Method and apparatus for regional gravity surveys using a GPS receiver
First Claim
1. Apparatus for conducting helicopter-supported gravity surveys of a survey area, comprising:
- a gravimeter module suspended below a helicopter and adapted to be lowered to the earth'"'"'s surface for generating gravimeter readings, said gravimeter module including an automatic reading gravimeter sensor and means for self-levelling said sensor;
a ground contact sensor for determining when said gravimeter module contacts the earth'"'"'s surface as a result of being lowered thereto, and in response generating a time marker indicative thereof;
a GPS receiver mounted in fixed relationship to said helicopter for generating periodic position coordinates; and
a system for receiving and recording said gravimeter readings, said periodic position coordinates and said time marker on a common time base.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for conducting regional gravity surveys, comprising a gravimeter module suspended below a helicopter and adapted to be lowered to the earth'"'"'s surface for generating gravimeter readings. The gravimeter module includes an automatic reading gravimeter sensor and a mechanism for self-levelling of the sensor. A ground contact sensor is provided for determining when the gravimeter module contacts the earth'"'"'s surface as a result of being lowered thereto and for determining when the gravimeter module ceases contacting the earth'"'"'s surface as a result of being raised therefrom. The ground contact sensor generates a time marker indicative of these events. A GPS receiver is mounted in fixed relationship with the helicopter for generating periodic position coordinates. A system is provided for receiving and recording the subsurface gravimeter readings, the periodic position coordinates, and the time marker on a common time base. The system further includes circuitry for calculating the position coordinates of the gravimeter module when the gravimeter module contacts the earth'"'"'s surface and when the module ceases contacting the earth'"'"'s surface, by means of interpolating between respective values of the periodic position coordinates at the generated time markers.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus for conducting helicopter-supported gravity surveys of a survey area, comprising:
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a gravimeter module suspended below a helicopter and adapted to be lowered to the earth'"'"'s surface for generating gravimeter readings, said gravimeter module including an automatic reading gravimeter sensor and means for self-levelling said sensor; a ground contact sensor for determining when said gravimeter module contacts the earth'"'"'s surface as a result of being lowered thereto, and in response generating a time marker indicative thereof; a GPS receiver mounted in fixed relationship to said helicopter for generating periodic position coordinates; and a system for receiving and recording said gravimeter readings, said periodic position coordinates and said time marker on a common time base. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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2. Apparatus for conducting helicopter-supported gravity surveys of a survey area, comprising:
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a gravimeter module suspended below a helicopter and adapted to be lowered to the earth'"'"'s surface for generating gravimeter readings, said gravimeter module including an automatic reading gravimeter sensor and means for self-levelling said sensor; a ground contact sensor for determining when said gravimeter module ceases contacting the earth'"'"'s surface as a result of being raised therefrom subsequent to generation of said gravimeter readings, and in response generating a time marker indicative thereof; a GPS receiver mounted in fixed relationship to said helicopter for generating periodic position coordinates; and a system for receiving and recording said gravimeter readings, said periodic position coordinates and said time marker on a common time base. - View Dependent Claims (4, 6)
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12. A method of conducting helicopter-supported gravity surveys, comprising the steps of:
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suspending a self-levelling automatic reading gravimeter sensor from a helicopter, said sensor being capable of generating gravimeter readings when in contact with the earth'"'"'s surface; lowering said gravimeter sensor to the earth'"'"'s surface; determining the GPS relative coordinates of said gravimeter sensor while said gravimeter sensor is being lowered; generating a time marker in response to said sensor contacting the earth'"'"'s surface; levelling said gravimeter sensor and obtaining said gravimeter readings therefrom while said gravimeter sensor is in contact with the earth'"'"'s surface and said helicopter hovers overhead; and recording said gravimeter readings, said GPS relative coordinates and said time marker on a common time base. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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13. A method of conducting helicopter-supported gravity surveys, comprising the steps of
suspending a self-levelling automatic reading gravimeter sensor from a helicopter, said sensor being capable of generating gravimeter readings when in contact with the earth'"'"'s surface; -
lowering said gravimeter sensor to the earth'"'"'s surface; levelling said gravimeter sensor and obtaining said gravimeter readings therefrom while said gravimeter sensor is in contact with the earth'"'"'s surface and said helicopter hovers overhead; raising said gravimeter sensor from the earth'"'"'s surface subsequent to generation of said gravimeter readings; determining the GPS relative coordinates of said gravimeter sensor while said gravimeter sensor is being raised; generating a time marker in response to said sensor ceasing to be in contact with the earth'"'"'s surface; and recording said gravimeter readings, said GPS relative coordinates and said time markers on a common time base.
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Specification