Survey system for collection and real time processing of geophysical data
First Claim
1. A real time aerial survey system for conducting aerial surveys over a survey area, the system comprising:
- an aircraft;
means, carried by said aircraft, for detecting one or more parameters which define geophysical data;
a base means for automatically tracking and computing the position of the aircraft according to horizontal and vertical flight positioning data determined relative to said survey area;
means, responsive to said tracking means and carried on said aircraft, for automatically guiding said aircraft along preselected flight lines over said survey area according to said automatically computed horizontal and vertical flight positioning data;
means, carried by said aircraft and connected to said detecting means, for transmitting radio signals representing said parameters defining said geophysical data and representing said horizontal and vertical positioning data;
means located adjacent said survey area, for receiving said radio signals representing said parameters and representing said horizontal and vertical positioning data; and
means, responsive to both said tracking means and to said radio signal receiving means, for correlating in realtime the geophysical data with the position of the aircraft in relation to said survey area at each instant of time when said parameters were detected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A real time geophysical survey system and method. The system comprises a base station, one or more data acquisition vehicles, and one or more fixed reference stations. The base station is provided with a positioning system, suitable survey instrumentation, a computer, and radio communication equipment. The data acquistion vehicles are each provided with a positioning transponder, a positioning display, suitable survey instrumentation, and radio communication equipment. During a survey, by periodically polling each vehicle'"'"'s positioning transponder, the base station positioning system tracks the position of each vehicle with respect to both the base station and the fixed reference stations. Data regarding each vehicle'"'"'s position are then provided to the base station computer, and the base station transmits signals to the positioning display aboard each vehicle so as to guide the vehicle along a preselected survey pattern. As the survey progresses, data respresenting geophysical measurements taken by instrumentation carried by each vehicle are periodically transmitted to the base station computer. Such data are then correlated in real time with the position of the vehicle and with data collected at the base site, and then output for evaluation by the base station computer.
150 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A real time aerial survey system for conducting aerial surveys over a survey area, the system comprising:
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an aircraft; means, carried by said aircraft, for detecting one or more parameters which define geophysical data; a base means for automatically tracking and computing the position of the aircraft according to horizontal and vertical flight positioning data determined relative to said survey area; means, responsive to said tracking means and carried on said aircraft, for automatically guiding said aircraft along preselected flight lines over said survey area according to said automatically computed horizontal and vertical flight positioning data; means, carried by said aircraft and connected to said detecting means, for transmitting radio signals representing said parameters defining said geophysical data and representing said horizontal and vertical positioning data; means located adjacent said survey area, for receiving said radio signals representing said parameters and representing said horizontal and vertical positioning data; and means, responsive to both said tracking means and to said radio signal receiving means, for correlating in realtime the geophysical data with the position of the aircraft in relation to said survey area at each instant of time when said parameters were detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A survey system for collecting geophysical data in a specified geographic area and for processing said geophysical data in real time, said survey system comprising:
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(a) a data acquisition vehicle for traversing said specified geographical area, said data acquisition vehicle comprising; (i) means for detecting one or more parameters which define said geophysical data; (ii) means for generating positioning signals from which the horizontal and vertical position of said data acquisition vehicle relative to said geographic area can be automatically determined; (iii) navigation means for receiving automatically computed realtime data sent by a base station indicating the realtime horizontal and vertical position of said data acquisition vehicle, such that the position of said vehicle can be corrected according to said automatically computed realtime data to maintain said data acquisition vehicle in alignment with a preselected survey pattern while traversing said specified geographical area; and (iv) means for transmitting said positioning signals and electronic signals representing said geophysical data in synchronization with one another; (b) a reference station for receiving a first portion of said position signals from said data acquisition vehicle and relaying said first portion of said positioning signals; and (c) a base station comprising; (i) telemetry means for receiving from said data acquisition vehicle said electronic signals and a second portion of said positioning signals and for receiving from said reference station said first portion of said positioning signals; (ii) data processing means connected to said telemetry means for electronically processing signals received thereat to determine automatically in realtime said position of said data acquisition vehicle relative to said geographic area and to correlate and display automatically in real time said geophysical data and said position of said data acquisition vehicle in relation to where said geophysical data was detected; and (iii) base station transmission means coupled to said data processing means for automatically communicating in realtime to said navigation means of said data acquisition vehicle data indicating said position thereof relative said geographic area. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a survey system having a data acquisition vehicle, a reference station and a base station, a method of collecting geophysical data over a specified geographic area and of processing said data in real time, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting one or more parameters which define said geophysical data as said vehicle traverses a selected survey pattern over said specified geographic area; automatically generating at said vehicle horizontal and vertical positioning data from which the position of said vehicle can be determined in relation to said geographic area; automatically guiding said vehicle along a preselected survey pattern over said geographic area according to electronic signals received from said base station representing the real time position of said vehicle in relation to said survey pattern; synchronizing the detection of said parameters with the generation of said positioning data; transmitting electronic signals representing said geophysical data and representing said horizontal and vertical positioning data from said data acquisition vehicle to said base station; transmitting electronic signals representing at least some of said horizontal and vertical positioning data from said data acquisition vehicle to said reference station; receiving at said reference station and relaying from said reference station to said base station said signals representing at least some of said horizontal and vertical positioning data; receiving at said base station said signals transmitted from said vehicle and said signals relayed from said reference station; and electronically processing said signals received at said base station so as to determine automatically in real time the position of said vehicle in relation to said geographic area and to said selected survey pattern and to correlate and display automatically in real time said geophysical data at each position of said vehicle corresponding to the position on said geographic area where such geophysical data was detected by said vehicle.
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Specification