at least one hazardously energized object comprising:

at least one sensor probe to detect the electric field and to provide a first signal corresponding to the detected electric field;

an analog to digital converter to digitize the first signal to provide a plurality of time domain samples, each sample representing a magnitude of the electric field;

a signal processor to process the plurality of time domain samples at a desired frequency pertaining to the at least one hazardously energized object and to provide a second signal representing a magnitude of the electric field at the desired frequency; and

a computer to receive the second signal and to provide an indication of the magnitude of the electric field at the desired frequency, wherein the magnitude of the electric field rises above a threshold electric field strength to indicate the existence of the at least one hazardously energized object and wherein the threshold electric field strength is established according to a background electric field strength.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of time domain samples are subject, by the signal processor, to a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to yield a frequency domain representation of the plurality of time domain samples.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the signal processor applies the FFT on most recent digitized signals at a rate sufficient to produce a continuous output proportional to magnitude of the electric field.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the signal processor produces a continuous pitch audio tone proportional to a result of the FFT.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the signal processor converts the plurality of time domain samples to a logarithmic scale.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a support frame for mounting the at least one sensor probe to the motor vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator is at least one of an audio or visual indicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the computer emits a variable pitched tone as an audio indicator corresponding to a magnitude of the electric field.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer has a graphical user interface for analyzing and capturing a monitored event depicting the electric field.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises:

a raw electric field measurement plot;

an adaptive threshold plot; and

a processed electric field measurement plot.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the adaptive threshold plot is set relative to a local ambient or background noise level that is generated from data gathered prior to and proceeding measurement of raw electric field data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises:

an indicator to alert a user to the presence of the at least one hazardously energized object in the electric field, wherein the at least one hazardously energized object in the electric field is present when the processed electric field measurement plot exceeds the adaptive threshold plot.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor probe comprises six parallel plate electrodes positioned in a cubic formation.

14. A method for detecting an electric field, via a mobile apparatus configured for mounting to a motor vehicle, produced by at least one hazardously energized object, the method comprising:

providing, in the mobile apparatus, a first signal corresponding to an electric field detected by at least one sensor probe;

digitizing, in the mobile apparatus, the first signal to provide a plurality of time domain samples, each sample representing a magnitude of the electric field;

processing, in the mobile apparatus, the plurality of time domain samples at a desired frequency pertaining to the at least one hazardously energized object;

providing, in the mobile apparatus, a second signal representing a magnitude of the electric field at the desired frequency; and

providing, in the mobile apparatus, an indication of the magnitude of the electric field at the desired frequency based on the second signal, wherein the magnitude of the electric field rises above a threshold electric field strength to indicate the existence of at least one hazardously energized object and wherein the threshold electric field strength is established according to a background electric field strength.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein processing further comprises applying a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to the plurality of time domain samples to yield a frequency domain representation of the plurality of time domain samples.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying the FFT on most recent digitized signals at a rate sufficient to produce a continuous output proportional to an electric field strength of the electric field detected by the at least one sensor probe.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising producing a continuous pitch audio tone proportional to a result of the FFT.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising converting the plurality of time domain samples to a logarithmic scale.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the indicator is at least one of an audio or visual indicator.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface for analyzing and capturing a monitored event depicting the electric field.