Method and apparatus for seismic geophysical exploration

A seismic system for geophysical exploration, comprising:

• at least one signal energy source for producing a shot at a desired location within a survey area, which shot generates seismic waves in the earth;
• a plurality of geophones distributed over the survey area for receiving the seismic waves after travel through the earth and transducing such received seismic waves into representative electrical signals;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being physically located in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one of the geophones;
• a control means for generating an electrical signal initiating the operation of the seismic energy souce and the plurality of geophone monitoring means, the control means including means for generating an electrical signal containing data instructing the seismic energy source and/or the plurality of geophone monitoring means to immediately commence a preselected operation;
• the seismic energy source including means producing a shot responsive thereto whenever preselected data is contained in the electrical signal generated by the control means;
• each of the geophone monitoring means including means for performing a preselected operation whenever preselected data is contained in the electrical signal generated by the control means, the means for performing the preselected operation further including:
• means for successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to a shot by the seismic energy source and producing digitized data representative thereof,
• a memory means for storing the digitized data accessed thereto, and
• means for summing the digitized data produced by the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to a particular shot, with the digitized data, if any, produced by the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to another shot or shots and for accessing the summed digitized data to the memory means, and
• a recorder means for receiving the summed digitized data after a desired number of shots have occurred and for making a record of such summed digitized data.

A seismic system for geophysical exploration, comprising:

• a plurality of geophones;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being physically associated in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one geophone;
• a seismic energy source for producing a shot generating seismic waves;
• a control means for generating and transmitting an electromagnetic signal containing time break data instructing the seismic energy source and/or the various geophone monitoring means to immediately commence performing a preselected operation;
• the seismic energy source including:
• a means for receiving the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the control means;
• means for transducing the received electromagnetic signal into a digital data stream representative thereof,
• means for determining from the digital data stream the time break data and for producing an electrical signal representative thereof, and
• energy means operable responsive to such electrical signal for producing the shot which generates seismic waves;
• the geophone monitoring means including:
• receiver means for receiving the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the control means,
• means for transducing the received electromagnetic signal into a digital data stream representative thereof,
• means for determining from the digital data stream the time break data and for generating an electrical signal representative thereof,
• means for generating a clocking signal, the operation of such clocking means being enabled by the electrical signal representative of the time break data,
• a summing control means operable responsive to the clocking signal for generating an enabling electrical signal,
• means for successively sampling, at selected instants of time responsive to the enabling signal generated by the summing control means, the electrical signal generated by the associated geophones responsive to the seismic waves generated by a shot of the seismic energy source and for providing digitized data representative thereof,
• memory means for storing such digitized data as may be access thereto,
• adder means for receiving the digitized data representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the associated geophones responsive to a particular shot and for summing such digitized data with such additional digitized data as may be accessed thereto representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the associated geophones responsive to a previous shot or shots and previously stored in the memory means,
• means for accessing the digitized data back and forth between the memory means and the adder means, and
• a recorder means for making a record of the totally summed digitized data after a selected number of shots have been produced by the seismic energy source and the electrical signals generated by the associated geophones responsive to such shots have been sampled and summed.

A seismic system for geophysical exploration, comprising:

• at least one seismic energy source for producing a shot at a desired location within a survey area, which shot generates seismic waves through the earth;
• a plurality of geophones distributed over the survey area for receiving the seismic waves after travel through the earth and for transducing such received seismic waves into representative electrical signals;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being physically located in relative close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one of the geophones;
• a control means for generating and transmitting an electromagnetic signal containing data initiating the operation of the seismic energy source and the plurality of geophone monitoring means, the control means including:
• means for generating an electromagnetic signal containing data representative of a selected time-of-day, and
• means for generating an electromagnetic signal containing data commanding the seismic energy source and/or the plurality of geophone monitoring means to commence a preselected operation at a selected future time-of-day;
• the seismic energy source including means for receiving each of such electromagnetic signals and transducing such electromagnetic signal into a digital data stream representative thereof and further including:
• means operable responsive to data in the digital data stream indicative of the selected time-of-day, for generating a digital data signal indicative of the current time-of-day, and
• means operable responsive to data in the digital data stream indicative of a command for the seismic energy source to produce a shot at a selected future time-of-day, and operable responsive to the digital signal indicative of the current time-of-day, for producing a shot at such selected future time-of-day;
• each of the geophone monitoring means including means for receiving each of such electromagnetic signals and transducing such electromagnetic signal into a digital data stream and means for performing certain commanded operations responsive to data contained in the digital data stream, the means for performing the commanded operations including:
• means operable responsive to data in the data stream indicative of a selected time-of-day, for generating a digital data signal indicative of the current time-of-day,
• means operable responsive to data the data stream indicative of the command for the geophone monitoring means to commence a certain preselected operation at a selected future time-of-day, for successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to a shot and for producing digitalized data representative thereof, the successive sampling commencing at the selected future time-of-day as determined by the digital signal indicative of the current time-of-day, and
• a memory means for storing the data accessed thereto,

