# US 2018/0321402 A1 · Geophysical sensor cables > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0321402 A1 - Document ID: US20180321402A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/957,705 - Filed: 2018-04-19 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-03 - Assignees: PGS Geophysical AS - Applicants: PGS Geophysical AS - Inventors: Anders Göran Mattsson; Stig Rune Lennart Tenghamn; Frederick James Barr, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321402A1 ## CPC - G01V 1/202: {Connectors, e.g. for force, signal or power} - G01V 1/186: {Hydrophones} - G01V 1/201: {Constructional details of seismic cables, e.g. streamers (integrated optoseismic systems G01V1/226; line connectors in general H01R, transducer mountings in general G10K11/004)} - G01V 2001/207: {Buoyancy} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract Geophysical sensor cables. At least some of the example embodiments are sensor cable sections including hydrophone groups defined along a geophysical sensor cable section, the hydrophone group may include: a substrate of flexible material having electrical traces thereon, the substrate within the internal volume or embedded within the outer jacket, and the substrate having has a length measured parallel to the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of hydrophones mechanically coupled to the substrate. The substrate may have a variety of shapes, including one or more strips, helix, double helix, and cylindrical. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A geophysical sensor cable section comprising: an outer jacket that defines an internal volume, a longitudinal axis, and a length; a hydrophone group defined along the geophysical sensor cable section, the hydrophone group comprising: a substrate of flexible material having electrical traces thereon; and a plurality of hydrophones mechanically coupled to the substrate, each hydrophone comprising a die of an integrated circuit, and the electrical traces electrically coupling to the plurality of hydrophones. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising the plurality of hydrophones having a density of one hydrophone per meter or greater, the density measured along a length of the substrate measured parallel to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 2 wherein the density of the hydrophones is at least one selected from a group consisting of: 10 hydrophones per meter or greater; and 100 hydrophones per meter or greater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 wherein each hydrophone further comprises a plurality of hydrophone elements electrically coupled in parallel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of hydrophones are electrically coupled in series. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 wherein each hydrophone further comprises a plurality of hydrophone elements electrically coupled in parallel, and at least some of the plurality of hydrophones electrically coupled in series. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 wherein the die of each hydrophone has a largest dimension being at least one selected from the group comprising: 10 millimeters or less; and 5 millimeter or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising a gel within the internal volume of the outer jacket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of hydrophone groups contiguously defined along the geophysical sensor cable section; wherein the length of the outer jacket is about 75 meters; wherein each hydrophone group spans about 3 meters measured along the longitudinal axis of the outer jacket. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material resides within the internal volume; the substrate comprises a strip of flexible material that has a length and a width, and the length of the substrate extends parallel to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 10 further comprising the substrate abuts an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 10 further comprising the hydrophones periodically spaced along the length of the substrate, and the spacing at intervals being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material resides within the internal volume; the substrate is a strip of flexible material having a length, and the length of the substrate forms a helix around the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 13 further comprising the substrate abuts an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 13 further comprising the hydrophones periodically spaced along the length of the substrate such that the hydrophones are spaced at intervals along the longitudinal axis being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material resides within the internal volume; the substrate defines a cylinder with a central axis, the central axis of the cylinder coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the outer jacket; and the plurality of hydrophones define a grid pattern on the cylinder. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 16 wherein the substrate abuts an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 16 wherein the plurality of hydrophones are disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of: an outside surface of the cylinder; and an inside surface of the cylinder. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 16 further comprising the hydrophones define the grid pattern such that: the hydrophones are radially spaced around outer jacket, and at each axial location there are between 10 and 20 hydrophones inclusive; and the hydrophones are spaced at intervals along the longitudinal axis being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material is embedded within the outer jacket; the substrate comprises a strip of flexible material that has a length and a width, and the length of the substrate extends parallel to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 20 wherein the substrate further comprises a plurality of strips of flexible material that extend parallel to each other. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 20 further comprising the hydrophones periodically spaced along the length of the substrate, and the spacing at intervals being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material is embedded within the outer jacket; the substrate is a strip of flexible material, and a length of the substrate forms a helix around the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 23 wherein the substrate further comprises a plurality of strips of flexible material in a double helix. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 23 further comprising the hydrophones periodically spaced along the length of the substrate such that the hydrophones are spaced at intervals along the longitudinal axis of the outer jacket, the intervals being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate of flexible material is embedded within the outer jacket; the substrate defines a cylinder with a central axis, the central axis of the cylinder coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the outer jacket; and the plurality of hydrophones define a grid pattern on the cylinder. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The geophysical sensor cable section of claim 26 further comprising the hydrophones define the grid pattern such that: the hydrophones are radially spaced around outer jacket, and at each axial location there are between 10 and 20 hydrophones inclusive; and the hydrophones are spaced at intervals along the longitudinal axis being at least one selected from the group comprising: 50 centimeter (cm) intervals; 10 cm intervals; and 1 cm intervals; and at each axial location. ### Claim 28 A method of manufacturing a geophysical sensor cable section comprising: creating a hydrophone group by: mechanically coupling a plurality hydrophones to a substrate of flexible material, the substrate of flexible material having electrical traces thereon; and electrically coupling the plurality of hydrophones to the electrical traces of the on the substrate of flexible material; and combining the hydrophone group with an outer jacket. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein creating the hydrophone group further comprises creating the hydrophone group having a density of one hydrophone per meter or greater, the density measured along a length of the substrate of flexible material. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein creating the hydrophone group further comprises creating the hydrophone group having a density of hydrophones along the substrate being at least one selected from a group consisting of: 10 hydrophones per meter or greater; and 100 hydrophones per meter or greater. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein creating the hydrophone group further comprises coupling the plurality of hydrophones, and each hydrophone has a largest dimension being at least one selected from the group comprising: 10 millimeters or less; and 5 millimeter or less. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further comprising filling the internal volume of the outer jacket with a gel. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises placing the substrate of flexible material within the internal volume such that a length of the substrate extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the outer jacket. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein telescoping further comprising abutting the substrate against an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 35 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises placing the substrate of flexible material in a helix around a longitudinal axis of the outer jacket. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35 wherein placing the substrate in a helix further comprises further comprises placing the substrate of flexible material in a helix around the longitudinal axis and abutting an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 37 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises forming the substrate into a cylinder with a central axis, and disposing the cylinder in an internal volume of the outer jacket such that the central axis of the cylinder is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the outer jacket. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37 disposing the cylinder in the internal volume further comprises placing the cylinder such that an outside diameter of the cylinder abuts an inside diameter of the outer jacket. ### Claim 39 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises embedding the substrate of flexible material in the outer jacket such that a length of the flexible material is parallel to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 40 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises embedding the substrate of flexible material in the outer jacket such that the length of the substrate forms a helix around the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 41 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein combining the hydrophone group with the outer jacket further comprises embedding the substrate of flexible material into the outer jacket such that the substrate of flexible material forms a cylinder with a central axis, and the central axis of the cylinder coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the outer jacket.