Method and system for transmission of seismic data
First Claim
1. A system that acquires seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, comprising:
- a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprising;
a transmitter;
a receiver;
a local clock;
a local memory; and
a processor;
the system further comprising;
a control station;
a geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;
a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable;
at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;
wherein the plurality of seismic data acquisition units acquire the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; and
the plurality of seismic data acquisition units transmit the seismic data to the control station via;
a first short range wireless transmission, during a time period, using a first transmission parameter, of at least a first portion of the seismic data from a first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;
a second short range wireless transmission, during the time period, using a second transmission parameter, of at least a second portion of the seismic data from a third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, wherein the third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units are different data acquisition units than the first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;
wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter substantially prevent communication interference between the first short range wireless transmission and the second short range wireless transmission during the time period; and
a third short range wireless transmission of at least the first portion of the seismic data from the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a first of the plurality of concentrators; and
the first of the plurality of concentrators transmits at least the first portion of the seismic data to the control station.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The transmission method utilizes multiple seismic acquisition units within an array as intermediate short range radio receivers/transmitters to pass collected seismic data in relay fashion back to a control station. Any one seismic unit in the array is capable of transmitting radio signals to several other seismic units positioned within radio range of the transmitting unit, thus allowing the system to select an optimal transmission path. Utilizing an array of seismic units permits transmission routes back to a control station to be varied as needed. In transmissions from the most remote seismic unit to the control station, each unit within a string receives seismic data from other units and transmits the received seismic data along with the receiving unit'"'"'s locally stored seismic data. Preferably, as a transmission is passed along a chain, it is bounced between seismic units so as to be relayed by each unit in the array.
114 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system that acquires seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, comprising:
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a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprising; a transmitter; a receiver; a local clock; a local memory; and a processor; the system further comprising; a control station; a geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable; at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the plurality of seismic data acquisition units acquire the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; and the plurality of seismic data acquisition units transmit the seismic data to the control station via; a first short range wireless transmission, during a time period, using a first transmission parameter, of at least a first portion of the seismic data from a first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a second short range wireless transmission, during the time period, using a second transmission parameter, of at least a second portion of the seismic data from a third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, wherein the third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units are different data acquisition units than the first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter substantially prevent communication interference between the first short range wireless transmission and the second short range wireless transmission during the time period; and a third short range wireless transmission of at least the first portion of the seismic data from the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a first of the plurality of concentrators; and the first of the plurality of concentrators transmits at least the first portion of the seismic data to the control station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system that acquires seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, comprising:
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a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the plurality of seismic data acquisition units disposed in an array on the earth, the array defined by a plurality of lines of seismic data acquisition units, each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprising; a transmitter; a local clock; a local memory; and a processor; the system further comprising; a geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable; at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; the plurality of seismic data acquisition units acquires the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; and the plurality of seismic data acquisition units form at least two strings of different seismic data acquisition units, each of the at least two strings define a respective transmission path, the plurality of seismic data acquisition units transmitting at least some of the seismic data via; a first short range wireless transmission through a first string of seismic data acquisition units that define a first transmission path, during a time period, using a first transmission parameter, of at least a first portion of the seismic data from a first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a second short range wireless transmission through a second string of seismic data acquisition units defining a second transmission path, during the time period, using a second transmission parameter, of at least a second portion of the seismic data from a third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter substantially prevent communication interference between the first short range wireless transmission and the second short range wireless transmission during the time period; and a third short range wireless transmission of at least the first portion of the seismic data from the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a first of the plurality of concentrators; and the first of the plurality of concentrators transmits of at least the first portion of the seismic data to at least one of a second of the plurality of concentrators and a control station.
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29. A system that acquires seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal shot that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, comprising:
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a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal shot that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the plurality of seismic data acquisition units disposed in an array on the earth, the array defined by a plurality of lines of seismic data acquisition units, each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprising; a local clock; a local memory; and a processor; the system further comprising; a geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable; at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the plurality of seismic data acquisition units acquire the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal shot into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal shot by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to lithologic subsurface formation boundaries; and the array including at least two strings of different seismic data acquisition units defining a respective transmission path preset prior to operation of the seismic data transmission system, wherein the plurality of seismic data acquisition units transmit at least some of the seismic data along a transmission path via; a first short range wireless transmission, during a time period, through a first string of seismic data acquisition units that define a first transmission path using a first transmission parameter, from a first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, the first transmission path preset prior to operation of the seismic data transmission system; a second short range wireless transmission, during the time period, through a second string of seismic data acquisition units that define a second transmission path using a second transmission parameter, of at least a second portion of the seismic data from a third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, wherein the second transmission path is preset prior to operation of the seismic data transmission system, and the third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units are different data acquisition units than the first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter substantially prevent communication interference between the first short range wireless transmission and the second short range wireless transmission during the time period; a third short range wireless transmission from the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a first of the plurality of concentrators; and the first of the plurality of concentrators configured to transmit at least some of the seismic data to one of a second of the plurality of concentrators and a control station.
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30. A method of acquiring seismic data having information relating to subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers from an acoustic signal that propagates into earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of seismic data acquisition units that acquire and transmit the seismic data from the acoustic signal that propagates into the earth and is reflected by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; providing a control station; providing a respective geophone associated with each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; providing a plurality of concentrators, the plurality of concentrators being a different type of device than the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, one or more of the plurality of concentrators connected to a data communications cable, at least one of the plurality of concentrators in a wireless transmission range of at least one of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; acquiring, by the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, the seismic data responsive to propagation of the acoustic signal into the earth and reflections of the acoustic signal by the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers, the seismic data including information relating to the subsurface lithologic formations or fluid layers; and transmitting, by the plurality of seismic data acquisition units, the seismic data to the control station via; a first short range wireless transmission, during a time period, through a first transmission path using a first transmission parameter, of at least a first portion of the seismic data from a first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units of the first transmission path; a second short range wireless transmission, during the time period, through a second transmission path using a second transmission parameter, of at least a second portion of the seismic data from a third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units of the second transmission path, wherein the third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units are different data acquisition units than the first of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units and the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; wherein the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter substantially prevent communication interference between the first short range wireless transmission and the second short range wireless transmission during the time period; the second transmission path preset prior to the second transmission of the second portion of the seismic data from the third of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to the fourth of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units; a third short range wireless transmission of at least the first portion of the seismic data from the second of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units to a first of the plurality of concentrators; and transmitting, by the first of the plurality of concentrators, of at least the first portion of the seismic data from the first of the plurality of concentrators to the control station.
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Specification