A seismic system for geophysical exploration, comprising:

• a seismic energy source for producing a shot which generates seismic waves through the earth;
• a plurality of geophones for sensing the seismic waves after travel through the earth and generating electrical signals representative thereof;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being associated with and electrically coupled to at least one of the geophones;
• and
• a control means for generating and transmitting electromagnetic signals containing data representative of at least (a) a selected current time-of-day or (b) instructions for the seismic energy source and/or the various geophone monitoring means to commence a preselected operation at a selected future time-of-day;
• the seismic energy source including:
• means for receiving the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the control means and for generating a digital signal representative thereof,
• means for determining from the digital signal the type of message contained therein,
• a time-of-day-clock-counter for receiving and storing the data indicative of the selected time-of-day whenever such data is contained in the digital signal and for thereafter generating an electrical signal representative of the current time-of-day,
• a time-of-shot-storage device for receiving and storing the data representative of the time of the next shot whenever such data is contained in the digital signal,
• a comparator for comparing the current time-of-day data generated by the time-of-day-clock-counter with the selected future time-of-day data stored in the time-of-shot-storage device and generating an impulse electrical signal when such times are equal,
• energy means operable responsive to such impulse electrical signal for producing the shot which generates seismic waves;
• the geophone monitoring means including:
• means for receiving the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the control means and for generating a digital signal representative thereof,
• means for determining from the digital signal the type of message contained therein,
• means for generating a clocking signal,
• a time-of-day-clock-counter for receiving and storing the selected time-of-day whenever such data is contained in the digital signal and for thereafter generating an electrical signal representative of the current time-of-day,
• a time-of-shot-storage device for receiving and storing the data indicative of the time of the next shot whenever such data is contained in the digital signal,
• a comparator connected to the outputs of the time-of-day-clock-counter and the time-of-shot-storage device for comparing the current time-of-day with the selected future time-of-day and, when such times are equal, for generating an impulse electrical signal,
• means operable responsive to the clocking signal and to the impulse electrical signal generated by the comparator, for generating an enabling signal,
• means for successively sampling, at selected instants of time responsive to the enabling signal, the electrical signal generated by the geophones responsive to a shot by the seismic energy source and for providing digitized data representative thereof,
• a memory means for storing such digitized data as may be accessed thereto,
• adder means for receiving the digitized data representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the geophones responsive to a particular shot and for summing such digitized data with digitized data representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the geophones responsive to a previous shot or shots and previously stored in the memory means,
• means for accessing digitized data back and forth between the adder means and the memory means, and
• a recorder means for making a record of the summed digitized data after a selected number of shots have been generated by the seismic energy source and the responsive geophones signals have been sampled and summed.

A seismic system for geophysical exploration, comprising:

• a seismic energy source for producing a shot which generates seismic waves through the earth;
• a plurality of geophones, each of which senses the seismic waves after travel through the earth and generates an electrical signal representative thereof;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being associated with and electrically coupled to at least one of the geophones;
• a control means for generating an electrical signal initiating the operation of the various geophone monitoring means, the control means including means for generating an electrical signal containing data indicative of a selected time-of-day;
• the seismic energy source including:
• means for receiving the electrical signal containing data indicative of the selected time-of-day and thereafter generating an electrical signal indicative of the current time-of-day, and
• means operable responsive to the current time-of-day signal for producing a shot at each of selected instants of time;
• and
• the geophone monitoring means including:
• means for receiving the electrical signal containing data indicative of the selected time-of-day and thereafter generating an electrical signal indicative of the current time-of-day, and
• means for sampling the electrical signal produced by the associated geophone and generating digitized data representative thereof, the sampling and data generating means being operable responsive to the current time-of-day signal to commence a sampling operation at each of the same selected instants of time at which the seismic energy source produces a shot.

