IN-FIELD CONFIGURATION OF LAND SURVEY SENSORS

• US 20100318298A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Lepper, John, Golparian, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence

Abstract

Described herein are implementations of various technologies for a method for in-field configuration of land survey sensors. One or more planned positions of the sensors may be received. One or more actual positions of the sensors be determined. The actual positions may be sent to the sensors while the sensors are powered off.

Claims

1. A method for configuring land survey sensors, comprising:

receiving one or more planned positions of the sensors;

determining one or more actual positions of the sensors and

sending the actual positions to the sensors while the sensors are powered off.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual positions of the sensors are determined using a global navigation satellite system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the actual positions to a data center.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more serial numbers of the sensors from the sensors; and

forwarding the serial numbers to a data center.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the serial numbers are received from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver of the sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the sensors according to the planned positions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein placing the one or more sensors according to the planned positions comprises placing the one or more sensors in one or more positions different from the planned positions if an obstruction exists at the planned positions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the planned positions are different from the actual positions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a time of the placement of the sensors, a weather condition at the time, a geology description of a surface at the actual positions, a description of a coupling of the sensors to the surface at the actual positions, or combinations thereof, to the sensors.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise electromagnetic survey sensors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise seismic survey sensors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual positions are sent to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver of the sensors.

13. A land acquisition system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors disposed in a survey area;

a handheld device for configuring the sensors comprising;

a processor; and

a memory having program instructions configured to cause the processor to;

receive one or more planned positions of the sensors;

determine one or more actual positions of the sensors and

send the actual positions to the sensors while the sensors are powered off.

14. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein the handheld device further comprises a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) module configured to determine the actual positions of the sensors.

15. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein the handheld device further comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) write module configured to send the actual positions to the sensors.

16. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein the handheld device further comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) read module configured to receive one or more serial numbers of the sensors.

17. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein each sensor comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to receive the actual positions from the handheld device.

18. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein each sensor comprises an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag that is configured to receive the actual positions from the handheld device and to write the actual positions to a memory of the RFID tag.

19. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein the sensors comprise electromagnetic survey sensors.

20. The land acquisition system of claim 13, wherein the sensors comprise seismic survey sensors.

21. A method for processing seismic data, comprising:

receiving seismic data from one or more sensors in a survey area;

receiving actual positions of the sensors; and

processing the seismic data based on the actual positions.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a first set of serial numbers of the one or more sensors from a handheld device;

receiving a second set of serial numbers of the one or more sensors from the sensors;

comparing the first set of serial numbers with the second set of serial numbers; and

determining whether seismic data have been received from all of the sensors in the survey area based on the comparison.