Method and system for transmission of seismic data

• US 9,500,757 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Ray, Clifford H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J
• Application Number:
  US14/218,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20140198616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 367/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The transmission system combines a self-contained, wireless seismic acquisition unit and a wireless, line of site, communications unit to form a plurality of individual short-range transmission networks and also a mid-range, line of sight transmission network.

Claims

1. A method of performing seismic exploration, comprising:

providing a self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit including a first short-range transceiver and a geophone, the self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit configured to detect seismic energy using the geophone;

providing a wireless communications unit having a mid-range transceiver and a second short-range transceiver;

supporting the wireless communications unit with a support structure;

receiving, by the mid-range transceiver via a mid-range radio transmission having a first set of parameters, a control signal from a transmission station; and

transmitting, by the second short-range transceiver of the wireless communications unit via a short-range transmission with a second set of parameters, information based on the control signal to the first short-range transceiver of the self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit, at least one parameter of the second set of parameters being different from the first set of parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the information from the second-short range transceiver to the first short-range transceiver via an IEEE wireless protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the information from the second short-range transceiver to the first short-range transceiver via a wireless personal area network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency band to transmit the information from the second short-range transceiver to the first short-range transceiver via an IEEE wireless protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a 5.8 GHz radio frequency band as indicated by an IEEE wireless protocol to transmit the information from the second short-range transceiver to the first short-range transceiver.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via the mid-range transmission, the control signal from the transmission station to the mid-range transceiver using an IEEE wireless protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mid-range transmission comprises at least one of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5.8 GHz frequency band.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the control signal from the transmission station to the mid-range transceiver via the mid-range radio transmission using the first set of parameters, the mid-range transmission consuming more power than the short-range transmission.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

engaging the support structure with a spike to support the wireless communications unit in position on a ground surface.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

deploying the spike in the ground surface prior to engaging the support structure with the spike.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

electrically coupling the wireless communications unit to a power source mounted on the support structure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying a plurality of seismic acquisition units and a plurality of wireless communications units to form an array, each of the plurality of seismic acquisition units capable of wirelessly coupling to at least one of the plurality of wireless communications units; and

identifying a plurality of transmission paths between the transmission station and at least one of the plurality of wireless communications units.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second short-range transceiver and the mid-range transceiver are a same transceiver, comprising:

toggling the same transceiver between mid-range transmission capability and short-range transmission capability.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

deploying the self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit at a first location;

deploying the wireless communication at a second location between two and 50 feet from the first location.

15. A system to perform seismic exploration, comprising:

a wireless seismic acquisition unit having a first short-range transceiver and a geophone;

a wireless communications unit having a mid-range transceiver and a second short-range transceiver;

an elongated support structure having an end configured to engage a surface of the ground, the elongated support structure configured to support the wireless communications unit;

the mid-range transceiver configured to receive, via a mid-range radio transmission with a first set of parameters, a control signal from a transmission station; and

the second short-range transceiver configured to transmit, via a short-range transmission with a second set of parameters, information based on the control signal to the first short-range transceiver of the self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit, at least one parameter of the second set of parameters being different than the first set of parameters.

16. The system of claim 15, comprising:

the second-short range transceiver configured to transmit the information to the first short-range transceiver via an IEEE wireless protocol.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising:

the second-short range transceiver configured to transmit the information to the first short-range transceiver via a wireless personal area network.

18. The system of claim 15, comprising:

the second-short range transceiver configured to use a 2.4 GHz radio frequency band to transmit the information to the first short-range transceiver via an IEEE wireless protocol.

19. The system of claim 15, comprising:

the second-short range transceiver configured to use a 5.8 GHz radio frequency band to transmit the information to the first short-range transceiver via an IEEE wireless protocol.

20. The system of claim 15, comprising:

the mid-range receiver configured to receive, via an IEEE wireless protocol, the mid-range transmission having the control signal transmitted from the transmission station.