Multifunctional acquisition device and its operation method

Abstract

A multi-functional acquisition device (1) includes a connector (2) having two connection terminals (21, 22) and an electronic circuit (3). The electronic circuit includes: an acquisition circuit (310) configured to enable digital conversion of an analog signal from a sensor (81) and store the digitized signal in a memory (369); an acquisition circuit (320) configured to enable transmission of data stored in the memory (369) to an acquisition device; a charging circuit (330) configured to enable charging of a battery (339) using power provided by a power supply device. A control unit (360) controls the start of the acquisition circuit (310), the start of the acquisition circuit (320), and the start of the charging circuit (330).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to collecting signals from sensors attached to a device, obtaining data from the device, and charging a battery that powers the device. Background Art

[0002] In this document, problems existing in the field of seismic data acquisition for the exploration industry are described more specifically below. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this specific application area, but is relevant to any technology that must handle problems and challenges closely related or similar thereto.

[0003] Seismic data acquisition and processing generate a profile (image) of the geophysical structure beneath the Earth's surface (subsurface).

[0004] Although such a profile does not provide the exact location of oil and gas, it suggests to those skilled in the art whether oil and / or gas is present. Thus, providing a high-resolution image of the subsurface is an evolving process for exploring natural resources, particularly including oil and / or gas.

[0005] The operation of acquiring seismic data in the field typically uses a network of seismic sensors, such as geophones.

[0006] The seismic method is based on the analysis of reflected seismic waves.

[0007] To collect geophysical data in a land-based (terrestrial) environment, one or more seismic sources in contact with the ground are activated to propagate a series of omnidirectional seismic waves. Then, a series of waves reflected by subsurface formations are detected by sensors such as geophones, which generate signals characterizing the reflection of the waves on geological interfaces underground.

[0008] When using analog sensors (also known as "geophones"), they are typically interconnected by cables to form clusters called "geophone strings".

[0009] The geophone string is connected to an acquisition device that performs analog-to-digital conversion on the signals from the geophone string.

[0010] Some seismic acquisitions use autonomous nodes. Some examples of autonomous seismic acquisition nodes are described in U.S. Patent Applications US2009 / 086797, US2016 / 011324, and US8547796, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0011] In this case, each acquisition device is powered by a battery.

[0012] The acquisition device can store the digitized acquisition signal in the memory of the device, and then the corresponding data can be obtained by connecting the acquisition device to a rack or a docking station, which includes an acquisition module for receiving data from the memory of the acquisition device.

[0013] The rack may also have a power supply module that enables charging of the battery of the acquisition device when the acquisition device is connected to the rack.

[0014] There are other configurations different from the rack or the docking station for obtaining data and / or charging the battery, such as removing the battery from the node or downloading the memory of each node.

[0015] As sometimes used currently, the rack is connected to the acquisition device by inserting the connector of the rack into the connector (or the pins of the connector) of the acquisition device for operating the acquisition function or the power supply function, and this connector is different from the connector (or the pins of the connector) of the acquisition device for connecting sensors to operate the acquisition function.

[0016] In other words, with this known acquisition device, the management of the acquisition function and the acquisition / power supply function means using different connectors or different sets of pins to manage charging, acquisition, and sensor acquisition.

[0017] Therefore, in order to operate the acquisition with the known acquisition device, the sensor is connected to the connector of the acquisition device, which has dedicated pins for acquiring the signals of the sensor, and in order to operate the acquisition function or the charging function with the known acquisition device, the rack must be connected to another connector of the known acquisition device, and this another connector has dedicated pins for acquiring data or charging the battery.

[0018] It can be understood that using dedicated connectors or pins to operate different functions on the known acquisition device is strict or picky, with a risk of connection errors, and the diversity of connectors or dedicated pins is expensive.

[0019] Therefore, there is a need to provide a new device and a corresponding operation method that can overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the known acquisition device. Summary of the Invention

[0020] According to an embodiment, there is provided a multi-functional acquisition device, which includes: a housing having a connector and an electronic circuit located within the housing, the connector having two connection terminals adapted to electrically connect to a complementary connector of a second device; the electronic circuit is connected to the two connection terminals,

[0021] wherein, the electronic circuit includes:

[0022] - A acquisition circuit, configured to enable digital conversion of an analog signal from a sensor and store the digitized signal in a memory when a sensor as a second device is connected to the two connection terminals;

[0023] - A retrieval circuit, configured to enable transmission of data stored in the memory to the retrieval device when a retrieval device as a second device is connected to the two connection terminals;

[0024] - A charging circuit, configured to enable charging of a battery located in the housing using power provided by the power supply device when a power supply device as a second device is connected to the two connection terminals, and

[0025] - A control unit, configured to control the activation of the acquisition circuit, the activation of the retrieval circuit, and the activation of the charging circuit.

