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US 10,371,845 B2Granted
Acoustic ranging apparatus and methods
AssigneeION Geophysical Corporation
InventorClement B. Guillot, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ranging system comprises a plurality of streamers, each with a plurality of receivers. A plurality of transmitters is also disposed along one or more of the streamers, each configured to generate acoustic or ranging signals over one or more channels. A processor is configured to define a subset of the transmitters within a predefined limited range or listening distance of each receiver. In the subset, the transmitters are configured to generate the acoustic signals over different channels.
Claims16
A system comprising:
- a seismic array comprising:
- a plurality of streamers;
- a plurality of acoustic receivers disposed along the plurality of streamers, each of the plurality of acoustic receivers configured to receive a subset of acoustic signals based on a respective predefined limited range;
- and
- a plurality of acoustic transmitters disposed along one or more of the plurality of streamers, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic transmitters is configured to generate a respective ranging pulse on a respective one of the acoustic signals over a respective channel of a plurality of channels;
- and
- a processor configured to define the respective predefined limited range for each of the plurality of acoustic receivers, wherein a respective subset of the plurality of acoustic transmitters is defined within the respective predefined limited range thereof, and wherein each acoustic transmitter of the respective subset of the plurality of acoustic transmitters is configured to generate the respective ranging pulse on the respective one of the acoustic signals over a different one of the plurality of channels;
- wherein, during an acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array, the plurality of acoustic transmitters are all configured to initiate generation of the respective ranging pulse on the respective one of the acoustic signals at a same time such that propagation of the ranging pulse on each of the acoustic signals associated with the seismic array are substantially simultaneous and all of the plurality of acoustic receivers are configured to initiate detection of the ranging pulse on at least one of the acoustic signals provided from the respective subset of the plurality of acoustic transmitters for a time window defined by the respective pre-defined limited range, wherein a cycle time of the acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array starts with initiation of generation of the respective ranging pulse on the respective one of the acoustic signals by the plurality of acoustic transmitters at the same time and ends upon expiration of the time window of a longest of the respective pre-defined limited ranges.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- towing a seismic array that comprises a plurality of streamer cables, each of the plurality of streamer cables having a respective plurality of acoustic receivers spaced along a length thereof;
- defining a respective limited listening distance for each acoustic receiver of each of the respective pluralities of acoustic receivers, wherein each acoustic receiver of each of the respective pluralities of acoustic receivers is configured to receive the acoustic signals from respective selected acoustic transmitters of a plurality of acoustic transmitters spaced along one or more of the plurality of streamer cables within the respective listening distance;
- and
- during an acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array:
- providing a synchronizing signal to each of the plurality of acoustic transmitters and to each acoustic receiver of each of the respective pluralities of acoustic receivers;
- in response to receipt of the synchronizing signal, initiating generation of a ranging pulse on a respective acoustic signal from each of the plurality of acoustic transmitters at a same time, wherein the ranging pulse on each of the respective acoustic signals from the plurality of acoustic transmitters propagates substantially simultaneously;
- and
- in response to receipt of the synchronizing signal, substantially simultaneously determining, at each acoustic receiver of each of the respective pluralities of acoustic receivers, a respective acoustic range to the respective selected acoustic transmitters of the plurality of acoustic transmitters within the respective listening distance based on propagation time of the ranging pulse on the respective acoustic signals from the respective selected acoustic transmitters of the plurality of acoustic transmitters within the respective limited listening distance,
- wherein a cycle time of the acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array starts with initiation of generation of the ranging pulse on the respective acoustic signal by the plurality of acoustic transmitters at the same time and ends upon expiration of a time window of a longest of the respective limited listening distance.
6 more elements
A ranging system comprising:
- a seismic array comprising:
- a plurality of towed streamers;
- a respective plurality of receivers disposed along each of the plurality of towed streamers, each receiver of each of the respective pluralities of receivers configured to receive ranging signals;
- and
- a plurality of transmitters disposed along one or more of the plurality of streamers, wherein each of the plurality of transmitters is configured to generate a respective ranging signal of the ranging signals over a selected channel of a plurality of channels;
- and
- a processor configured to determine distances between each receiver of each of the respective pluralities of receivers and a respective subset of the plurality of transmitters within a respective predefined limited range based on propagation of the respective ranging signal from the respective subset of the plurality of transmitters within the respective predefined limited range of each receiver;
- wherein each transmitter of the respective subset of the plurality of transmitters within the respective predefined limited range is configured to generate the respective ranging signal over a different one of the plurality of channels;
- and
- wherein, during an acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array and in response to receipt of a synchronization signal, the plurality of transmitters are all configured to initiate generation of the respective ranging signals at a same time such that propagation of the respective ranging signals associated with the seismic array are substantially simultaneous and each receiver of each of the pluralities of receivers is configured to substantially simultaneously initiate detection of the ranging signals for a time window defined by the respective pre-defined limited range, wherein a cycle time of the acoustic ranging cycle of the seismic array starts with initiation of generation of the respective ranging signals by the plurality of transmitters at the same time and ends upon expiration of the time window of a longest of the respective pre-defined limited ranges.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.