Device for transmitting signals by radio and cable between a central control and recording system and data acquisition devices

• US 4,979,152 A
• Filed: 12/22/1983
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole
• Original Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole
• Inventors: Thierry, Gerard, Rialan, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pihulic, D. T.
• Application Number:
  US06/564,392
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 367/77, 367/78, 367/79, 367/80, 367/76, 455/7, 455/14, 455/73, 455/88, 455/53, 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 340/539, 128/903, 128/904
• US Class Current: 367/77
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

In a data acquisition for seismic exploration, where the terrain is rugged or includes natural features which prohibit satisfactory radio communication between a central control and recording system and a plurality of seismic data signal acquisition devices, a relay element and a transmission cable are provided so that those acquisition devices which are not capable of satisfactory radio communication with the central control and recording system communicate instead with the relay element either by transmission cable or radio transmission and the relay element in turn communicates with the central control and recording system either by radio transmission or transmission cable, respectively.

Claims

1. A device for bi-directional transmission of signals between a central control and recording system and a plurality of acquisition devices over areas including locations from which reliable direct radio transmission to the central control and recording system is impossible, each of said acquisition devices including means for collecting signals originating from a seismic sensor or a set of seismic sensors and means for digitizing and storing said sensor signals so that said stored signals may be transmitted to said central control and recording system upon receipt of control signals from the central control and recording system, said central control and recording system including means for receiving and recording the seismic signals collected by said acquisition devices, each of said acquisition devices and said central control and recording system being equipped with transmission means for two-way transmission of data by radio or by transmission cable;

said bi-directional transmission device comprising;

a transmission cable; and

a relay element which is equipped with a radio transmitter-receiver set and means connected to said radio transmitter-receiver set and said transmission cable for transmitting signals received via said transmitter-receiver set on said transmission cable and for supplying to said transmitter-receiver set signals received on said transmission cable for transmission by radio link, said relay element being connected via said transmission cable either to those particular acquisition devices of said plurality of acquisition devices which are at locations from which direct radio transmission to said central control and recording system is impossible or to the central control and recording system and being disposed at a location near a boundary of an area where reliable direct radio transmission between said central control and recording system and said particular acquisition devices cannot be established, whereby bi-directional exchanges of signals between said central control and recording system and said particular acquisition devices are conducted by using both said transmission cable and a radio link via said radio transmitter-receiver set in said relay element.

2. Transmission device according to claim 1, wherein said relay element is connected to a group of said particular acquisition devices by said transmission cable and communicates with said central control and recording system by radio transmission.

3. Transmission device according to claim 1, wherein said relay element is connected to said central control and recording system by said transmission cable and communicates with at least a first group of said particular acquisition devices by radio transmission.

4. Transmission device according to claim 3, wherein said transmission cable is connected to acquisition devices of a second group of said particular acquisition devices.

5. Transmission device according to claim 1, in which said transmission cable comprises two transmission lines which are connected, respectively, for the transmission of command signals generated by said central control and recording system and of data signals from the acquisition devices to which the command signals apply, said radio transmitter-receiver set including a radio wave transmitter and a radio wave receiver the respective output and respective input of which are connected to a transmitting-receiving antenna, and two filter amplifiers which are connected, respectively, to the input of said transmitter and the output of receiver, said two filter amplifiers being connected, respectively, to the two lines of said transmission cable.

6. Transmission device according to claim 5, wherein the filter amplifier connected to the input of said transmitter is connected to the transmission line which carries said data signals from said particular acquisition devices, and the filter amplifier connected to the output of said receiver is connected to the transmission line which carries said command signals to said particular acquisition devices.

7. Transmission device according to claim 5, wherein the filter amplifier connected to the input of said transmitter is connected to the transmission line which carries said command signals from said central control and recording system, and the filter amplifier connected to the output of said receiver is connected to the transmission line which carries said data signals to said central control and recording system.

12. Bi-directional transmission device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of acquisition devices includes means for selectively transmitting the memorized signals to said signal central control and recording system upon receipt of control signals either directly from the central control and recording system or upon receipt of control signals via said relay element and transmission cable.

8. A device for bi-directional transmission of signals between a central control and recording system and a plurality of acquisition devices over areas including locations from which reliable direct radio transmission to the central control and recording system is impossible, each of said acquisition devices being connected to collect signals originating from a seismic sensor or a set of seismic sensors to digitize and memorize said sensor signals and to transmit the memorized signals to said central control and recording system upon receipt of control signals from the central control and recording system, said central control and recording system including means for receiving and recording all of the seismic signals collected by said acquisition devices, each of said acquisition devices and said central control and recording system being equipped with transmission means for two-way transmission of data by radio or by transmission cable and each of said acquisition devices being provided with communication means for automatically switching off the radio transmission means when connection to a transmission cable is realized;

said bi-directional transmission device comprising;

a transmission cable; and

a relay element which is equipped with a radio transmitter-receiver set for transmitting signals received via said transmitter-receiver set on said transmission cable and for supplying to said transmitter-receiver set signals received on said transmission cable for transmission by radio link, said relay element being connected via said transmission cable to those particular acquisition devices of said plurality of acquisition devices which are at locations from which direct radio transmission to said central control and recording system is impossible or to the central control and recording system and being disposed at a location near a boundary of an area where reliable direct radio transmission between said central control and recording system and said particular acquisition devices cannot be established.

9. Bi-directional transmission device according to claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of acquisition devices includes means for selectively transmitting the memorized signals to said signal central control and recording system upon receipt of control signals either directly from the central control and recording system or upon receipt of control signals via said relay element and transmission cable.

10. Transmission device according to claim 8, wherein said relay element is connected to said particular acquisition devices by said transmission cable and communicates with said central control and recording system by radio transmission.

11. Transmission device according to claim 8, wherein said relay element is connected to said central control and recording system by said transmission cable and communicates with said particular acquisition devices by radio transmission.

13. A device for bi-directional transmission of signals between a central control and recording system and a plurality of data acquisition devices located within an area which includes at least one obstruction to radio transmission between said central control and recording system and certain ones of said data acquisition devices, said central control and recording system being positioned closer to said obstruction than the most distant one of the certain ones of said data acquisition devices, each of said data acquisition devices including means for collecting data provided in signals originating from one or more seismic sensors and for transmitting the collected data to said central control and recording system when individually interrogated by said central control and recording system, each of said data acquisition devices and said central control and recording system being equipped with transmission means for two-way transmission of data by radio link or by transmission cable;

said bi-directional transmission device comprising;

a transmission cable; and

a relay device including a radio transmitter-receiver set connected to said transmission cable so that signals received via radio link from said certain ones of said data acquisition devices by said radio transmitter receiver set are transmitted on said transmission cable, said relay device being positioned with respect to said obstruction so as to be capable of receiving signals via radio link from all of said certain ones of said data acquisition devices, and said transmission cable being connected to said central control and recording system, whereby bi-directional exchanges of signals between said central control and recording systems and said certain ones of said acquisition devices are conducted by using both said transmission cable and a radio link via said radio transmitter-receiver set in said relay device.

14. A transmission device according to claim 13, wherein said transmission cable is also connected to at least some of the data acquisition devices which are disposed between said obstruction and said central control and recording system.