System for transmission of seismic data

• US 8,228,759 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Ray, Clifford H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOBO, IAN J
• Application Number:
  US12/381,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 367/77, 702/14
• US Class Current: 367/77
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/223 Radioseismic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The transmission system combines a self-contained, wireless seismic acquisition unit and a wireless, line of site, communications unit to form a plurality of individual short-range transmission networks and also a mid-range, line of sight transmission network. Each seismic unit has a power source, a short-range transmitter/receiver disposed within a casing and a geophone disposed within the casing. Each wireless communications unit is formed of an elongated support structure on which is mounted an independent power source, mid-range radio transmitter/receiver; and a short-range transmitter/receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range transmitter/receiver of the acquisition unit. Preferably, when deployed, the acquisition unit is buried under the surface of the ground, while the wireless communications unit is positioned in the near vicinity of the buried unit so as to vertically protrude above the ground. The acquisition unit and the wireless communications unit communicate by short-range transmissions, while the wireless communications unit communicates with other seismic acquisition systems using mid-range radio transmission. When multiple seismic acquisition unit/wireless communications units are deployed in an array, the system can pass collected seismic and quality control data in relay fashion back to a control station and/or pass timing and control signals out to the array.

Claims

1. A tranmission system for seismic data acquisition units, said system comprsing:

A. a self-contained wireless seismic acquistion unit, said seismic acquistion unit comprising

(1) a casing that is fully buried below a ground surface;

(2) a power source for said seismic acquistion unit within said casing;

(3) a short-range receiver module completely disposed within said casing such that no portion of the short-range receiver module extends from said casing; and

(4) a geophone disposed within said casing; and

B. a communications unit wirelessly coupled to said seismic acquisition unit, said communications unit comprising;

(1) an elongated support structure having a first end and a second end, wherein one of the first end or the second end is mounted in the ground surface a distance from the casing such that the communications unit does not interfere with the seismic acquisition unit;

(2) a power source for said communications unit separate from the power source for said seismic acquisition unit;

(3) a short-range transmitter mounted on said support structure and configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range receiver within said casing, wherein the distance that the elongated support structure is mounted in the ground surface from the casing is sufficient to permit short-range transmissions between the short-range transmitter in the communications unit and the short-range receiver module in the seismic acquisition unit;

(5) a mid-range radio transmitter mounted on said support structure; and

(6) a mid-range radio receiver mounted on said support structure.

2. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said elongated support structure is a pole having a first end and a second end, wherein said pole is provided at the first end with a base for engaging the earth and at the second end is mounted said mid-range radio transmitter and receiver.

3. The tranmission system of claim 2, wherein said base is a spike.

4. The tranmission system of claim 2, wherein said base is an auger.

5. The tranmission system of claim 2, wherein said base is a screw.

6. The tranmission system of claim 2, wherein said base is a shaft, said system further comprsing a support sleeve disposed to be secured in the ground, said support sleeve disposed for receipt of said shaft.

7. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said short-range wireless transmitter and receiver are IEEE 1902.1 transmitters and receivers.

8. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said short-range wireless transmitter and receiver are IEEE 802.15.4 transmitters and receivers.

9. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein each short-range wireless receiver is a transceiver.

10. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said short-range wireless transmitters and receivers operate on a 2.4 GHz short-range radio frequency band.

11. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said short-range wireless transmitters and receivers are Wi-Fi transmitters and receivers.

12. The tranmission system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of self-contained wireless seismic acquistion units each having a respective communications unit wirelessly coupled thereto.

13. The tranmission system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of self-contained wireless seismic acquistion units are spaced apart from one another to form an array and each communications unit is positioned within 1 meter of its associated acquisition unit.

14. The tranmission system of claim 13, wherein a plurality of said self-contained wireless seismic acquistion units are burned in the ground and each communications unit is secured to the ground within 1 meter of its associated acquisition unit.

15. The tranmission system of claim 1, wherein said mid-range wireless radio transmitters and receivers operate on a radio frequency in the approximate range of 5.0-5.1 GHz.

16. The tranmission system of claim 1, further comprsing:

(1) a local clock disposed within said casing;

(2) local memory disposed within said casing;

(3) a processor disposed within said casing; and

(4) an A/D converter.

