SENSOR AND RECORDER COMMUNICATION

• US 20070036031A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Barakat, Simon, Grimes, Harvey
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

Implementations of various technologies for a method for establishing communication pathway redundancy within a seismic recording array. In one implementation, the method may include identifying each data acquisition cell deployed in a seismic field and determining one or more communication pathways for each data acquisition cell. The communication pathways include a primary communication pathway and at least one backup communication pathway toward a data collection unit. The method may further include transmitting the communication pathways to each data acquisition cell deployed in the seismic field

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication pathway redundancy within a seismic recording array, comprising:

identifying each data acquisition cell deployed in a seismic field;

determining one or more communication pathways for each data acquisition cell, wherein the communication pathways comprise a primary communication pathway and at least one backup communication pathway toward a data collection unit; and

transmitting the communication pathways to each data acquisition cell deployed in the seismic field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary communication pathway comprises a pathway to a first gateway data acquisition cell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one backup communication pathway comprises a pathway to a second gateway data acquisition cell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second gateway data acquisition cell is in the direction of the data collection unit.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gateway data acquisition cell is configured to receive seismic data from one or more data acquisition cells and to transmit the received seismic data along with seismic data acquired by the first gateway acquisition cell to a second gateway data acquisition cell.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gateway data acquisition cell is configured to receive seismic data from one or more data acquisition cells and to transmit the received seismic data along with seismic data acquired by the first gateway acquisition cell to the data collection unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each data acquisition cell is deployed within about 200 meters of a first gateway data acquisition cell and a second gateway data acquisition cell.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication pathways are determined based on the geographical location of each data acquisition cell.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication pathways are transmitted through a wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring seismic data from each data acquisition cell to the data collection unit using the communication pathways.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each data acquisition cell is identified by at least one of geographical location and Internet Protocol address.

12. A method for transmitting seismic data in a seismic field, comprising:

transmitting seismic data from a data acquisition cell to a first communication device; and

transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a second communication device if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the data acquisition cell from the first communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the seismic data are transmitted through a wireless network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data acquisition cell is deployed within about 200 meters of the first communication device and the second communication device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication device is a first gateway data acquisition cell and the second communication device is a second gateway data acquisition cell.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication device is a first grouped data acquisition cell (GDAC) and the second communication device is a second GDAC.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell by the first communication device to a data collection unit.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell by the first communication device to a data collection unit through one or more communication devices.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more communication devices are one or more gateway data acquisition cells.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting seismic data acquired by the first communication device along with the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a data collection unit.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the seismic data are transmitted from the data acquisition cell to the first communication device through a first communication pathway and wherein the seismic data are transmitted from the data acquisition cell to the second communication device through a second communication pathway.

22. A seismic data acquisition cell deployable in a seismic field, comprising:

a sensor;

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions executable by the processor to;

transmit seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a primary communication device; and

transmit the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to one or more backup communication devices if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the data acquisition cell from the first communication device.

23. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 22, wherein the seismic data acquisition cell is deployed within about 200 meters of the primary communication device and the backup communication devices.

24. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 22, wherein the seismic data are transmitted through a wireless network.

25. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 22, wherein the primary communication device is a primary gateway data acquisition cell and the one or more backup communication devices are one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells.

26. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 22, wherein the primary communication device is a primary grouped data acquisition cell (GDAC) and the backup communication devices are one or more backup GDACs.

27. A seismic survey system, comprising:

a data collection unit;

an array of data acquisition cells in communication with the data collection unit through a wireless network, wherein at least one data acquisition cell comprises;

a sensor

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions executable by the processor to;

transmit seismic data from the at least one data acquisition cell through a first communication pathway; and

transmit the seismic data from the at least one data acquisition cell to a second communication pathway if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the at least one data acquisition cell through the first communication pathway.

28. The seismic survey system of claim 27, further comprising:

a seismic source; and

wherein the first communication pathway comprises a pathway to a first gateway data acquisition cell and the second communication pathway comprises a pathway to a second gateway data acquisition cell.

29. The seismic survey system of claim 28, wherein the first gateway data acquisition cell and the second gateway data acquisition cell are deployed within about 200 meters of the at least one data acquisition cell.