US 2012/0236687 A1Published application

Directional Seismic Sensor Array

OwnerThomas E. Oweninventor

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Abstract

A vibration sensor system for contacting the surface of a solid medium for detecting horizontally polarized shear waves and compressional waves. At least two contact points interface between a vibration sensor array and the solid medium to provide uninterrupted contact with the medium during detection of dynamic motions in the medium. A single vibration sensor is mounted on at least two adjacent contact points to convert detected dynamic motions to corresponding electrical signals. The single vibration sensor mounted on the two adjacent contact points forms a sub-array. The vibration sensor system has at least two sub-arrays. A conditioning and combining member treats sensor electrical signals from at least two sub-arrays to form a composite output signal for the system.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An array of vibration sensors in contact with a surface of a solid medium for detecting dynamic motions in said solid medium, comprising:

a vibration sensor array for detecting horizontally polarized shear waves or compressional waves that propagate in solid materials, said shear waves having particle motions parallel or nearly parallel to said surface of said solid medium and said compressional waves having particle motions perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to said surface of said solid medium;
at least two contact points at an interface between said vibration sensor array and said solid medium, said contact points representing elements of said sensor array and said contact points being in uninterrupted contact with said solid medium during detection of said dynamic motions;
a single vibration sensor mounted on at least two adjacent said contact points for converting said detected dynamic motions of said solid medium to sensor electrical signals corresponding to said detected dynamic motions, said single vibration sensor mounted on each said at least two adjacent contact points adapted to form a sub-array of said vibration sensor array, said vibration sensor array comprising at least two said sub-arrays;
and
a means for conditioning and combining said sensor electrical signals from at least two of said sub-arrays to form the composite output signal of said vibration sensor array.

2 more elements

A vibration sensor array system having sub-array vibration sensing assemblies in uninterrupted contact with a solid medium for detecting horizontally polarized seismic shear wave or compressional wave dynamic motions in said solid medium and converting said detected dynamic motions to electrical signals corresponding to said dynamic motions, comprising:

two or more said sub-array assemblies in contact with a two-dimensional area of the surface of said solid medium, each of said sub-array assemblies comprising:
a rigid subassembly base plate;
a single vibration sensor mounted on said plate, said rigid subassembly base plate having mounted on an underside and in contact with said solid medium at least two rigid contact point elements communicating mechanical signals imparted by said dynamic motions in said solid medium to vibrations in said rigid subassembly base plate, said base plate vibrations detected and converted to electrical signals by said single vibration sensor, said rigid subassembly base plate having at least two compliant mounting columns attached to an upper side for mounting said rigid subassembly base plate to a underside of a hold-down plate distributing hold-down mass to each said at least two sub-array assemblies for uninterrupted contact with said solid medium;
a means for conditioning and combining said electrical output signals from said at least two sub-array assemblies to form a complete composite electrical output signal of said sensor array system.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.