[0026] According to a particular aspect, the electronic circuit includes a switching system to selectively electrically connect the acquisition circuit or the retrieval circuit to the two connection terminals of the connector.

[0027] According to a particular aspect, the multi-functional acquisition device includes a voltage detection system configured to detect a voltage between the two connection terminals that is higher (exceeds) a first threshold, and

[0028] wherein the control unit is configured to control the charging circuit based on the voltage.

[0029] According to a particular aspect, the control unit is configured to command the switching system to electrically connect the acquisition circuit to the two connection terminals of the connector when the voltage between the two connection terminals is lower (less than) the first threshold.

[0030] According to a particular aspect, the control unit is configured to command the switching system to electrically connect the retrieval circuit to the two connection terminals of the connector when the voltage between the two connection terminals is higher than or equal to the first threshold.

[0031] According to a particular aspect, the control unit is configured to perform the following processes when the voltage detection system has detected a voltage that is higher than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the detection indicates that a power supply device is connected to the connector,

[0032] - Communicate with the power supply device via the two connection terminals to check whether the power supply device can provide a voltage that is higher than or equal to a second threshold, the second threshold being higher than the first threshold, and

[0033] - Based on the result of the check, command closure of the charging circuit so that the battery is electrically connected to the two connection terminals via the charging circuit.

[0034] According to a particular aspect, the acquisition circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter.

[0035] According to a particular aspect, the acquisition circuit includes a low-frequency filter including a capacitor, and the low-frequency filter is configured to filter an input voltage applied to two connection terminals to obtain a reduced voltage in the acquisition circuit.

[0036] According to a particular aspect, the charging circuit includes a high-frequency filter including an inductor.

[0037] According to a particular aspect, the charging circuit is located between the two connection terminals and the voltage detection system.

[0038] According to an embodiment, there is provided an acquisition unit, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device as proposed above and a sensor connected to the two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device. Wherein, the acquisition circuit is activated, while the acquisition circuit and the charging circuit are inactivated.

[0039] According to a particular aspect, the sensor is a seismic sensor.

[0040] According to an embodiment, there is provided an acquisition system, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device as proposed above and an acquisition device connected to the two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device. Wherein, the acquisition circuit is activated.

[0041] According to a particular feature, the acquisition device is a docking station including an acquisition module.

[0042] According to a particular feature, the acquisition circuit includes a first data transmitter, a first data receiver, and a first driving unit. The first driving unit is configured to drive the activation of the first data transmitter and the activation of the first data receiver, and

[0043] the acquisition device includes a second data transmitter, a second data receiver, and a second driving unit. The second driving unit is configured to drive the activation of the second data transmitter and the activation of the second data receiver,

[0044] wherein, in order to transmit data from the acquisition circuit of the multifunctional acquisition device to the acquisition device,

[0045] the first driving unit of the acquisition circuit of the multifunctional acquisition device is configured to keep the first data transmitter activated during a time period after the data is sent by the first transmitter and received by the second receiver, and

[0046] wherein, the second driving unit of the acquisition device is configured to activate the second transmitter at a time included in the time period during which the first transmitter of the acquisition circuit remains activated.

[0047] According to one embodiment, a charging system is provided, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device proposed above and a power supply device connected to two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device, wherein a charging circuit is activated.

[0048] According to a specific aspect, the power supply device is a docking station including a power supply module.

[0049] According to an embodiment, a charging and acquisition system is provided, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device proposed above and a power supply and acquisition device connected to two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device, wherein an acquisition circuit and a charging circuit are activated.

[0050] According to one embodiment, a method for operating the multifunctional acquisition device proposed above is provided, and the method includes:

[0051] - Connecting a second device to two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device;

[0052] - Using a control unit of the multifunctional acquisition device to determine at least one electrical characteristic between the two connection terminals;

[0053] - According to the determined at least one electrical characteristic, using the control unit to activate an acquisition circuit or at least one of an acquisition circuit and a charging circuit.

[0054] According to a specific aspect, the second device is a sensor, the acquisition circuit is activated, and the acquisition circuit and the charging circuit are deactivated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings showing embodiments of the present invention.

[0056] - Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a multifunctional acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the multifunctional acquisition device has a connector to connect a second device to the multifunctional acquisition device;

[0057] - Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the multifunctional acquisition device in the following configuration, wherein a sensor is connected to the connector of the multifunctional acquisition device so as to collect signals from the sensor by using the acquisition circuit of the multifunctional acquisition device;

[0058] - Figure 3 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the multifunctional acquisition device in the following configuration, wherein a rack is connected to the connector of the multifunctional acquisition device, and the rack has an acquisition module and a power supply module so as to acquire data from the multifunctional acquisition device and / or supply power to a charging circuit to charge a battery of the multifunctional acquisition device.

