Inductive power for seismic sensor node

• US 9,595,833 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PXGEO UK Ltd. (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seabed Geosolutions BV (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Inventors: Isfeldt, Bjarne
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/340,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 307/104, 367/15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/162 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/186 Hydrophones
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for inductively powering seismic sensor nodes are presented. An embodiment of an inductive battery includes a battery cell configured to store charge for use by an external device. The inductive battery may also include a first inductive element coupled to the battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering an external device through inductance. In an embodiment the external device is a seismic sensor node.

Claims

1. An inductive battery device, comprising:

a battery cell configured to store charge for use by an external device;

a first inductive element coupled to the battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering an external device through inductance; and

a signal demodulator configured to receive a data signal via the first inductive element from the external device.

2. The inductive battery device of claim 1, wherein the inductive battery device is configured to power a seismic sensor node.

3. The inductive battery device of claim 1, further comprising a charge circuit for inductively charging the battery cell.

4. The inductive battery device of claim 3, wherein the charge circuit further comprises a second inductive element configured to generate current for charging the battery cells through inductance with a charging station.

5. The inductive battery device of claim 4, further comprising a power controller coupled to the second inductive element and configured to control power supplied for charging the battery cell.

6. The inductive battery device of claim 1, further comprising a signal modulator configured to communicate a data signal via the first inductive element to the external device.

7. The inductive battery device of claim 1, further comprising a data storage device configured to store data received via the first inductive element.

8. A seismic sensor node, comprising:

on-board electronics for seismic sensing; and

an on-board inductive element for generating an electrical current through inductance with an inductive battery device; and

a detachable inductive battery device coupled to the seismic sensor node, the detachable inductive battery device comprising;

a battery cell configured to store charge for use by the seismic sensor node;

a first inductive element coupled to the battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering the seismic sensor node through inductance.

9. The seismic sensor node of claim 8, further comprising a power controller coupled to the on-board inductive element and configured to control power supplied for the on-board electronics.

10. The seismic sensor node of claim 8, further comprising a signal modulator configured to communicate a data signal via the on-board inductive element to the detachable inductive battery device.

11. The seismic sensor node of claim 8, further comprising a signal demodulator configured to receive a data signal via the on-board inductive element from the detachable inductive battery device.

12. An inductive powering system, comprising:

a seismic sensor node,

at least one inductive battery coupled to the seismic sensor node, wherein the inductive battery is configured to power the seismic sensor node through induction, wherein the seismic sensor node comprises a receptacle configured to receive the inductive battery; and

a charging station, wherein the inductive battery is configured for being inductively charged from the charging station.

13. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the seismic sensor node comprises an on-board inductive element for generating an electrical current through inductance with the inductive battery device.

14. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the inductive battery comprises:

at least one battery cell configured to store charge for use by the seismic sensor node;

a first inductive element, the first inductive element being coupled to the at least one battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the at least one battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering the seismic sensor node through inductance.

15. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a charge circuit for inductively charging the battery cell.

16. The inductive powering system of claim 15, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a second inductive element configured to generate current for charging the battery cells through inductance with a charging station.

17. The inductive powering system of claim 15, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a power controller coupled to the second inductive element and configured to control power supplied for charging the battery cell.

18. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a signal modulator configured to communicate a data signal via the first inductive element to the external device.

19. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a signal demodulator configured to receive a data signal via the first inductive element from the external device.

20. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the at least one inductive battery further comprises a data storage device configured to store data received via the first inductive element.

21. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the charging station is a base station.

22. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the charging station is on marine vessel.

23. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the charging station is a subsea base station.

24. The inductive powering system of claim 12, wherein the charging station is a land-based base station.

25. A method for charging an inductive battery for use with an external device, comprising:

placing an inductive element of the inductive battery proximal to an inductive element of an external device, wherein the external device is a seismic sensor node that comprises a receptacle configured to receive the inductive battery; and

generating a current through the inductive element of the inductive battery for powering the external device through inductance with the inductive element of the external device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating a signal between the inductive element of the external device and the inductive element of the inductive battery.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the signal is configured to cause the inductive battery to turn off power to the seismic sensor node.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the signal comprises configuration data for communication from the inductive battery to the seismic sensor node.

29. An inductive battery device, comprising:

a battery cell detachably coupled to a seismic sensor node and configured to store charge for use by the seismic sensor node wherein the seismic sensor node comprises a receptacle configured to receive the battery cell; and

a first inductive element coupled to the battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering the seismic sensor node through inductance.

30. The inductive battery device of claim 29, further comprising a charge circuit for inductively charging the battery cell.

31. The inductive battery device of claim 30, wherein the charge circuit further comprises a second inductive element configured to generate current for charging the battery cells through inductance with a charging station.

32. The inductive battery device of claim 31, further comprising a power controller coupled to the second inductive element and configured to control power supplied for charging the battery cell.

33. The inductive battery device of claim 29, further comprising a signal modulator configured to communicate a data signal via the first inductive element to the seismic sensor node.

34. The inductive battery device of claim 29, further comprising a signal demodulator configured to receive a data signal via the first inductive element from the seismic sensor node.