Method for transmission of seismic data

• US 8,605,547 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Ray, Clifford H., Fisseler, Glenn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J
• Application Number:
  US13/296,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20120087209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 367/77
• 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-site transmission network. Each seismic unit has a power source, a short-range transceiver and a geophone disposed within a casing. Each wireless communications unit is formed of an elongated support structure on which is mounted an independent power source, mid-range radio transceiver and a short-range transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range transceiver of the acquisition unit. Preferably, the acquisition unit is buried under the ground surface, while the wireless communications unit is positioned adjacent in the near vicinity of the buried unit and vertically protrudes 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.

Claims

1. A transmission method for seismic data acquisition units, said method comprising:

A. providing a wireless seismic acquisition unit comprising a first short-range transceiver and a geophone;

B. providing a wireless communications unit configured for multiplexed communications, the wireless communications unit comprising;

a second short-range transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the first short-range transceiver; and

a radio transceiver;

C. deploying said wireless seismic acquisition unit at a desired location in contact with the ground;

D. deploying said communications unit within short-range communication range of said wireless seismic acquisition unit;

E. wirelessly coupling said wireless seismic acquisition unit and said wireless communications unit to create a short-range transmission link therebetween;

F. receiving a signal at the wireless communications unit; and

G. transmitting the signal between said wireless communications unit and said wireless seismic acquisition unit utilizing said short-range transmission network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a transmission station for communicating via a multiplexed radio transmission with the wireless communications unit;

subsequent to deployment, identifying at least two separate transmission paths between the transmission station and the wireless communications unit, wherein each transmission path comprises one or more additional wireless communications units capable of communicating via multiplexed radio transmission;

selecting a transmission path from among the at least two transmission paths based on a set of transmission path criteria; and

transmitting a multiplexed radio signal along said selected transmission path.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a first signal along the selected transmission path and transmitting a second signal along another transmission path among the at least two transmission paths.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmission station is within mid-range radio range of at least two wireless communication units.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmission station is within mid-range radio range of at least three wireless communication units.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said selected transmission path is preset among the wireless communication units.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an alternate transmission path is preset among the wireless communication units.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein multiple transmission paths are identified.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting a transmission path among the multiple transmission paths prior to transmitting.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a beacon signal; and

transmitting the beacon signal along the transmission path.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

verifying the transmission path using the beacon signal.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

establish a synchronized recording time among the seismic acquisition units.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

initiating simultaneous recording of seismic data by said seismic acquisition units.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmission station receives seismic data from said seismic acquisition unit via the selected transmission path.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein seismic data transmitted from a seismic acquisition unit is time stamped prior to transmission.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting seismic data from another seismic acquisition unit to the transmission station via another transmission path selected from among the at least two transmission paths.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver is a mid-range radio transceiver, and further comprising:

transmitting a first multiplexed signal via mid-range radio transmission from the wireless communications unit to another wireless communications unit; and

receiving a second multiplexed signal via mid-range radio transmission from another wireless communications unit.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying said wireless seismic acquisition unit comprises at least partially burying said wireless seismic acquisition unit in the ground.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying said wireless seismic acquisition unit comprises burying said wireless seismic acquisition unit in the ground below the surface of the ground.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications unit comprises an elongated supported structure having a first end and a second end, and wherein deploying said wireless communications unit within short-range communication range of said seismic acquisition unit comprises engaging the first end of said elongated support structure with the ground such that said elongated support structure projects up from the ground.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

orienting said elongated support structure to be substantially vertical.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless seismic acquisition unit comprises a clock and said signal is a timing signal, said method further comprising:

disciplining the clock of said wireless seismic acquisition unit based on a master clock signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said disciplining is repeated on a periodic basis as the wireless seismic acquisition unit is acquiring seismic data.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal is a timing signal, said method further comprising:

time stamping seismic data acquired by said wireless seismic acquisition unit.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said time stamping is repeated on a periodic basis as the wireless seismic acquisition unit is acquiring seismic data.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver also has short-range transmission capability.

27. The method of claim 26, said method further comprising:

toggling the radio transceiver between mid-range transmission capability and short-range transmission capability.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two other wireless communication units fall within the mid-range radio transmission range of the wireless communication unit.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications unit comprises a concentrator, and wherein at least two seismic acquisition units fall within the short-range transmission range of the concentrator.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio transmission of the wireless communication unit is omnidirectional.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio transmission of the wireless communication unit is unidirectional.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications unit is a first wireless communications unit, and further comprising:

subsequent to deployment, identifying at least two transmission paths from the first wireless communications unit to a second wireless communications unit via mid-range radio transmission;

selecting a transmission path from among the at least two transmission paths based on a set of transmission path criteria; and

transmitting a multiplexed radio signal from the first wireless communications unit to the second wireless communications unit along said selected transmission path.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein at least one of the at least two transmission paths comprises a third wireless communication unit.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the transmission range of the radio transceiver so as to alter the number of other wireless communication units within radio transmission range of the wireless communication unit.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting quality control data from the wireless seismic acquisition unit to the wireless communication unit via the first and second short-range transceivers; and

subsequently transmitting said quality control data from the wireless communication unit to another wireless communication unit via the radio transceiver.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the number of other wireless communication units within mid-range transmission range of the wireless communications unit.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the signal strength for other wireless communication units within transmission range of the wireless communications unit.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second short-range transceiver operate in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly coupling said wireless seismic acquisition unit and said wireless communications unit comprises establishing a wireless magnetic transmission link between said wireless communication unit and said wireless seismic acquisition unit utilizing magnetic signals.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications unit is a concentrator.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of wireless seismic acquisition units, wherein each of the seismic acquisition units is capable of acquiring seismic data, receiving a short range radio transmission and transmitting a short range radio transmission;

providing a wireless communications unit for each wireless seismic acquisition units in the plurality of wireless seismic acquisition units, wherein at least one of the wireless communications units is capable of receiving a short range radio transmission from a respective wireless seismic acquisition unit and transmitting a short range radio transmission to the respective wireless seismic acquisition unit; and

transmitting a short range radio transmission between the at least one of the wireless communications units and the respective wireless seismic acquisition unit.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal from a GPS satellite.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the GPS signal includes timing information.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the GPS signal includes location information.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second short range transceivers are configured for multiplexed communication.

51. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmission station receives seismic data from said seismic acquisition unit via another transmission path selected from among the at least two transmission paths.

46. A method for transmission of signals among an array of wireless seismic acquisition units, said method comprising:

A. establishing a plurality of short-range communication links, wherein each short-range communication link comprises;

(i) a wireless seismic acquisition unit having a short-range radio transceiver and a geophone, and

(ii) a wireless communication unit positioned in short-range radio range of said wireless seismic acquisition unit, said wireless communication unit having a reconfigurable radio transceiver configured in a first state to wirelessly communicate with the short-range radio transceiver and configured in a second state to transmit and receive mid-range radio transmissions;

B. transmitting a timing signal among the wireless communication units in the plurality of short-range communication links via a mid-range radio network; and

C. transmitting the timing signal to a respective wireless seismic acquisition unit from a respective wireless communication unit via the respective short-range communication link in the plurality of short-range communication links.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

switching the reconfigurable radio transceiver between the first state and the second state.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

deploying the seismic acquisition units in the plurality of short-range communication networks; and

deploying the wireless transmission communication units in the plurality of short-range communication links.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein deploying said self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit comprises at least partially burying said seismic acquisition units in the ground.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein deploying said self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit comprises burying at least one said seismic acquisition unit below the surface of the ground.