[0059] - Figure 4 is a diagram showing the steps of a method for operating a multi-functional acquisition device such as Figure 1 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The following description of the embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the invention. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0061] References to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" throughout the specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, the phrases "in an embodiment" or "in embodiments" appearing throughout the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, the particular features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0062] Figure 1 A multi-functional acquisition device 1 according to an embodiment is shown. Preferably, the multi-functional acquisition device is as described in a U.S. patent application entitled "Wireless Seismic Acquisition Node and Method" filed by the applicant on the same day as this patent application, and the content of this patent application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0063] As detailed below with reference to Figure 2 , when the sensor 81 is connected to the multi-functional acquisition device 1, the multi-functional acquisition device 1 is capable of acquiring signals from the sensor 81. The sensor 81 may be a geophone or a series of geophones (also referred to as a geophone string).

[0064] The multi-functional acquisition device 1 also allows data to be obtained from the multi-functional acquisition device 1. In particular, data corresponding to the signals acquired from the sensor 81, which is digitized and stored in the memory 369, can be obtained by the following means: reading the data from the memory 369 and transmitting the data to an acquisition device connected to the multi-functional acquisition device 1. As described in detail below, the memory 369 can be included in the control unit 360 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1. The acquisition device may be a rack 82 (also referred to as a docking station), which includes an acquisition module 822 as Figure 3 shown.

[0065] The battery 339 that powers the multi-functional acquisition device 1 can also be charged via the multi-functional acquisition device 1 when a power supply device is connected to the multi-functional acquisition device 1. The power supply device may be the rack 82 that includes a power supply module 821.

[0066] Advantageously, the same rack serves as both an acquisition device and a power supply device. The rack is preferably configured as disclosed in the U.S. patent application titled "Docking Station for Wireless Seismic Acquisition Nodes" filed on the same day as this patent application by the present applicant, and the content of this patent application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0067] These acquisition, obtaining, and charging functions can be achieved through a connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 that will connect to a second device. In particular, depending on the desired function to be operated, the second device can be a sensor 81 as Figure 2 shown, or a power supply device and / or an acquisition device. As Figure 3 shown, the second device can also be a device such as a rack 82 that combines a power supply function and an acquisition function.

[0068] In other words, the same connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 is used to acquire signals from the sensor 81 connected to the multifunctional acquisition device 1, or to obtain data from the multifunctional acquisition device 1 into an acquisition device connected to the multifunctional device, and / or to charge the battery 339 via a power supply device connected to the multifunctional acquisition device 1.

[0069] In particular, the sensor 81 has a connector 801 with connection terminals, and the connection terminals of the connector 801 are adapted to be electrically connected to the connection terminals 21, 22 of the connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1. The rack 82 also has a connector 802 with connection terminals, and the connection terminals of the connector 802 are adapted to be electrically connected to the connection terminals 21, 22 of the connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1. The acquisition module 822 is configured to be able to transmit / receive signals on the connection terminals 21, 22 of the connector 2 when the multifunctional acquisition device 1 is connected to the rack 82. Additionally, the power supply module 821 is configured to be able to transmit / receive signals including transmitted power on the connection terminals 21, 22 of the connector 2 when the multifunctional acquisition device 1 is connected to the rack 82.

[0070] The power supply module 821 can include a power source to supply power to the charging circuit of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 to power the battery 339. According to a particular aspect, the power supply module 821 further includes a transmitter and a receiver that communicate with the control unit 360 of the acquisition device 1. The communication can be used, for example, to enable the control unit 360 to request information from the power supply module and / or request the power supply module to supply power to the battery.

[0071] The acquisition module 822 of the rack 82 includes a data transmitter TX822 and a data receiver RX822. The data transmitter TX822 and the data receiver RX822 enable communication with the control unit 360 and the acquisition circuit 320 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1 via two pins 21 and 22 when the acquisition circuit 320 is electrically connected to the two pins 21 and 22. According to a particular aspect, the communication between the acquisition module 822 of the rack 82 and the acquisition circuit of the multi-functional acquisition device 1 is half-duplex and operates via differential signals. The acquisition module 822 can receive data from the memory 369 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1 and store the received data in a memory that may be included in the rack 82 or may be external to the rack.

[0072] The acquisition module 822 further includes a driving unit configured to drive the activation of the data transmitter TX822 and the data receiver RX822.

[0073] According to an embodiment and as detailed below, with a connector 2 having two connection terminals 21 and 22, the multi-functional acquisition device 1 can selectively:

[0074] - Connect to a sensor to acquire sensor signals by digitizing and storing the signals provided by the sensor,

[0075] - Or connect to a power supply device and / or an acquisition device for charging the battery that powers the multi-functional acquisition device 1 and / or acquiring the data stored during a previous acquisition.

[0076] The multi-functional acquisition device 1 can be an analog field unit (also known as an AFU) for seismic operations. The multi-functional acquisition device 1 can thus be a seismic node. Seismic operations can use a seismic acquisition network that includes a plurality of such multi-functional acquisition devices forming network nodes.

