Systems and methods for seismic data acquisition

• US 8,238,198 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Seismic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wireless Seismic Incorporated
• Inventors: Crice, Douglas B
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BREIER, KRYSTINE E
• Application Number:
  US12/982,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20120170408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 367 76- 80
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for seismic data acquisition utilizing wireless modules to perform real time data read out. The wireless modules may be assigned a shared multiplexing sequence through which each module advances in successive transmission periods. Wireless modules belonging to a shared collision domain may be operated out of phase from one another with respect to the shared multiplexing signature sequence. As such, a dynamic multiplexing regime may be implemented. The shared multiplexing signature sequence may include, among others, a plurality of different frequencies, a plurality of different codes, or a plurality of different discrete time periods.

Claims

1. A method for use in seismic data collection, comprising:

disposing in an array a plurality of seismic data acquisition modules that are operative to wirelessly communicate acquired seismic data;

assigning a first acquisition module a shared multiplexing sequence, wherein in successive transmission periods, said first acquisition module advances sequentially through a plurality of multiplexing signatures of said multiplexing sequence; and

assigning a second acquisition module said shared multiplexing sequence, wherein in successive transmission periods, said second acquisition module advances sequentially through said plurality of multiplexing signatures of said shared multiplexing sequence;

wherein said first acquisition module is out of phase from said second acquisition module with respect to said shared multiplexing sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of seismic data acquisition modules are disposed in series, wherein said portion of said plurality of seismic acquisition modules define a wireless serial data transfer path for relaying data from upstream acquisition modules to downstream acquisition modules and a data collection unit in said serial data transfer path, and wherein said first acquisition module and said second acquisition module belong to said wireless serial data transfer path.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

first transmitting, using a first multiplexing signature of said plurality of multiplexing signatures, seismic data from said first acquisition module to at least one downstream acquisition module; and

second transmitting, using a second multiplexing signature of said plurality of multiplexing signatures, seismic data from said second acquisition module to at least one downstream acquisition module.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of said first transmitting and at least a portion of said second transmitting occur during a shared transmission period.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said shared multiplexing sequence comprises a plurality of pseudo-random frequencies.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said shared multiplexing sequence comprises a plurality of pseudo-random codes.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a third acquisition module in said serial data transfer path said shared multiplexing sequence, wherein in successive transmission periods, said third acquisition module advances sequentially through said plurality of multiplexing signatures of said shared multiplexing sequence;

wherein said first acquisition module and said third acquisition module are in phase with respect to said shared multiplexing sequence.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first acquisition module and said third acquisition module are at a first location and a third location, respectively, and wherein said first location and said third location are separated by a distance greater than a transmission range of said first and third acquisition modules.

9. A method for use in seismic data collection, comprising:

disposing a plurality of wireless data modules in a seismic survey area that are operative to wirelessly communicate seismic data;

assigning each of said plurality of wireless data modules in said seismic survey area a shared multiplexing sequence for use in transmitting said seismic data, wherein in successive transmission periods, each of said plurality of wireless data modules advances sequentially through a plurality of multiplexing signatures of said shared multiplexing sequence;

transmitting seismic data from at least a first wireless data module and a second wireless data module using said shared multiplexing sequence in a first shared transmission period;

detecting a collision of transmitted seismic data from said first wireless data module and said second wireless data module during said first shared transmission period; and

modifying, in response to said detecting, a relative position of said first wireless data module and said second wireless data module within said shared multiplexing sequence such that the first and second wireless data modules are out of sequence with respect to said shared multiplexing sequence.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said collision comprises said first wireless data module and said second wireless data module transmitting seismic data using a same multiplexing signature during said first shared transmission period.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said modifying results in said first wireless data module being out of phase from said second wireless data module with respect to said shared multiplexing sequence.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said modifying comprises advancing said multiplexing signature of one of said first wireless data module or said second wireless data module and maintaining said multiplexing signature of said other of said first wireless data module or said second wireless data module.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said advancing comprises sequentially advancing through said shared multiplexing sequence.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said advancing comprises randomly advancing within said shared multiplexing sequence.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said multiplexing signature of said first and said second wireless data module is advanced.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

retransmitting said transmitted seismic data which was subject to said collision from said first wireless data module and said second wireless data module using said shared multiplexing sequence in a second shared transmission period.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of multiplexing signatures comprise a plurality of pseudo-random frequencies.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of multiplexing signatures comprise a plurality of pseudo-random codes.