Wireless Seismic Field Stations for Cable Failure Reduction

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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 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 cable-based data acquisition systems are used, then reliable data transmission is achieved, but labor and equipment costs increase, environmental impact worsens, and cable failures reduce uptime

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveuptimeVSAvoidcable 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 recording system, eliminating the need for physical cable deployment across the survey area. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable data transmission while reducing labor and equipment requirements associated with cable deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the cable infrastructure from the seismic data acquisition system. By removing the cable-based transmission medium, the system eliminates cable failures and reduces environmental impact, while maintaining data transmission capability through wireless communication protocols between field station units and the central recording system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If more field station units transmit messages simultaneously, then real-time data quality monitoring is improved, but message collisions and flooding occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata quality monitoringVSAvoidmessage collisions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action through time-division multiplexing, where field station units transmit messages in alternating time slots rather than simultaneously. The central recording system controls the transmission sequence, allowing multiple units to communicate without collision. This resolves the contradiction by enabling real-time monitoring of all field stations while preventing message flooding through structured, periodic transmission windows.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the central recording system receives status information from field station units and can modulate transmission based on system conditions. The feedback loop allows the central system to manage message traffic dynamically, prioritizing critical messages and controlling transmission timing to prevent collisions while maintaining comprehensive monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If all detected conditions are transmitted to the central unit, then complete data quality information is obtained, but bandwidth is exhausted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata quality information completenessVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by having field station units independently evaluate and prioritize conditions based on local criteria before transmission. Each unit determines which detected conditions meet thresholds for transmission, filtering out redundant or insignificant messages. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring only critical data quality information is transmitted, preserving bandwidth while maintaining completeness of important monitoring data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by transmitting only a subset of detected conditions to the central unit, rather than all possible messages. Field station units selectively transmit messages based on predefined criteria, such as severity thresholds or criticality levels. This partial transmission approach conserves bandwidth while ensuring that essential data quality information reaches the central system for monitoring and management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS7729202B2Apparatus and methods for transmitting unsolicited messages during seismic data acquisition

Publication Date: 2010.06.01 INOVA LTD(GB)

AI summary

An apparatus and method for seismic data acquisition is provided, which, in one aspect, define a plurality of attributes relating to acquisition of seismic data by the apparatus, determine a value of each attribute when the apparatus is deployed for acquiring seismic data, generate a message for each attribute whose determined value meets a selected criterion, and transmit wirelessly each generated message to a remote unit without solicitation of such a message by the remote unit. 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.