[0077] According to a preferred embodiment and as Figure 1 shown, the connector 2 has only two connection terminals 21 and 22 (also known as pins). The connector is preferably a KCK2 standard connector. The KCK2 standard connector is typically used to insert a geophone (or a geophone string) into an acquisition unit provided with such a connector. Such a KCK2 standard connector can be used to connect a geophone or a geophone string, as well as for an autonomous node or a wired (cable) node connected to a central unit via a plurality of cables, as described in French patent FR2981212, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0078] Each of the pins 21 and 22 of the connector 2 is electrically connected to the wirings 31 and 32 (conductors) of the electronic circuit 3 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1.

[0079] As described in detail below, the electronic circuit 3 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1 includes a plurality of circuits electrically connected or electrically connectable to the wirings 31, 32 to operate in cooperation with a second device (such as the sensor described above, or a power supply device and / or an acquisition device), and the second device has a connector including two connection terminals connectable to the pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 of the multi-functional acquisition device.

[0080] The electronic circuit 3 is housed in the housing 100. The housing is provided with the connector 2. The electronic circuit 3 may include a printed circuit board including all or part of the circuits described in detail below.

[0081] The electronic circuit 3 includes an acquisition circuit 310 which, when the sensor 81 is connected to the connector 2, is capable of digitally converting an analog signal from the sensor.

[0082] · Acquisition circuit

[0083] The acquisition circuit 310 includes an analog-to-digital converter 318 which may be a sigma-delta converter. The acquisition circuit 310 further includes an analog front end 317 for conditioning the analog signal provided by the sensor 81 before being processed by the analog-to-digital converter 318.

[0084] The acquisition circuit 310 includes two wirings (conductors) which may be connected or disconnected from the wirings 31, 32 electrically connected to the pins 21, 22. Thus, the first wiring of the acquisition circuit 310 may be connected / disconnected from the wiring 31 via the first switch 351, and the second wiring of the acquisition circuit 310 may be connected / disconnected from the wiring 32 via the second switch 352. In other words, the multi-functional acquisition device 1 includes a switch system 35 (including the first switch 351 and the second switch 352), and the switch system 35 enables the acquisition circuit 310 to be electrically connected / disconnected from the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2.

[0085] · Acquisition circuit

[0086] The electronic circuit 3 further includes an acquisition circuit 320 which, when the acquisition device is connected to the connector 2 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1, can cooperate with the control unit 360 to transfer the data stored in the memory 369 to the acquisition device. The control unit 360 manages the access to the memory 369 and the communication with the acquisition circuit 320.

[0087] As described above, the acquisition device may be formed by a rack, and the multi-functional acquisition device may be introduced into the rack and connected to the corresponding connector of the rack through the connector 2.

[0088] Similar to the acquisition circuit, the acquisition circuit 320 has a first wiring (wire) that can be connected / disconnected from the wiring 31 via the switch 351 and a second wiring (wire) that can be connected / disconnected from the wiring 32 via the switch 352. In particular, the connection of the acquisition circuit 310 or the acquisition circuit 320 to the two pins 21, 22 is completed via the conductive wirings 31, 32 that are connected to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 and to the first and second switches 351 of the switch system 35.

[0089] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the switch system 35 has a first position, in which the acquisition circuit 320 is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22 via the conductive wirings 31, 32, while the acquisition circuit 310 is separated from the two pins 21, 22.

[0090] The switch system 35 also has a second position, in which the acquisition circuit 310 is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22 via the conductive wirings 31, 32, while the acquisition circuit 320 is separated from the two pins 21, 22.

[0091] The position of the switch system 35 can be controlled by the control unit 360.

[0092] According to a specific aspect, by default, the switch system 35 is in the first position, according to which the acquisition circuit 310 is electrically connected to the pins 21, 22 until the control unit commands the switch system 35 to take the second position.

[0093] The acquisition circuit 320 includes a data transmitter TX320, a data receiver RX320, and a driving unit 321 configured to drive the start of the data transmitter TX320 and the data receiver RX320.

[0094] The acquisition circuit 320 includes a low-frequency filter, which includes a capacitor 323. The low-frequency filter is used to filter the input voltage applied to the two pins 21, 22. Therefore, the low-frequency filter enables a reduced voltage to be obtained in the acquisition circuit 320. In fact, when connected to the multifunctional acquisition device 1, the acquisition device (which can be the rack 82) supplies power to the two pins 21, 22 (and thus to the wirings 31, 32) at a voltage of, for example, 5 volts.

[0095] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, each of the two wirings of the acquisition circuit 320 is provided with a capacitor 323. The value of each capacitor is, for example, 1 μF.

[0096] The input voltage applied to the two pins by the rack 82 includes an alternating current (AC) component and a direct current (DC) component. The reduced voltage obtained by the low-frequency filter is the AC voltage of the input voltage.