A geophone monitoring means designed to be positioned in relatively close physical proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one geophone to receive the electrical signal produced by the geophone responsive to the geophone sensing the seismic waves produced by a shot of a seismic energy source, the geophone monitoring means including:

• means for successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to a shot by the seismic energy source and producing digitized data representative thereof;
• memory means for storing the digitized data accessed thereto;
• adder means for performing a desired arithmatic operation on the digitized data accessed thereto, the adder means being operable to repetitively sum the digitized data representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to a particular shot with the digitized data representative of the sampling of the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to a previous shot or shots;
• and
• means for accessing data back and forth between the memory means and the adder means.

A seismic geophysical exploration system including:

• at least one seismic energy source for producing a shot at a desired location within a survey area, which shot generates seismic waves through the earth;
• a plurality of geophones distributed over the survey area for receiving the seismic waves after travel through the earth and for transducing such received seismic waves into representative electrical signals;
• a plurality of geophone monitoring means, each geophone monitoring means being physically located in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one of the geophones;
• a control means for generating and transmitting an electromagnetic signal containing data initiating the operation of the seismic energy source and the plurality of geophone monitoring means,
• the seismic energy source and each of the geophone monitoring means including:
• means for receiving each of such electromagnetic signals and transducing such electromagnetic signal into a digital data stream representative thereof;
• and
• means for determining if the message length and rate of message of the digital data stream are correct and for generating an electrical signal representative of whether such message length and rate of message are correct, whereby the electromagnetic signal initiating the operation of the seismic energy source and the plurality of geophone monitoring means may be generated repetitively.

In a system for performing seismic geophysical surveying and which includes a seismic energy source for producing a shot that generates seismic waves at a desired location in a survey area, which system includes a plurality of geophones positioned in the survey area for receiving such seismic waves and for generating electrical signals representative thereof, and which system includes a plurality of geophone monitoring means positioned in the survey area, each geophone monitoring means being associated in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one geophone, the improved method of performing seismic geophysical surveying including the steps of:

• 1. generating an electromagnetic signal commanding the seismic energy source to immediately produce a shot and commanding each of the geophone monitoring means to immediately commence a preselected operation with respect to the electrical signal generated by the associated geophones responsive to such shot;
• 2. responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal by the seismic energy source, the seismic energy source producing a shot which generates seismic waves through the earth;
• responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal by the various geophone monitoring means, each of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to the shot of the seismic energy source, such step of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signals including:
• successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to such shot and producing digitized data representative thereof, and
• storing such digitized data in a memory means;
• 3. generating an electromagnetic signal instructing the seismic energy source to immediately produce another shot and commanding each of the geophone monitoring means to immediately commence a preselected operation with respect to the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to such shot;
• 4. responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (3) by the seismic energy source, the seismic energy source producing another shot which generates seismic waves through the earth;
• responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (3) by the various geophone monitoring means, each of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to such shot, such step of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signal including:
• successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to such shot and producing digitized data representative thereof,
• withdrawing from the memory means the digitized data stored therein representative of the successively sampled electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to the previous shot or shots and summing thereto the data representative of the successively sampled electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to the instant shot, and
• accessing the summed data into the memory means;
• and
• 5. successively repeating steps (3) and (4) until a desired number of shots have been produced by the seismic energy source and the electrical signals produced by the geophone associated with each geophone monitoring means have been sampled and digitized and summed in the respective geophone monitoring means.

