Wireless Seismic Data Acquisition Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seismic survey systems face challenges with cable-based data acquisition, including high costs, reliability issues, and environmental impact, as well as delays in data processing and transmission, especially when dealing with large numbers of sensors and complex terrains.
Innovation Solution
A wireless seismic data acquisition system using a network of individual data acquisition modules that transmit seismic data to a central recording and control system via a cable-less layout, employing multiplexing techniques such as time division, frequency division, and code division multiplexing to enable real-time data capture without delaying seismic events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cable-based data acquisition systems are used to connect sensors to central recording systems, then data transmission can be achieved, but logistical costs increase, reliability decreases due to cable damage, and deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the cable infrastructure from the seismic data acquisition system. Each sensor node is equipped with wireless transceivers that eliminate the need for physical cable connections to the central recording system, thereby improving reliability by eliminating cable-related failure points and reducing deployment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical cable-based transmission system with wireless electromagnetic communication. The cable infrastructure is substituted with radio frequency transceivers operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, eliminating the need for physical connections while maintaining data transmission capability
2Measurement precision
If more sensors are deployed to improve image quality, then measurement precision improves, but the number of cables required increases, raising survey costs and logistical burden
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the cable requirement from each sensor node and replacing it with wireless communication capability, the system enables dense sensor deployment without proportional increases in cable quantity. Each node independently transmits data wirelessly, eliminating the need for extensive cable networks
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless sensor nodes are designed as universal, self-contained units that can be deployed independently without requiring connection to a cable network. Each node performs sensing, processing, and wireless transmission functions, allowing flexible scaling of sensor quantity without corresponding increases in infrastructure
3Productivity
If real-time data readout is implemented in wireless seismic systems, then survey process efficiency improves, but data transmission bandwidth requirements increase, potentially causing data loss or delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission process into hierarchical levels: individual sensor nodes transmit to nearby base stations, which then aggregate and forward data to the central recording system. This segmentation distributes the bandwidth requirement across multiple transmission paths and enables parallel data flow, maintaining real-time readout capability without overwhelming single-channel bandwidth limits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces spatial dimensionality to the data transmission architecture by deploying multiple base stations across the survey area. Data from numerous sensors is distributed to geographically separated base stations that simultaneously transmit to the central system, transforming a single-bandwidth-constraint problem into a parallel multi-path transmission system
4Reliability
If wireless data acquisition modules are used to eliminate cables, then reliability improves and logistical costs decrease, but power consumption increases due to wireless transmission requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic transmission cycles where sensor nodes transmit data in organized bursts rather than continuously. Base stations collect data from multiple sensors over time and then perform bulk transmissions to the central system, reducing the overall power consumption compared to continuous individual node transmissions while maintaining real-time readout capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces base stations as intermediary nodes between sensors and the central recording system. These base stations aggregate data from multiple sensor nodes and handle the higher-power transmission to the central system, allowing individual sensor nodes to operate at lower power levels while still achieving reliable data transmission
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for acquiring seismic data using a wireless network and a number of individual data acquisition modules that are configured to collect seismic data and forward data to a central recording and control system. In one implementation, a number of remote modules are arranged in lines. Base station modules receive information from the lines and relay the information to a central control and recording system. Radio links operating on multiple frequencies are used by the modules. Dynamic multiplexing technique may include advancing one or more modules in a seismic array through a multiplexing signature sequence in successive transmission periods. The multiplexing signature sequence may be random or pseudo-random. A shared multiplexing signature sequence may be used at all the modules in the seismic array. Modules belonging to a common collision domain may operate out of phase with respect to the shared multiplexing signature sequence.