[0097] As shown Figures 1 to 3 in FIG. 320, the acquisition circuit 320 includes an adaptation circuit 322 that modifies the shape of the transmission signal according to a template in order to be able to transmit data with a reduced error risk.

[0098] · Charging circuit

[0099] The multifunctional acquisition device 1 includes a charging circuit 330 that enables the battery 339 to be charged using the power provided by the power supply device when the power supply device is connected to two pins 21, 22 of the multifunctional device 1.

[0100] In Figures 1 to 3 an embodiment, the charging circuit 330 includes a charger 338 for charging the battery 339. In a variant, the charger can be an external charger. Including the charger 338 in the charging circuit enables the battery 339 to be charged with a large current, but it is also possible to charge the battery with a lower current using an external charger.

[0101] The charging circuit 330 includes a high-frequency filter that includes an inductor 331. The high-frequency filter is used to filter out the AC component of the input voltage provided by the rack 82 and retain the DC component of the input voltage to supply power to the charging circuit 320. The value of each inductor is, for example, 47 μH.

[0102] The charging circuit 330 includes a transistor 336 (preferably a MOS transistor) that can be driven by the control unit 360 to switch between an OFF (cut-off) state and an ON (conducting) state. In the OFF state of the transistor 336, the charging circuit is deactivated. The transistor 336 in the OFF state corresponds to an interrupter that prevents current from flowing from the wirings 31, 32 to the battery 339 (or the charger 338). In other words, in the OFF state of the transistor 336, the charging circuit 330 is open.

[0103] By default, that is, when not controlled by the control unit 360, the transistor 336 is in the OFF state. To switch the transistor 336 to the ON state, the control unit 360 is configured to apply a voltage (higher than the threshold) to the gate of each transistor 336 to enable current to flow between the source of the transistor 336 connected to the wirings 31, 32 and the battery 339.

[0104] In the ON state, the transistor 336 corresponds to a closed interrupter that allows current to flow from the wirings 31, 32 to the battery 339 (or the charger 338). In other words, in the ON state of the transistor 336, the charging circuit is closed and is considered to be activated.

[0105] Preferably, the charging circuit 330 includes a device 337 known as a voltage pump, and the device 337 is configured to keep the charging circuit 330 closed when the control unit 360 commands the charging circuit 330 to close. In particular, the voltage pump applies a voltage of, for example, 12 volts to the gate of the transistor 336, which keeps the transistor in the ON state.

[0106] In a variant of the charging circuit, where the transistor 336 may not be present, the switching system 35 can be designed to have a third position to connect the two wires of the charging circuit to the two pins 21, 22. However, as Figures 1 to 3 shown, the charging circuit is capable of operating both the charging function and the acquisition function simultaneously, while a switching system with three positions would mean selecting the circuit to be activated according to the function to be performed.

[0107] · Voltage detection system

[0108] The electronic circuit 3 includes a voltage detection system 340, and the voltage detection system 340 is configured to detect a voltage higher than a first threshold between the two pins 21, 22.

[0109] The voltage detection system 340 includes a voltage divider bridge for each of the wirings 31, 32, and an input terminal of the control unit 360 is connected in the middle of the voltage divider bridge to measure the corresponding voltage. The control unit includes a voltage detection module, and the voltage detection module detects whether the measured voltage corresponding to the voltage applied to the pins is higher than the threshold. The voltage applied by the rack 82 to the two pins is a differential voltage.

[0110] The control unit 360 is configured to command the switching system 35 to electrically connect the acquisition circuit 320 to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 when the voltage between the two pins 21, 22 is higher than or equal to the first threshold.

[0111] Conversely, the control unit 360 is configured to command the switching system 35 to electrically connect the acquisition circuit 310 to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 when the voltage between the two pins 21, 22 is lower than the first threshold. When the voltage detection system 340 detects a voltage higher than or equal to the first threshold, this indicates that the power supply device (the rack 82 in the illustrated embodiment) is connected to the connector 2.

[0112] The first threshold may be, for example, 3.6 volts.

[0113] · Circuit arrangement

[0114] Preferably, the charging circuit 330 is positioned as close as possible to the two pins 21, 22 in order to charge the battery with the maximum current and thereby reduce the charging time. As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the charging circuit 330 is located between the two pins 21, 22 and the voltage detection system 340.

[0115] According to Figures 1 to 3 the illustrated embodiment, the voltage detection system 340 is positioned between two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 on one hand and the acquisition circuit 310 and the obtaining circuit 320 on the other hand.

[0116] According to a particular aspect, the electronic circuit 3 includes a lightning protection device 33, and the lightning protection device 33 is preferably positioned closest to the two pins 21, 22 (compared to other components of the electronic circuit 3).

[0117] Preferably, the electronic circuit 3 further includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device 34. The ESD protection device is preferably positioned between the charging circuit 330 on one hand and the acquisition circuit 310 and the obtaining circuit 320 on the other hand, and the ESD protection device is as close as possible to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2.

