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US 11,237,287 B2Granted
Autonomous data acquisition system and method
AssigneeBlue Ocean Seismic Services Limited
InventorsFabio Mancini, Ben Hollings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submersible node and a method and system for using the node to acquire data, including seismic data is disclosed. The node incorporates a buoyancy system to provide propulsion for the node between respective landed locations by varying the buoyancy between positive and negative. A first acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate positioning of a node when landing and a second acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate a node transiting between respective target landed locations.
Claims13
A submersible autonomous node comprising:
- a buoyancy system enabling variation of node buoyancy between positive buoyancy and negative buoyancy;
- a propulsion system to transit the submersible autonomous data acquisition node while submerged underwater;
- and
- a first acoustic positioning system to estimate a location of the submersible autonomous node when submerged during a final approach and landing at a target location on the seabed using acoustic communication packets from one or more surface vessels;
- and
- a second acoustic positioning system to estimate the location of the submersible autonomous node when submerged using acoustic communication packets from multiple other submersible autonomous nodes, the second acoustic positioning system being configured to enter a first mode on landing on a seabed at the target location and to enter a second mode in transit between target locations on the seabed,
- wherein in a first mode the second acoustic positioning system is configured to broadcast time scheduled acoustic communication packets, and in a second mode the second acoustic positioning system is configured to receive time scheduled acoustic communication packets from the multiple other submerged autonomous nodes in order to estimate the location of the submersible autonomous node using one-way travel time positioning.
4 more elements
A marine seismic data acquisition system comprising:
- one or more surface vessels,
- a plurality of submersible autonomous nodes capable of acquiring seismic data at one or more seabed locations, each submersible autonomous node having a buoyancy propulsion system enabling each node to reposition between respective landed seabed locations without surfacing by dynamic variation of the node buoyancy between positive buoyancy and negative buoyancy;
- a first acoustic positioning system operable between one of the surface vessels and the plurality of submersible autonomous nodes to estimate the location of each of the plurality of submersible autonomous nodes during a final approach and landing at a target location on the seabed;
- and
- a second acoustic positioning system operable between at least some of the submersible autonomous nodes when submerged using acoustic communication packets from multiple other submersible autonomous nodes, the second acoustic positioning system being configured to enter a first mode on landing on a seabed at the target location and to enter a second mode in transit between target locations on the seabed,
- wherein each of the submersible autonomous nodes is configured in a first mode of the second acoustic positioning system to broadcast time scheduled acoustic communication packets, and in a second mode of the second acoustic positioning system to receive time scheduled acoustic communication packets from other submerged autonomous nodes in order to estimate the location of the submersible autonomous node using one-way travel time positioning.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.