Method and system for transmission of seismic data

• US 8,644,111 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Ray, Clifford H., Fisseler, Glenn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam
• Assistant Examiner(s): HULKA, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US13/569,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 367/14, 367/21, 367/37, 367/76, 367/77, 702/14
• US Class Current: 367/77
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/00 Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence
• 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: G01V 1/226 Optoseismic systems

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.

Claims

1. A method of seismic data acquisition comprising:

providing a plurality of seismic data acquisition units, each unit comprising a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate seismic data with one or more of the other seismic data acquisition units in the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;

providing a one or more concentrator units each comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive seismic data from at least one of the seismic data acquisition units; and

wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator units;

wherein the step of wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator unit comprises using a string of the seismic data acquisitions units to wirelessly communicate acquired seismic data; and

wherein, during the step of wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator units, a first pair of acquisition units communicate with each other at the same time that a second pair of acquisition units communicate with each other; and

further comprising;

assigning first and second transmission parameters to the first and second pairs of acquisition units to substantially prevent communication interference between the first and second pairs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the step of wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator unit, each of the seismic data acquisition units in the string receives data from at most one upstream unit at a time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second transmission parameters are different from each other.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second transmission parameters each comprise a transmission frequency.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second transmission parameters each comprise a multiplexing signature.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the multiplexing signature comprises information related to the transmission modulation method used by the pair of acquisition units.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the modulation method comprises a multi-carrier modulation scheme.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multi-carrier modulation scheme comprises a frequency division multiplexing scheme or a code division multiplexing scheme.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the modulation method comprises a time division multiplexing scheme.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting the multiplexing signature.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentrator unit comprises a transmitter having a transmission range longer than the transmission range of each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;

and

further comprising transmitting collected data using the concentrator unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein for each unit, the transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate seismic data with one or more of the other seismic data acquisition units using a short range radio transmission.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the string of units comprises at least three units.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the string of units comprises at least four units.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired data comprises quality control data for at least one of the units.

16. A system for seismic data acquisition comprising:

a plurality of seismic data acquisition units, each unit comprising a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate seismic data with one or more of the other seismic data acquisition units in the plurality of seismic data acquisition units;

one or more concentrator units each comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive seismic data from at least one of the seismic data acquisition units; and

wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator units;

wherein the step of wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator unit comprises using a string of the seismic data acquisitions units to wirelessly communicate acquired seismic data;

wherein, during the step of wirelessly communicating acquired data from the acquisition units to the concentrator units, a first pair of acquisition units communicate with each other at the same time that a second pair of acquisition units communicate with each other; and

wherein, during operation, the plurality of seismic data acquisition units comprises a string of the seismic data acquisitions units to wirelessly communicate acquired seismic from the acquisition units to the concentrator;

wherein, during operation, a first pair of acquisition units are configured to communicate with each other at the same time that a second pair of acquisition units communicates with each other,

wherein the first and second pairs or acquisition units are assigned first and second transmission parameters, respectively, to substantially prevent communication interference between the first and second pairs.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, each of the seismic data acquisition units in the string are configured to receive seismic data from at most one upstream unit at time.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein, each of the seismic data acquisition units in the string are configured to receive seismic data from no downstream units.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second transmission parameters are different from each other.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transmission parameters comprise transmission frequencies.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmission parameters comprise multiplexing signatures.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the multiplexing signatures comprises information related to the transmission modulation method used by the pair of acquisition units.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the modulation method comprises a multi-carrier modulation scheme.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the multi-carrier modulation scheme comprises a frequency division multiplexing scheme or a code division multiplexing scheme.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the modulation method comprises a time division multiplexing scheme.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the concentrator unit comprises a transmitter having a transmission range longer than the transmission range of each of the plurality of seismic data acquisition units.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein for each unit, the transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate seismic data with one or more of the other seismic data acquisition units using a short range radio link.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the string of units comprises at least three units.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the acquired data comprises quality control data for at least one of the units.

30. The sensor of claim 16, wherein at least one of the seismic data acquisition units comprises a geophone.