[0118] · Control unit

[0119] The control unit 360 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 enables the start / stop of the acquisition circuit 310, the start / stop of the obtaining circuit 320, and the start / stop of the charging circuit 330 to be commanded. The control unit is, for example, a microcontroller or a microprocessor.

[0120] Regardless of whether the acquisition is operating (running), the acquisition circuit 310 is considered to be started when electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22. In other words, when the acquisition circuit 310 is started (the acquisition circuit 310 is electrically connected to the pins 21, 22), the acquisition process can be operated using the sensor 81 connected to the pins 21, 22.

[0121] Similarly, regardless of whether the obtaining process is in progress, the obtaining circuit 320 is considered to be started when the obtaining circuit 320 is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22. In other words, when the obtaining circuit 320 is started (i.e., the obtaining circuit 320 is electrically connected to the pins 21, 22), the obtaining process can be operated using the obtaining device connected to the pins 21, 22.

[0122] The charging circuit is considered to be started when the charging circuit is closed such that current can flow from the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 to the charger to charge the battery.

[0123] Thus, in the specific embodiment shown, the control unit 360 controls the connection / disconnection of the acquisition circuit 310 to / from the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2, controls the connection / disconnection of the acquisition circuit 320 to / from the two pins 21, 22 of the connector, and controls the closed (activated) or open (deactivated) state of the charging circuit 330 connected to the two pins 21, 22, so as to control the possibility of powering the charging circuit 330 by applying power to the two pins 21, 22 by the power supply device.

[0124] The switch system 35 can disconnect the acquisition circuit when the acquisition circuit is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22, so as to acquire the analog signal from the sensor via the acquisition circuit without interference from the components of the acquisition circuit. In addition, when the acquisition circuit is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22, the charging circuit is OFF (deactivated). Therefore, the acquisition function is not interfered by the components of the charging circuit. In particular, when the acquisition circuit is activated (i.e., connected to the two pins 21, 22), both the charging circuit and the acquisition circuit are in the deactivated state (OFF), thus preventing the resonant circuit (also called the tuning circuit) from interfering with the acquisition, which may be formed by the capacitor 323 of the acquisition circuit and the inductor 331 of the charging circuit 330.

[0125] · Method for operating the acquisition, acquisition, and charging functions

[0126] The multifunctional acquisition device 1 proposed above can be used to operate different functions on the same two pins, that is, there is no need to use dedicated pins for operating one function and other dedicated pins for operating another function.

[0127] Therefore, the same connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 can be used together with an appropriate external device (such as the sensor 81 or the rack 82) for:

[0128] - Acquiring signals from the sensor 81, or

[0129] - Obtaining data from the multifunctional acquisition device 1 and / or charging the battery 339.

[0130] Reference Figure 4 An example of the operation method of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 is proposed. At step 401, the operator connects a second device such as the sensor 81 or the rack 82 to the two connection terminals of the multifunctional acquisition device 1. At step 403, the control unit of the multifunctional acquisition device determines at least one electrical characteristic such as voltage and / or resistance between the two connection terminals. At step 405, the control unit of the multifunctional acquisition device activates the acquisition circuit according to the determined at least one electrical characteristic, or activates at least one of the acquisition circuit and the charging circuit.

[0131] The following details specific aspects.

[0132] To operate the acquisition process, such as Figure 2 shown, the operator connects the connector 801 of the sensor 81 to the two pins 21, 22 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1.

[0133] The control unit 360 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 detects that the sensor 81 is connected to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 by detecting that the voltage and resistance between the two pins 21, 22 are within the range of values indicating the connection of the sensor 81. In particular, the measured voltage is lower than a threshold value (e.g., 3.6 volts).

[0134] Then, the control unit 360 places the switch system 35 in its default first position, in which the wiring of the acquisition circuit 310 is electrically connected to the two pins 21, 22 via the wirings 31, 32. According to another embodiment, the control unit 360 can also command the switch system 35 to be in the first position.

[0135] In addition, when the detected voltage is lower than the threshold value, the control unit 360 deactivates the charging circuit by placing the transistor 336 in the OFF state. According to another embodiment, the control unit 360 can also command the transistor 336 to be in the OFF state.

[0136] The control unit 360 can then drive the operation of the acquisition circuit to digitize the analog signal provided by the sensor 81 to the two pins 21, 22 using the analog-to-digital converter 318, and store the digitized data in the memory 369.

[0137] As Figure 2 shown, when the acquisition circuit 310 is activated (the switch 35 is in the first position), the acquisition circuit 320 and the charging circuit 330 are deactivated. Thus, the acquisition is not interfered with by the acquisition circuit 320 and the charging circuit 330, and in particular is not interfered with by the LC circuit that may be formed by the capacitance and inductance of the acquisition circuit 320 and the charging circuit 330. In fact, the open circuit of the charging circuit and the acquisition circuit with respect to the two pins 21, 22 enables the acquisition circuit to acquire signals with a low noise and low distortion level.

