Communication between sensor units and a recorder

• US 20070225944A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Knutsen, Thorleiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

A seismic acquisition system. In one implementation, the seismic acquisition system includes a recorder having a memory having a communication protocol application stored therein and one or more sensor units in communication with the recorder through a communications network. Each sensor unit may include a memory having the communication protocol application stored therein.

Claims

1. A seismic acquisition system, comprising:

a recorder having a first memory having a communication protocol application stored therein; and

one or more sensor units in communication with the recorder through a communications network, wherein each sensor unit comprises a second memory having the communication protocol application stored therein.

2. The seismic acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the communication protocol application is a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

3. The seismic acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the recorder further comprises a processor and the first memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to receive seismic data from the one or more sensor units and send an acknowledgement signal to the one or more sensor units.

4. The seismic acquisition system of claim 3, wherein the seismic data are received and the acknowledgement signal is sent using the communication protocol application.

5. The seismic acquisition system of claim 1, wherein each sensor unit further comprises a processor and the second memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to sample seismic data and send the seismic data to the recorder.

6. The seismic acquisition system of claim 5, wherein the seismic data are sent to the recorder using the communication protocol application.

7. The seismic acquisition system of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a wireless network.

8. A method for sending seismic data to a recorder by a sensor unit, comprising:

sampling seismic data from a sensor of the sensor unit;

sending the seismic data to the recorder using a communication protocol; and

receiving a signal acknowledging receipt of the seismic data by the recorder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication protocol is TCP/IP.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a command to send the seismic data to an IP address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the seismic data is sent to the recorder through a communications network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications network is a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending the seismic data to the recorder through a different path in the communications network, if no acknowledgement signal is received by the sensor unit.

14. A sensor unit for a seismic acquisition system, comprising:

a sensor;

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions executable by the processor to;

sample seismic data from the sensor; and

send the seismic data using a communication protocol.

15. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the communication protocol is TCP/IP.

16. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the communication protocol is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol.

17. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the seismic data are sent to a recorder.

18. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to receive a signal acknowledging receipt of the seismic data.

19. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to receive a command to start sending seismic data to a recorder.

20. The sensor unit of claim 14, wherein the processor is a digital signal processor.