Accelerometer transducer used for seismic recording

• US 6,883,638 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilson, David, Ragan, Glen, Downey, John C. Jr., Cain, Byron Lee, Bednar, Eugene D., Gannon, Jeffery C., Roche, Steven L., Bertrand, Wilfred Roy, Polk, Henry Thomas, Corrigan, Michael Arthur, McMahon, Michael George, Elder, Keith, Lambert, Dale J., Maxwell, Peter, Behn, Lawrence P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCLOUD, RENATA D
• Application Number:
  US09/936,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 181/0.5, 181101-123, 181/139, 73/10.1, 73579-583, 73/13.7, 735/70, 73/13.9, 735/140.5, 733/82.G, 735/143.7, 340/870.05, 340/10.34, 340/853.3, 340/17, 340/3.1, 3408531- 2, 367/14, 367/25, 367/32, 367/117, 367/16, 367/191, 367/19, 367/20, 702/9
• US Class Current: 181/102
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/001 Structures having a reduced contact area, e.g. with bumps or with a textured surface
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0072 For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0016 Protection against shocks or vibrations, e.g. vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/008 with calibration coefficients stored in memory
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/13 by measuring the force required to restore a proofmass subjected to inertial forces to a null position
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/047 Arrangements for coupling the generator to the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/053 for generating transverse waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/104 using explosive charges G01V1/157 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/181 Geophones
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/186 Hydrophones
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]

Abstract

Method for operating and testing a sensor assembly (210). The sensor assembly (210) preferably includes accelerometers with axes of sensitivity orthogonal to each other. The method preferably includes determining sensor tilt angle, determining the position of the sensor, and synchronizing the operation of the sensor.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring seismic data comprising:

sensing seismic energy with one or more sensor modules, wherein the one or more sensor modules comprise one or more force feedback controlled accelerometers;

recording seismic data indicative of the seismic energy using a seismic recorder; and

determining a state-of-health for the sensor module comprising;

operating the accelerometer for a period of time; and

analyzing an output signal generated by the accelerometer;

wherein analyzing an output signal comprises detecting an excessive root-mean-square amplitude response of the output signal to indicate a malfunction of the accelerometer or a noisy environment.

2. A method of acquiring seismic data comprising:

sensing seismic energy with one or more sensor modules, wherein the one or more sensor modules comprise three or more accelerometers;

recording seismic data indicative of the seismic energy using a seismic recorder; and

determining a state-of-health for the sensor module comprising;

operating the accelerometers;

driving two of the accelerometers at a reference frequency;

monitoring an output signal generated by an undriven accelerometer; and

rotating through all the accelerometers;

wherein monitoring an output signal comprises monitoring the magnitude of the reference frequency in the output signal of the undriven accelerometer to detect a malfunction of the sensor module.

3. A method of acquiring seismic data comprising:

sensing seismic energy with one or more sensor modules, wherein the one or more sensor modules comprise one or more accelerometers;

recording seismic data indicative of the seismic energy using a seismic recorder; and

determining a state-of-health for the sensor module comprising;

operating the accelerometers for a period of time;

removing a DC offset from one or more output signals generated by the accelerometer to produce one or more resulting signals;

transforming the resulting signals from the accelerometers from Cartesian coordinates into polar coordinates; and

analyzing the polar coordinates;

wherein analyzing the polar coordinates comprises analyzing one or more peak and root-mean-square amplitude results to indicate a malfunction of the sensor module or a noisy acquisition environment.