WIRELESS DATA TRANSFER FOR AN AUTONOMOUS SEISMIC NODE

• US 20160094298A1
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PXGEO UK Ltd. (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seabed Geosolutions BV (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Inventors: Isfeldt, Bjarne, Rokkan, Arne Henning, Todd, Michael, Farnan, Martin
• Application Number:
  US14/860,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094298A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/226 Optoseismic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3852 to the seabed
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/80 Optical aspects relating to the use of optical transmission for specific applications, not provided for in groups H04B10/03 - H04B10/70, e.g. optical power feeding or optical transmission through water
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/02 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for wireless data transfer on an autonomous seismic node are described. In an embodiment, an autonomous seismic node configured for wireless data transfer includes one or more power sources, one or more seismic sensors, one or more recording devices, and a wireless system. In one embodiment, the wireless system comprises a node electronics interface in data communication with one or more of the power sources, seismic sensors, and recording devices, and a wireless data communication interface for communication with an external data handling system. A communication system may include one or more vessel-based wireless systems configured to communicate with one or more node based wireless systems.

Claims

1. An autonomous marine seismic node configured for wireless data transfer, comprising

one or more power sources;

one or more seismic sensors;

one or more data recording devices; and

a wireless system, wherein the wireless system comprises a node electronics interface in data communication with one or more of the power sources, seismic sensors, and recording devices, and a wireless data communication interface for communication with an external data handling system.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is configured for deployment on the seabed.

3. The node of claim 2, wherein the node is configured for optical wireless transfer.

4. The node of claim 3, wherein the node comprises an optical window.

5. The node of claim 3, wherein the node comprises a Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver device.

6. The node of claim 5, wherein the node comprises a Large Core Fiber (LCF) coupled to the SFP, wherein the LCF is configured to focus optical energy communicated with the SFP.

7. The node of claim 6, wherein the node comprises an optical collimator coupled to the LCF.

8. The node of claim 2, wherein the node is configured for electromagnetic wireless transfer.

9. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is configured to transmit wireless data with a vessel-based wireless station.

10. The node of claim 1, wherein the node does not include an external physical connection for data transmission.

11. The node of claim 1, wherein the node comprises a signal synchronization unit configured to synchronize clock signals of the node with clock signals of an external device.

12. A wireless transmission system of transferring data wirelessly from an autonomous seismic node, comprising

at lease one node based wireless system on an autonomous seismic node, wherein the wireless system comprises:

one or more power sources;

one or more seismic sensors;

one or more recording devices; and

a wireless system, wherein the wireless system comprises a node electronics interface in data communication with one or more of the power sources, seismic sensors, and recording devices, and a first wireless data communication interface for communication with an external data handling system; and

at least one vessel based wireless system, wherein the wireless system comprises a system data interface in data communication with one or more ship-based communication devices, and a second wireless data communication interface for communication with the at least one node based wireless system on the autonomous seismic node.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission system comprises a plurality of node based wireless systems.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of node based wireless systems is configured to interface with the vessel based wireless system.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless transmission system comprises a plurality of vessel based wireless systems that are configured to interface with the plurality of node based wireless systems.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one vessel-based wireless system is located in a CSC approved ISO container on a marine vessel.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one vessel-based wireless system is located adjacent to a conveyor on a marine vessel.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission system is configured to wirelessly transfer data over an optical link.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission system is configured to wirelessly transfer data over an electromagnetic link.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission system is configured according to a clock signal synchronization protocol.

23. A method of transferring data wirelessly, comprising providing at least one autonomous marine seismic node with a wireless system;

providing at least one vessel-based wireless system configured to communicate with the at least one node-based wireless system;

positioning the at least one node-based wireless system proximate to the at least one vessel-based wireless system for wireless communications; and

wirelessly transferring data from the at least one node-based wireless system to the at least one vessel-based system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the positioning step is on board a marine vessel.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the node-based wireless system comprises a first wireless data communication interface for communication with the vessel-based wireless system.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the vessel-based wireless system comprises a second wireless data communication interface for communication with the at least one node-based wireless system on the autonomous seismic node.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein wirelessly transferring data is performed over an optical link.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein wirelessly transferring data is performed over an electromagnetic link.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising synchronizing a clock signal of the at least one node based wireless system with a clock signal of the at least one vessel-based wireless system.