SYSTEM HAVING A NETWORK CONNECTED TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SURVEY SENSORS

• US 20100017138A1
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Cannell, William A.C., BRADY, JAMES P., Beneteau, Lionel, Knutsen, Thorleiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

A system includes a network, multiple different types of survey sensors connected to the network, and a controller connected to the network. The multiple different types of survey sensors are configured to communicate different types of measurement data over the network to the controller.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network;

multiple different types of survey sensors connected to the network; and

a controller connected to the network,

wherein the multiple different types of survey sensors are configured to communicate different types of measurement data over the network to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple different types of sensors include at least two different types of sensors selected from among a seismic sensor, electromagnetic sensor, and a gravity sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the survey sensors and the controller communicate over the network according to an Internet Protocol (IP).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the survey sensors and the controller communicate over the network according to a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive co-located survey measurements from the different types of survey sensors simultaneously or closely spaced in time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a cross-response of the different types of survey sensors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the cross-response includes a seismo-electric response or an electro-seismic response.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising sensor units, the survey sensors being part of corresponding sensor units, wherein each sensor unit includes a network interface to communicate over the network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor units are configured to communicate packets each containing information to identify a type of survey sensor that communicated the corresponding packet, wherein the packets further contain the measurement data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information identifying the type of survey sensor is part of a header of each packet.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each sensor unit further includes a corresponding buffer to temporarily store measurement data collected by the respective survey sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional sensor separate from the survey sensors to collect another type of measurement data,

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one additional sensor includes at least one sensor selected from a thermometer, barometric pressure sensor, wind gauge, and soil sampler.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the backbone network is associated with connectors, and wherein the survey sensors are part of corresponding sensor units that are removably pluggable in the connectors.

15. A method of performing subterranean surveying, comprising:

providing a backbone network connected to a plurality of different types of survey sensors;

collecting different types of measurement data by the corresponding different types of survey sensors; and

communicating the different types of measurement data over the network to a controller for recording.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating the different types of measurement data comprises communicating using packets according to a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting the different types of measurement data comprises collecting gravity data, seismic data, and electromagnetic data.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a cross-response based concurrently activating a first type of source and measuring using a second type of survey sensor.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising a survey sensor communicating description information to identify the survey sensor when the survey sensor is initially inserted in the network.

20. An article comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a computer to:

receive different types of measurement data collected by corresponding different types of survey sensors over a network, wherein the measurement data is communicated using packets according to an Internet Protocol (IP);

record the different types of measurement data; and

process the different types of measurement data together.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the different types of survey sensors include gravity sensors, electromagnetic sensors, and seismic sensors.