Wireless Seismic Data Acquisition Using Time-Division Multiplexing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional seismic data acquisition systems face challenges such as high labor and equipment costs, environmental impact, low uptime due to cable failures, and bandwidth limitations in transmitting real-time data, especially with increasing channel counts in three-dimensional surveys.

Innovation Solution

A wireless seismic data acquisition system where field station units automatically detect and transmit attribute degradation messages wirelessly to a central unit, using unique identifiers and collision management techniques to prevent message flooding, allowing for prioritization and compression of messages to ensure efficient data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional cable-based data acquisition systems are used, then reliable data transmission is achieved, but labor costs and equipment deployment complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission reliabilityVSAvoidcable deployment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical cable-based data acquisition system with a wireless communication system. Field station units transmit seismic data wirelessly to a central processing system, eliminating the need for extensive cable deployment while maintaining data transmission reliability through wireless protocols and signal processing techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If cable-based systems are used for seismic data acquisition, then data transmission is stable, but uptime decreases due to cable failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission stabilityVSAvoidsystem uptime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates cable-based transmission that is prone to failures by implementing wireless communication between field station units and the central processing system. This substitution removes the mechanical cable infrastructure that causes uptime reductions due to cuts, disconnects, and degradation, thereby increasing system availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Quantity of substance

If more seismic sensors are deployed to increase channel counts, then data coverage improves, but bandwidth requirements for real-time transmission increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of seismic sensorsVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the seismic data acquisition system into distributed field station units, each responsible for processing data from local sensors. This segmentation allows individual units to perform data reduction and filtering locally before transmitting to the central system, reducing overall bandwidth requirements while maintaining comprehensive data coverage from multiple sensors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements selective transmission of seismic data based on predefined criteria and priorities. Not all sensor data is transmitted equally; instead, the system transmits only the most critical or anomalous data segments, reducing bandwidth consumption while preserving essential information for analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Productivity

If multiple field station units transmit data simultaneously, then data collection efficiency increases, but message collisions and flooding occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata collection efficiencyVSAvoidmessage collision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic transmission slots where field station units take turns communicating with the central processing system. This time-division multiplexing approach allows multiple units to transmit data efficiently while preventing collisions by assigning specific transmission windows to each unit, balancing productivity with information integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS7894301B2Seismic data acquisition using time-division multiplexing

Publication Date: 2011.02.22 INOVA LTD(GB)

AI summary

A method of transmitting data between a remote unit and a plurality of field service units placed over a region of interest, each field service unit acquiring seismic data from at least one seismic receiver in a plurality of seismic receivers placed in the region of interest is provided that, in one aspect, may include: specifying a data transmission time period having a fixed continuous time length for transmission of data between the remote unit and each field service unit; dividing the data transmission time period into a plurality of time slots, each time slot having a fixed time length; and transmitting data from the remote unit to each field service unit during at least one of the time slots and from each field service unit to the remote unit during at least one another time slot. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.