Seismic telemetry system with steerable antennas

• US 7,613,071 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: INOVA Limited
• Original Assignee: ION Geophysical Corporation
• Inventors: Afkami, Kambiz, Wu, Xiabong, Iseli, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hughes; Scott A
• Application Number:
  US11/190,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050259514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 367/76, 367 77- 80, 342/367, 342/368, 370/330
• US Class Current: 367/77
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/223 Radioseismic systems

Abstract

A system for remotely controlling, acquiring and monitoring the acquisition of seismic data. The system includes remote equipment for collecting seismic data and for transmitting and receiving communication signals to and from a remote location. The system also includes local equipment for transmitting and receiving communication signals to and from the remote location. In this manner, the collection of seismic data at remote locations can be controlled and monitored locally.

Claims

1. A seismic data acquisition apparatus comprising:

a seismic sensor deployed at a seismic sensor location that is configured to;

i) listen for an open time slot and frequency, and ii) request the use of the open slot;

a base station having a plurality of diversity antennas, the base station being configured to respond to the sensor request by reducing an overall data rate when operating at full capacity; and

a steerable antenna coupled to the base station wherein the steerable antenna is configured to receive a sensor signal from the seismic sensor location, monitor a strength of the received sensor signal, and determine a direction of the seismic sensor location from the strength of the received signal to steer the steerable antenna,

wherein the seismic sensor is configured to capture the open slot and transmit to the base station when the base station is not operating at full capacity, and wherein the base station is configured to select an optimum diversity antenna for transmission.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna scans a sector to determine the direction of the seismic sensor location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor location comprises a plurality of seismic sensor locations, each of the plurality of seismic sensor locations having a seismic sensor, the steerable antenna being steerable to communicate with each of the plurality of seismic sensors.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the steerable antenna scans a substantially 360°

sector around the base station for a received signal strength to determine a direction of each of the plurality of seismic sensors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor location further comprises a plurality of seismic sensors and the base station further comprises a plurality of base stations.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna further comprises an active antenna array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna further comprises an active beamformer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor further comprises an active antenna array.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor further comprises an active beamformer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

i) a recorder; and

ii) a recorder interface in communication with the recorder and the base station, the recorder interface receiving the sensor signal from the base station and transmitting the sensor signal to the recorder for recording the sensor signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station further comprises a wireless communication link coupling the base station to the recorder interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication link comprises a pair of directional antennas.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station comprises a wireline communication link coupling the base station to the recorder interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the seismic sensor location further comprises a plurality of seismic sensor locations, each of the plurality of seismic sensor locations having a seismic sensor, the base station further comprising a plurality of base stations, each of the plurality of base stations having a steerable antenna, wherein each base station in the plurality of base stations is adapted to receive sensor signals from one or more of the plurality of seismic sensors.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of seismic sensors provides wireless communication with the base station that uses one or more of (1) time division, (2) frequency division, (3) code division, (4) space division, and (5) polarization division.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of steerable antennas and the plurality of seismic sensors form a plurality of communication links, each communication link utilizing a different wireless communication method.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor provides a wireless communication with the base station that is one of i) a combination of time and frequency division and ii) a combination of time and code division.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor provides a wireless communication with the base station using a frequency range for wireless transmission, the frequency range being within one of i) a 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz band and ii) a VHF band.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon detecting an error in transmission, the sensor is configured to perform one of:

i) retransmit the erred packets at the end of a frame;

ii) wait until the end of a record and request retransmission of data; and

iii) store erred packets of data and retransmit during non-active time.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor is further configured to monitor a radio spectrum and maintain a log of available channels.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to determine a data density of each diversity antenna of the plurality of diversity antennas.