[0138] In Figure 3 the embodiment shown, to operate the charging function and / or the acquisition function, the operator connects the multifunctional acquisition device 1 to the rack 82, which is provided with a connector 802 adapted to be connected to the two pins 21, 22 of the connector 2. In other words, the operator disconnects the sensor 81 from the connector 2 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 after the acquisition process, and connects the same connector 2 to the connector 802 of the rack 82.

[0139] The control unit 360 detects, via the voltage detection system 340, an input voltage (e.g., 5 volts) applied to two pins 21 and 22 of the connector 2 that is higher than the first threshold (e.g., 3.6 volts).

[0140] Accordingly, the control unit 360 communicates with the rack 82 via the two pins 21 and 22 to determine whether the rack 82 can provide a voltage (e.g., 5.5 volts) that is higher than or equal to a second threshold (the second threshold is higher than the first threshold). If the information provided by the rack to the control unit indicates that the rack 82 can provide the desired voltage and if the battery needs to be charged, the control unit 360 commands the transistor to be in the ON state to close the charging circuit 330, thereby electrically connecting the battery 339 to the two pins 21 and 22.

[0141] Accordingly, the control unit 360 can request the power supply module 821 to provide a voltage (e.g., 5.5 volts) on the two pins 21 and 22, which powers the closed charging circuit 330 to charge the battery 339.

[0142] Preferably, when the input voltage on the two pins 21 and 22 is detected to be higher than the first threshold, the control unit 360 also commands the switch system 35 to be in a second position, in which the acquisition circuit is disconnected and the acquisition circuit is connected to the two pins 21 and 22 to simultaneously implement the acquisition function and the power supply function.

[0143] According to a specific aspect, as described above, the rack 82 and the acquisition circuit 320 communicate in a half-duplex mode. To acquire the data stored in the memory 369, the data is transferred from the memory 369 to the transmitter TX320 of the acquisition circuit 320, thereby transmitting the data to the acquisition module 822 of the rack connected to the two pins 21 and 22.

[0144] To reduce glitches in data communication, the transmitter TX320 of the acquisition circuit 320 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 and the transmitter TX822 of the acquisition module 822 of the rack 82 are both initially activated (enabled to transmit).

[0145] The acquisition module 822 activates the receiver RX822 (and deactivates the transmitter TX822) before the data to be acquired is transmitted by the transmitter TX320.

[0146] The first driving unit 321 of the acquisition circuit 320 of the multifunctional acquisition device 1 keeps the data transmitter TX320 activated during a period after the data to be acquired has been transmitted by the transmitter TX320 and received by the data receiver RX822 of the acquisition module 822 of the rack 82.

[0147] In parallel, the drive unit of the acquisition module 822 starts the transmitter TX822 at a time within the period during which the first transmitter TX320 included in the acquisition circuit 320 remains activated.

[0148] Then, the acquisition circuit 320 of the multi-functional acquisition device 1 enables its receiver RX320 (and disables the transmitter TX320) to receive response data from the acquisition module 822.

[0149] Thus, keeping both transmitters enabled during a common period after data has been received / transmitted and before data is sent / received in response can reduce the risk of false signals occurring in the transmitted data.

[0150] According to an embodiment, the rack 82 can also be configured to test the sensor acquisition function by connecting an analog sensor to two pins 21, 22. To this end, the rack 82 can form a resistance equal to that of the sensor. In the case of running the acquisition function test, the control unit 360 can command the charging circuit to be open and command the switch system 35 to be in the first position so as to connect the acquisition circuit to the two pins, while the rack provides signals corresponding to the sensor signals to the two pins 21, 22 to simulate the presence of the sensor.

[0151] The above functions and steps related to the operation of the multi-functional acquisition device can be implemented in the form of a computer program or via hardware components (e.g., programmable gate arrays). In particular, the functions and steps executed by the control unit and the circuit can be executed by a set of computer instructions or modules implemented by a processor or a controller, or the functions and steps executed by the control unit and the circuit can be executed by dedicated electronic components of the field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) type. Computer components and electronic components can also be combined.

[0152] The computer program or computer instructions can be contained in a program storage device, such as a computer-readable digital data storage medium or an executable program. The program or instructions can also be executed from a program storage peripheral.

[0153] The disclosed embodiments provide a multi-functional acquisition device and a corresponding method for operating acquisition, obtaining, and / or charging functions. As described above, the multi-functional acquisition device enables the management of charging, communication / obtaining, and sensor acquisition functions on the same two pins of a connector while maintaining good-quality acquisition. As a result, by enabling the device to be connected to a sensor via a single connection to acquire sensor signals, or to be connected to a rack once using the same connector as the connector of the multi-functional acquisition device used for the acquisition of sensor signals to charge a battery, obtain data, and / or test a unit, the use of the acquisition device is simplified. This makes it possible to reduce the cost and size of the acquisition device while also reducing the risk of water penetration because the number of connectors or pins on the acquisition device is reduced compared to known acquisition devices.

