Satellite-enabled node for ambient noise tomography
AssigneeFleet Space Technologies Pty Ltd
InventorsBraeden James Borg, Matthew James Pearson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments relate to data acquisition units or nodes and more specifically to seismic data acquisition units or nodes for use in data gathering for ambient noise tomography (ANT). Some embodiments relate to a method for data acquisition, and systems employing one or more data acquisition units. Some embodiments relate to systems comprising one or more satellites in communication with one or more data acquisition units for communication to a remote server, for remote storage, and processing for creating sub-surface tomography images accessible to client devices.
Claims20
A method of processing by a processor contained in a housing of a data acquisition unit suitable for seismic ambient noise tomography, the method including:
- sensing, via a vibration transducer of a ground movement data acquisition mechanism of the data acquisition unit, vibration in a ground region relative to the data acquisition unit and generating an electrical output signal based on the sensed vibration;
- receiving, via the processor, the electrical output signal and converting the electrical output signal to measured ground movement data;
- pre-processing the measured ground movement data and buffering the pre-processed measured ground movement data;
- processing the buffered pre-processed measured ground movement data to batch-generate a data payload before transmitting the data payload, via a satellite modem communicatively coupled to the processor via a modem port on the housing, to a satellite;
- and
- transmitting to the satellite the data payload at a randomised transmission time within a scheduled transmission time period.
A method of processing by a processor contained in a housing of a data acquisition unit suitable for seismic ambient noise tomography, the method including:
- sensing, via a vibration transducer of a ground movement data acquisition mechanism of the data acquisition unit, first vibrations in a ground region relative to the data acquisition unit and generating a first electrical output signal based on the sensed first vibrations;
- receiving, via the processor, the first electrical output signal and converting the first electrical output signal to measured first ground movement data;
- sensing, via the vibration transducer of the ground movement data acquisition mechanism of the data acquisition unit, second vibrations in the ground region relative to the data acquisition unit and generating a second electrical output signal based on the sensed second vibrations;
- receiving, via the processor, the second electrical output signal and converting the second electrical output signal to measured second ground movement data;
- sampling the measured first ground movement data in a first buffer and then batch pre-processing the first buffer to form batched pre-processed first ground movement data;
- sampling the measured second ground movement data in a second buffer and then batch pre-processing the second buffer to form batched pre-processed second ground movement data;
- and
- processing the batched pre-processed first ground movement data and the batched pre-processed second ground movement data to generate one or more data payloads;
- and
- transmitting the one or more data payloads, via a satellite modem communicatively coupled to the processor, to a communicatively coupled satellite.
A method of processing by a processor contained in a housing of a data acquisition unit suitable for seismic ambient noise tomography, the method including:
- sensing, via a vibration transducer of a ground movement data acquisition mechanism of the data acquisition unit, vibration in a ground region relative to the data acquisition unit and generating an electrical output signal based on the sensed vibration;
- receiving, via the processor, the electrical output signal and converting the electrical output signal to measured ground movement data;
- pre-processing and buffering the measured ground movement data;
- processing the pre-processed measured ground movement data to generate a data payload;
- and
- transmitting the data payload, via a satellite modem communicatively coupled to the processor, to a communicatively coupled satellite.
A data acquisition unit for acquiring seismic data for performing ambient noise tomography (ANT) at a server system, including:
- a closed housing including a top portion, a central portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a vibration sensing portion for sensing vibration in a ground region;
- a vibration transducer in the lower portion and configured to receive vibrations via the vibration sensing portion and generate an electrical output signal based on the received vibrations;
- a processing unit in the housing to receive and pre-process the electrical output signal to form pre-processed ground movement data, and to process the pre-processed ground movement data to generate a data payload;
- a synchronisation unit to receive a synchronisation signal from a satellite and to communicate synchronisation data to the processing unit based on the synchronisation signal;
- a satellite modem coupled to the top portion;
- a modem communication port for allowing communication between the satellite modem and the processing unit to transmit the data payload to a satellite;
- a power source holding structure in the central portion, the power source holding structure for holding a power source in the central portion;
- and
- a power supply in the central portion configured to supply power from the power source to the processing unit, the satellite modem and the synchronisation unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.