# US 2019/0317232 A1 · High-productivity seismic data acquisition using calendar-time-based sweep initiation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0317232 A1 - Document ID: US20190317232A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/954,976 - Filed: 2018-04-17 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-17 - Assignees: Cgg Services SAS - Applicants: Cgg Services SAS - Inventors: Brice TAYART DE BORMS; Julien COTTON; Paul HARDOUIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190317232A1 ## CPC - G01V 1/005: {with exploration systems emitting special signals, e.g. frequency swept signals, pulse sequences or slip sweep arrangements} - G01V 1/09: Transporting arrangements, e.g. on vehicles (G01V1/38 takes precedence) - G01V 2210/1214: Continuous - G01V 2210/127: Cooperating multiple sources - G01V 2210/1295: Land surface - 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 A method for actuating plural sets of vibratory seismic sources. The method includes calculating, at a controller, a continuous signal Cn that is made as a periodic repetition of a template pn, wherein the template pn includes a swept-frequency signal; receiving a subset duration time Lsub; receiving a tapering function W having a time length of Lsub; receiving a calendar time tsweep; computing, at the controller, a product Sn of a subset of the continuous signal Cn and the tapering function W, wherein the subset of the continuous signal Cn starts at the calendar time tsweep and lasts for the duration time Lsub; and actuating a set n of the plural sets of vibratory sources at the calendar time tsweep, wherein each vibratory source of the set n of vibratory sources is actuated based on the product Sn. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for actuating plural sets of vibratory seismic sources, the method comprising: calculating, at a controller, a continuous signal Cn that is made as a periodic repetition of a template pn, wherein the template pn includes a swept-frequency signal; receiving a subset duration time Lsub; receiving a tapering function W having a time length of Lsub; receiving a calendar time tsweep; computing, at the controller, a product Sn of a subset of the continuous signal Cn and the tapering function W, wherein the subset of the continuous signal Cn starts at the calendar time tsweep and lasts for the duration time Lsub; and actuating a set n of the plural sets of vibratory sources at the calendar time tsweep, wherein each vibratory source of the set n of vibratory sources is actuated based on the product Sn. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating a continuous signal Cn for each set n of the plural vibratory sources. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein each continuous signal Cn has a corresponding sweep sn having a corresponding time length LSWn, amplitude profile An, frequency profile fn, initial phase Φn and tapering function Tapn. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving N slip-times Tslipn, wherein the slip-time Tslipn is a time delay between a starting time of a first set of vibratory sources and a starting time of the n set of vibratory sources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: calculating the subset duration time LP as a sum of all N slip-time Tslipn. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: calculating the template pn as a sum of a swept frequency signal sn and a taper time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: calculating a time shift τn as a sum of all N slip-time Tslipn; and computing the continuous signal Cn by periodically repeating the template pn from the time shift τn. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the template pn is made of the swept-frequency signal followed by a waiting time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the sweep length LSWn is a time interval during which a vibratory source emits a given set of frequencies, a starting frequency of the sweep length being fs and an end frequency of the sweep length being fe, the record length LR is a time during which seismic sensors record seismic signals originating from the vibratory source, and a taper function makes a smooth transition at the start and end frequencies. ### Claim 10 A controller for actuating plural sets of vibratory seismic sources, the controller comprising: an interface for receiving a subset duration time Lsub, receiving a tapering function W having a time length of Lsub, and receiving a calendar time tsweep; and a processor connected to the interface and configured to, calculate a continuous signal Cn that is made as a periodic repetition of a template pn, wherein the template pn includes a swept-frequency signal, compute a product Sn of a subset of the continuous signal Cn and the tapering function W, wherein the subset of the continuous signal Cn starts at the calendar time tsweep and lasts for the duration time Lsub, and actuate a set n of the plural sets of vibratory sources at the calendar time tsweep, wherein each vibratory source of the set n of vibratory sources is actuated based on the product Sn. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The controller of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: calculate a continuous signal Cn for each set n of the plural vibratory sources. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein each continuous signal Cn has a corresponding sweep sn having a corresponding time length LSWn, amplitude profile An, frequency profile fn, initial phase Φn and tapering function Tapn. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The controller of claim 12, wherein the interface is configured to: receive N slip-times Tslipn, wherein the slip-time Tslipn is a time delay between a starting time of a first set of vibratory sources and a starting time of the n set of vibratory sources. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The controller of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate the subset duration time LP as a sum of all N slip-time Tslipn. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The controller of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate the template pn as a sum of a swept frequency signal sn and a taper time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The controller of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate a time shift τn as a sum of all N slip-time Tslipn; and compute the continuous signal Cn by periodically repeating the template pn from the time shift τn. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The controller of claim 10, wherein the template pn is made of the swept-frequency signal followed by a waiting time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The controller of claim 12, wherein the sweep length LSWn is a time interval during which a vibratory source emits a given set of frequencies, a starting frequency of the sweep length being fs and an end frequency of the sweep length being fe, the record length LR is a time during which seismic sensors record seismic signals originating from the vibratory source, and a taper function makes a smooth transition at the start and end frequencies. ### Claim 19 A system for actuating plural sets of vibratory seismic sources, the system comprising: a land seismic carrier configured to move with a seismic source; and a controller located on the land seismic carrier, wherein the controller includes, an interface for receiving a subset duration time Lsub, receiving a tapering function W having a time length of Lsub, and receiving a calendar time tsweep; and a processor connected to the interface and configured to, calculate a continuous signal Cn that is made as a periodic repetition of a template pn, wherein the template pn includes a swept-frequency signal, compute a product Sn of a subset of the continuous signal Cn and the tapering function W, wherein the subset of the continuous signal Cn starts at the calendar time tsweep and lasts for the duration time Lsub, and actuate a set n of the plural sets of vibratory sources at the calendar time tsweep, wherein each vibratory source of the set n of vibratory sources is actuated based on the product Sn. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to: calculate a continuous signal Cn for each set n of the plural vibratory sources.