[0154] The disclosed embodiments provide a multi-functional acquisition device that is particularly suitable for use in combination with a docking station described in the patent application US16 / 569,855 titled "Docking Station for Wireless Seismic Acquisition Nodes" filed by the applicant (this patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) and / or with a node described in the US patent application No. 16 / 569,755 titled "Wireless seismic acquisition node and method" filed by the applicant (this US patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

[0155] It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Additionally, in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0156] Although the features and elements of this exemplary embodiment are described in a specific combination in the embodiments, each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the embodiment, or in various combinations with or without the other features and elements disclosed herein.

[0157] This written description uses examples of the disclosed subject matter to enable those skilled in the art to practice the subject matter, including making and using any device or system and performing any combined method. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. These other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-functional acquisition device (1), which includes a housing (100) having a connector (2) and an electronic circuit (3) located within the housing (100). The connector (2) has two connection terminals (21, 22) adapted to electrically connect to complementary connectors (801, 802) of a second device (81, 82); the electronic circuit (3) is connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22). Wherein, the electronic circuit (3) includes: - A seismic acquisition circuit (310) configured to enable digital conversion of an analog signal from the seismic sensor (81) and store the digitized signal in a memory (369) when the seismic sensor (81) as the second device is connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22); - An acquisition circuit (320) configured to enable transmission of data stored in the memory (369) to the acquisition device when the acquisition device (82) as the second device is connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22); - A charging circuit (330) configured to enable charging of a battery (339) located in the housing (100) using the power provided by the power supply device when the power supply device as the second device is connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22), and - A control unit (360) configured to control the start of the seismic acquisition circuit (310), the start of the acquisition circuit (320), and the start of the charging circuit (330).

2. The multi-functional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, the electronic circuit (3) includes a switching system (35) to selectively electrically connect the seismic acquisition circuit (310) or the acquisition circuit (320) to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the connector (2).

3. The multi-functional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, the multi-functional acquisition device (1) includes a voltage detection system (340) configured to detect a voltage higher than a first threshold between the two connection terminals (21, 22), and wherein the control unit (360) is configured to control the charging circuit (330) according to the voltage.

4. The multi-functional acquisition device (1) according to claim 2, wherein, the multi-functional acquisition device (1) includes a voltage detection system (340) configured to detect a voltage higher than a first threshold between the two connection terminals (21, 22), the control unit (360) is configured to control the charging circuit (330) according to the voltage, and wherein the control unit (360) is configured to command the switching system (35) to electrically connect the seismic acquisition circuit (310) to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the connector when the voltage between the two connection terminals (21, 22) is lower than the first threshold.

5. The multi-functional acquisition device (1) according to claim 2, Among them, the multifunctional acquisition device (1) includes a voltage detection system (340) configured to detect a voltage higher than a first threshold between the two connection terminals (21, 22), and a control unit (360) configured to control the charging circuit (330) according to the voltage, and wherein the control unit (360) is configured to command the switching system (35) to electrically connect the acquisition circuit (320) to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the connector when the voltage between the two connection terminals (21, 22) is higher than or equal to the first threshold.

6. The multifunctional acquisition device (1) according to claim 3, wherein, the control unit (360) is configured to perform the following processes when the voltage detection system (340) has detected a voltage higher than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the detection indicates that the power supply device (821) is connected to the connector: - Communicate with the power supply device via the two connection terminals (21, 22) to check whether the power supply device can provide a voltage higher than or equal to a second threshold, the second threshold being higher than the first threshold, and - According to the result of the check, command the charging circuit (330) to close so that the battery (339) is electrically connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22) via the charging circuit (330).

7. The multifunctional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1, the multifunctional acquisition device (1) includes a voltage detection system (340) configured to detect a voltage higher than a first threshold between the two connection terminals (21, 22), and a control unit (360) configured to control the charging circuit (330) according to the voltage, wherein, the charging circuit (330) is located between the two connection terminals (21, 22) and the voltage detection system (340).

8. A seismic acquisition unit, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1 and a seismic sensor (81) connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the multifunctional acquisition device (1), wherein, the seismic acquisition circuit (310) is activated, while the acquisition circuit (320) and the charging circuit (330) are deactivated.

9. An acquisition system, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1 and an acquisition device connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the multifunctional acquisition device (1), wherein, the acquisition circuit (320) is activated.

10. A charging system, which includes the multifunctional acquisition device (1) according to claim 1 and a power supply device connected to the two connection terminals (21, 22) of the multifunctional acquisition device (1), wherein, the charging circuit (330) is activated.

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