In a system for performing seismic geophysical surveying, which system includes a seismic energy source for producing a shot that generates seismic waves at a desired location in a survey area, which system includes a plurality of geophones positioned in the survey area for receiving such seismic waves and for generating electrical signals representative thereof, and which system includes a plurality of geophone monitoring means positioned in the survey area, each geophone monitoring means being associated in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one geophone, the improved method of performing seismic geophysical surveying including the steps of:

• 1. generating an electromagnetic signal containing data instructing the seismic energy source and each of the geophone monitoring means of a selected time-of-day;
• 2. responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal by the seismic energy source and by the various geophone monitoring means, producing in the seismic energy source and each of the various geophone monitoring means an electrical signal which is indicative of the current time-of-day;
• 3. generating an electromagnetic signal containing data commanding the seismic energy source to produce a shot at a selected future time-of-day and commanding each of the geophone monitoring means to commence, at such selected future time-of-day, a preselected operation with respect to the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone;
• 4. responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (3) by the seismic energy source, producing a shot by the seismic energy source at the selected future time-of-day, the selected future time-of-day being based upon the current time-of-day signal being produced within the seismic energy source;
• responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (3) by the various geophone monitoring means, commencing the performance by each of the geophone monitoring means of the preselected operation on the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to such shot, the preselected operation being commenced at such selected future time-of-day and the selected future time-of-day being based on the current time-of-day signal being produced within each of the geophone monitoring means, such step of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signal including:
• successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to such shot and producing digitized data representative thereof, and
• storing such digitized data in a memory means;
• 5. generating an electromagnetic signal containing data commanding the seismic energy source to produce another shot at another selected future time-of-day and commanding each of the various geophone monitoring means to commence, at such other selected future time-of-day, the performance of a preselected operation on the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to such shot;
• 6. responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (5) by the seismic energy source, the seismic energy source producing a shot at the selected future time-of-day, the selected future time-of-day being based upon the current time-of-day signal being generated within the seismic energy source;
• responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal generated in step (5) by the various geophone monitoring means, each of the geophone monitoring means commencing the performance of the preselected operation on the electrical signal generated by the associated geophone responsive to such other shot, the preselected operation being commenced at the selected future time-of-day and the selected future time-of-day being based on the current time-of-day signal being generated within each of the geophone monitoring means, such step of the geophone monitoring means performing the preselected operation on the electrical signal including:
• successively sampling the electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to such shot and producing digitized data representative thereof,
• withdrawing from the memory means the data stored therein representative of the successively sampled electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to the previous shot or shots and summing thereto the data representative of the successively sampled electrical signal generated by the geophone responsive to the instant shot, and
• accessing the summed data into the memory means;
• and
• 7. successively repeating steps (5) and (6) until a desired number of shots have been produced and the electrical signals generated by the geophone associated with each geophone monitoring means responsive to such shots have been sampled and transduced into digitized data, and the digitized data has been summed and stored within each respective geophone monitoring means.

In a system for performing seismic geophysical surveying, which system includes a seismic energy source for producing a shot that generates seismic waves at a desired location in a survey area, which system includes a plurality of geophones positioned in the survey area for receiving such seismic waves and for generating electrical signals representative thereof, and which system includes a plurality of geophone monitoring means positioned in the survey area, each geophone monitoring means being associated in relatively close proximity with and electrically coupled to at least one geophone, the improved method of performing seismic geophysical surveying including the steps of:

• generating an electromagnetic signal containing data instructing the seismic energy source and each of the geophone monitoring means of a selected time-of-day;
• responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic signal by the seismic energy source and by the various geophone monitoring means, producing in the seismic energy source and each of the various geophone monitoring means an electrical signal which is indicative of the current time-of-day;
• responsive to the current time-of-day signal generated therein, the seismic energy source producing a shot at each of selected instants of time until a preselected number of shots has been produced;
• responsive to the current time-of-day signal generated therein, each of the geophone monitoring means commencing, at each of the selected instants of time that a shot is produced, to sample the electrical signal produced by the associated geophone responsive to a shot by the seismic energy source and generate digitized data representative thereof, each sampling and data generating operation continuing for a preselected period of time;
• and
• responsive to the current time-of-day signal generated therein, each of the geophone monitoring means summing the digitized data generated during each sampling and data generating operation with the digitized data generated during the previous sampling and data generating operation or operations.