Data acquisition, transport and storage system
First Claim
1. In a seismic prospecting system in which a series of sequential elastic wave signals are impressed on the earth and detected at a plurality of spaced geophones as a plurality of separate received signals, after being transmitted through the earth, the improvement in method of acquisition, transport and storage of said signals comprising:
- a. in an array terminal (AT) amplifying each of the plurality of separate received signals at constat gain to obtain a plurality of separate amplified analog signals;
b. at first selected equally spaced digitizing times simultaneously sampling each of said plurality of amplified analog signals and producing a plurality of discrete single bit digital signals, temporarily storing said plurality of single bit digital signals in a register means; and
c. at second selected intervals of time, reading out in series, said temporarily stored plurality of single bit digital signals and transmitting them in series to a distant storage means over a two conductor cable means as a train of discrete single bit digital signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This abstract describes a system for the field recording of seismic data in which a plurality of geophone outputs are connected to an array terminal. Each geophone is connected to a fixed gain differential amplifier of high gain. The outputs of the amplifiers are square wave and each output goes to one of the parallel inputs of a parallel to serial convertor, through gate means. On a first command from an array controller in a distant recording truck, the gate means are momentarily opened, to store a single bit in each channel corresponding to the sign of the square wave, in the convertor inside the array terminal. The convertor then reads out as a train of serial bits, the stored pulses. This train of single bit signals is carried to the array controller through each of the other array terminals by a single pair of conductors, and stored on a magnetic recording means.
24 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a seismic prospecting system in which a series of sequential elastic wave signals are impressed on the earth and detected at a plurality of spaced geophones as a plurality of separate received signals, after being transmitted through the earth, the improvement in method of acquisition, transport and storage of said signals comprising:
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a. in an array terminal (AT) amplifying each of the plurality of separate received signals at constat gain to obtain a plurality of separate amplified analog signals; b. at first selected equally spaced digitizing times simultaneously sampling each of said plurality of amplified analog signals and producing a plurality of discrete single bit digital signals, temporarily storing said plurality of single bit digital signals in a register means; and c. at second selected intervals of time, reading out in series, said temporarily stored plurality of single bit digital signals and transmitting them in series to a distant storage means over a two conductor cable means as a train of discrete single bit digital signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for generating electrical analog signals, amplifying, sampling and digitizing them to 1 bit, and transporting the 1 bit digital signals, comprising;
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a. a plurality of sensors each detecting at least one physical parameter and generating a plurality of analog electrical signals, indicative of said parameter at each of said sensors; b. means to amplify at constant gain each of said plurality of analog signals; c. means at first selected equally spaced digitizing times to sample and to digitize to 1 bit each of said plurality of amplified analog signals to form a plurality of separate discrete 1 bit pulses indicative of the instantaneous polarity of each of said plurality of amplified analog signals; d. means to temporarily store said plurality of separate discrete 1 bit pulses; and e. means at second selected intervals of time to transmit said temporarily stored plurality of 1 bit pulses as a train of discrete 1 bit digital signals over a two conductor line to a distant storage means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A data gathering and transporting system comprising:
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a. a plurality of N array terminals; b. each array terminal having a plurality of M conductor means each connected to at least one geophone so that said geophones can be positioned in selected spaced relation, to sense at least one physical parameter of the earth, and to produce an analog signal indicative of said parameter; c. each array terminal having an input port and an output port, into each of which a multiple conductor cable is connected, said multiple conductors comprising signal and control conductors; d. means, including a plurality of selected lengths of said cable to connect said array terminals in series connection and to connect the last in series of said terminals to array control and storage means; e. means in said array control means to signal all of said terminals, by a coded signal at selected equally spaced digitizing times on said control conductors; f. a plurality of M means in each array terminal, each one in circuit with one of said geophones to amplify at constant gain and simultaneously to sample and digitize to discrete 1 bit digital signals said analog signals, and to store said discrete 1 bit digitized signals in said array terminal; and g. means on command from said array control means to readout and transmit each of said discrete 1 bit digitized signals stored in said array terminals, to the next in series array terminal and to said storage means.
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Specification