Geo-locating positions along optical waveguides

• US 9,500,767 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Barfoot, David Andrew, McPhail, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Petkovsek, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/042,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 385/12, 385/13, 356/73.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35338 using other arrangements than interferometer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/16 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/24 using optical fibres

Abstract

A method of correlating physical locations with respective positions along an optical waveguide can include transmitting to the waveguide a signal including an indication of the transmitting location, and the waveguide receiving the signal. A system for correlating a physical location with a position along an optical waveguide can include a transmitter which transmits to the optical waveguide a signal including an indication of the transmitter location, and a computer which correlates the location to the position, based on the signal as received by the waveguide. A method of determining a position along an optical waveguide at which a signal is transmitted can include modulating on the signal an indication of a transmission location, and transmitting the signal to the waveguide, thereby causing vibration of the waveguide.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a transmitter which transmits a signal to an optical waveguide from exterior to the optical waveguide at a position along the optical waveguide from an input to the optical waveguide, the transmitter located at a physical location, the signal including an indication of the physical location of the transmitter; and

a computer which correlates the physical location of the transmitter to the position along the optical waveguide by use of light injected at the input of the optical waveguide, based on the signal as received by the optical waveguide at the position along the optical waveguide from the input to the optical waveguide.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises an acoustic emitter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a vibratory emitter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a navigational receiver which determines the physical location of the transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a modulator which modulates on the signal the indication of the physical location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal through a structure surrounding the optical waveguide.