Sensor and recorder communication

• US 7,813,221 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Barakat, Simon, Grimes, Harvey Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): BREIER, KRYSTINE E
• Application Number:
  US11/535,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 367/56, 367 76- 80, 455/440, 455/443, 455/444, 455/449
• US Class Current: 367/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

Implementations of various technologies for a method for establishing communication pathway redundancy within a seismic recording array. In one implementation, the method may include identifying each data acquisition cell deployed in a seismic field and determining one or more communication pathways for each data acquisition cell. The communication pathways include a primary communication pathway and at least one backup communication pathway toward a data collection unit. The method may further include transmitting the communication pathways to each data acquisition cell deployed in the seismic field

Claims

1. A method for transmitting seismic data in a seismic field, comprising:

transmitting a backup assignment table from a recorder system to a data acquisition cell, wherein the backup assignment table comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells for the data acquisition cell;

transmitting seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a first gateway data acquisition cell; and

transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a second gateway data acquisition cell in accordance with the backup assignment table if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the data acquisition cell from the first gateway data acquisition cell, wherein the second gateway data acquisition cell is the first back UP gateway data acquisition cell for the data acquisition cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic data are transmitted through a wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition cell is deployed within about 200 meters of the first gateway data acquisition cell and the second gateway data acquisition cell.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell by the first gateway data acquisition cell to a data collection unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the seismic data from the data acquisition cell by the first gateway data acquisition cell to a data collection unit through one or more gateway data acquisition cells.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting seismic data acquired by the first gateway data acquisition cell along with the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a data collection unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic data are transmitted from the data acquisition cell to the first gateway data acquisition cell through a first communication pathway and wherein the seismic data are transmitted from the data acquisition cell to the second gateway data acquisition cell through a second communication pathway, wherein the first communication pathway is different from the second communication pathway.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup assignment table further comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells for each gateway data acquisition cell.

8. A seismic data acquisition cell deployable in a seismic field, comprising:

a sensor;

a processor; and

a memory having stored therein program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a backup assignment table from a recorder system, wherein the backup assignment table comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells for the data acquisition cell;

transmit seismic data from the data acquisition cell to a primary gateway data acquisition cell; and

transmit the seismic data from the data acquisition cell to the one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the data acquisition cell from the primary gateway data acquisition cell.

9. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 8, wherein the seismic data acquisition cell is deployed within about 200 meters of the primary gateway data acquisition cell and the backup gateway data acquisition cells.

10. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 8, wherein the seismic data are transmitted through a wireless network.

15. The seismic data acquisition cell of claim 8, wherein the backup assignment table further comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells for each gateway data acquisition cell.

11. A seismic survey system, comprising:

a data collection unit;

an array of data acquisition cells in communication with the data collection unit through a wireless network, wherein at least one data acquisition cell comprises;

a sensor

a processor; and

a memory having stored therein program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a backup assignment table from the data collection unit, wherein the backup assignment table comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells and one or more backup communication pathways corresponding to the backup gateway data acquisition cells for the at least one data acquisition cell;

transmit seismic data from the at least one data acquisition cell through a first communication pathway; and

transmit the seismic data from the at least one data acquisition cell to a second communication pathway in accordance with the backup assignment table if no acknowledge receipt of the seismic data is received by the at least one data acquisition cell through the first communication pathway, wherein the first communication pathway is different from the second communication pathway.

12. The seismic survey system of claim 11, further comprising:

a seismic source; and

wherein the first communication pathway comprises a pathway to a first gateway data acquisition cell and the second communication pathway comprises a pathway to a second gateway data acquisition cell.

13. The seismic survey system of claim 12, wherein the first gateway data acquisition cell and the second gateway data acquisition cell are deployed within about 200 meters of the at least one data acquisition cell.

16. The seismic survey system of claim 11, wherein the backup assignment table further comprises one or more backup gateway data acquisition cells for each gateway data acquisition cell.