17. A tranmission system for a seismic data acquisiton array, said system comprising:

A. a plurality of self-contained wireless seismic acquistion units, each seismic acquistion unit comprising

(1) a casing that is fully buried below a ground surface;

(2) a power source for said seismic acquistion unit within said casing;

(3) a short-range radio transceiver module completely disposed within said casing such that no portion of the short-range transceiver module extends from said casing; and

(4) a geophone disposed within said casing; and

B. a plurality of communication units, each communication unit wirelessly coupled to respective seismic acquisition unit, each communication unit comprising;

(1) an elongated support structure having a first end and a second end, wherein one of the first end or the second end is mounted in the ground surface a distance from the casing such that the communications unit does not interfere with its respective seismic acquisition unit;

(2) a power source for said communications unit separate from the power source for said respective seismic acquisition unit;

(3) a transceiver mounted on said support structure, said transceiver having short-range radio transmission capability, and the distance that the elongated support structure is mounted in the ground surface from the casing being sufficient so as to allow a short-range radio transmission network with the short-range radio transceiver module in its respective seismic acquisition unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each communication unit further comprises a second transceiver mounted on said support structure, said second transceiver having mid-range radio transmission capability so as to form a mid-range radio transmission network with other wireless communications units.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the transceiver of each communications unit has at least two power settings, namely a first power setting configurable to wirelessly communicate with the short-range radio transceiver within said casing;

and a second, higher power setting configurable to permit the transceiver to wirelessly communicate with other line-of-sight mid-range transceivers.

20. A tranmission system for a seismic data acquisiton array, said system comprsing:

A. a plurality of self-contained wireless seismic acquistion units, each seismic acquistion unit comprising

(1) a casing that is fully buried below a ground surface;

(2) a power source for said seismic acquistion unit within said casing;

(3) a short-range transceiver module completely disposed within said casing such that no portion of the short-range transceiver module extends from said casing; and

(4) a geophone disposed within said casing; and

B. a plurality of communication units, each communication unit wirelessly coupled to a respective seismic acquisition unit, each communication unit comprising;

(1) an elongated support structure having a first end and a second end, wherein one of the first end and the second end is mounted in the ground surface a distance from the casing such that the communications unit does not interfere with its respective seismic acquisition unit;

(2) a power source for said communications unit separate from the power source for said seismic acquisition unit;

(3) a second transceiver mounted on said support structure, said second transceiver having at least two power settings, namely a first power setting configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range transceiver within said casing, wherein the distance that the elongated support structure is mounted in the ground surface from the casing is sufficient to permit short-range transmissions between the short range transceiver in the communications unit and the short-range transceiver module in the seismic acquisition unit; and

a mid-range power setting capable of transmitting to other line-of-sight mid-range transceivers.

21. The transmission system of claim 20, wherein the short-range transceiver is an IEEE 1902.1 transceiver.

22. A tranmission system for a seismic data acquisiton array, said system comprsing:

A. a plurality of seismic acquistion units, each seismic acquistion unit fully buried blow a ground surface and comprising

(1) a power source for said seismic acquistion unit;

(2) a first transceiver module completely disposed within a casing of said seismic acquisition unit such that no portion of the first transceiver module extends from said casing, wherein said first transceiver module includes an IEEE 1902.1 transceiver; and

(3) at least one geophone; and

B. a respective communication unit mounted in the ground surface a distance from each respective seismic acquisition unit such that the communications unit does not interfere with its respective seismic acquisition unit, each communication unit comprising;

(1) an elongated support structure decoupled from said respective seismic acquisition unit;

(2) a power source for said communications unit;

(3) a second transceiver mounted on said elongated support structure, wherein said second transceiver is an IEEE 1902.1 transceiver,

(4) wherein each communication unit is wirelessly coupled to its respective seismic acquisition unit via the first transceiver module and the second transceivers, and wherein the distance that each communication unit is mounted in the ground surface from its respective seismic acquisition unit is sufficient to permit short-range transmissions between the first transceiver module and the second transceivers.

23. The tranmission system of claim 22, further comprising a mid-range radio transceiver mounted on said elongated support structure.

24. The tranmission system of claim 22, wherein each communication unit is wirelessly coupled to a multiplicity of seismic acquistion units.

25. A timing signal system for a seismic data acquisiton array, said system comprsing:

A. a plurality of seismic acquistion units that are fully buried below a ground surface, each seismic acquistion unit comprising

(1) a power source for said seismic acquistion unit;

(2) a receiver module completely disposed within a casing of said seismic acquistion unit such that no portion of the receiver module extends from said casing, wherein said receiver module includes an IEEE 1902.1 receiver; and

(3) at least one geophone; and

B. a respective communication unit for each respective seismic acquisition unit, each communication unit comprising;

(1) an elongated support structure decoupled from said acquisition unit and mounted in the ground surface a distance from its respective seismic acquisition unit such that the communications unit does not interfere with its respective seismic acquisition unit;

(2) a power source for said communications unit;

(3) a transmitter mounted on said elongated support structure, wherein said transmitter is an IEEE 1902.1 transmitter; and

(4) a GPS receiver mounted on said elongated support structure,

(4) wherein each communication unit is wirelessly coupled to its respective seismic acquisition unit via the transmitter and receiver module, and wherein the distance that each communication unit is mounted in the ground surface from its respective seismic acquisition unit is sufficient to permit short-range transmissions between the transmitter and receiver module.