Survey system and method for real time collection and processing of geophysicals data using signals from a global positioning satellite network

A real time aerial survey system for conducting surveys over a specified geographic area, the system comprising:

• (a) a global positioning satellite network;
• (b) an aircraft;
• (c) detection means on said aircraft for measuring one or more parameters which define geophysical data;
• (d) tracking means for automatically computing the altitude of said aircraft and the horizontal position thereof relative the specified geographic area, said tracking means using signals of said satellite network in calculating said horizontal position of said aircraft;
• (e) guidance means carried by said aircraft and communicating with said tracking means for automatically guiding said aircraft along preselected travel paths of a survey pattern over the specified geographic area according to the altitude and horizontal position of said data acquisition vehicle computed by said tracking means;
• and
• (f) first data processing means communicating with said tracking means and said detection means for correlating in real time said geophysical data with said position of said aircraft in relation to said specific geographic area at each instant of time when said parameters were detected.

An aerial survey system for collecting geophysical data in a specified geographic area and for processing said geophysical data in real time, said survey system comprising:

• (a) a global positioning satellite network;
• (b) a data acquisition aircraft for traversing the specified geographic area, the data acquisition aircraft comprising:
• (i) detection means for measuring one or more parameters which define the geophysical data;
• (ii) a first alimeter for determining the altitude of said aircraft;
• (iii) a first satellite signal reception means for determining from signals of the satellite network the approximate horizontal position of said data acquisition aicraft;
• (iv) aircraft communication means for transmitting in synchronization signals representing said altitude and said approximate horizontal position of said aircraft and signals representing said parameters;
• and
• (v) guidance means for receiving signals representing the automatically computed real time position of said aircraft, such that the course of said aircraft can be corrected to maintain said aircraft in alignment with preselected travel paths of a survey pattern over the specified geographic area;
• and
• (c) a base section comprising:
• (i) a second altimeter for determining the altitude of said base station;
• (ii) a second satellite signal reception means for determining from signals of the satellite network the horizontal position of said base station;
• (iii) telemetry means for receiving from said aircraft said signals transmitted by said aircraft communication means;
• (iv) data processing means connected to said second altimeter and said telemetry means for electronically processing signals therefrom to determine automatically the real time position of said data acquisition vehicle in relation to said geographic area and to correlate and display automatically in real time said geophysical data and said position of said aircraft in relation to where in the specified geographic region said geophysical data was measured;
• and
• (v) base station transmission means for broadcasting signals representing said real time position of said aircraft automatically computed by said data processing means to said guidance means of said aircraft.

In a survey system having a data acquisition vehicle and a base station, a method of collecting geophysical data over a specified geographic area and of processing said data in real time, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) automatically determining the horizontal and vertical position of said base station utilizing signals from a global positioning satellite network to determine at least said horizontal position thereof;
• (b) automatically determining the vertical position of said data acquisition vehicle and from signals from a global positioning satellite network the approximate horizontal position of said data acquisition vehicle;
• (c) detecting one or more parameters which define said geophysical data as said data acquisition vehicle trasverses a selected survey pattern over said specified geographic area;
• (d) synchronizing the detection of said parameters with the determining of the vertical and horizontal position of said data acquisition vehicle;
• (e) transmitting electronic signals representing said geophysical data and said vertical and horizontal position of said data acquisition vehicle from said data acquisition vehicle to said base station;
• (f) receiving at said base station said signals transmitted from said data acquisition vehicle;
• (g) electronically processing said signals representing said vertical and horizontal position of said data acquisition vehicle received at said base station so as to determine automatically in real time the real time position of said data acquisition vehicle in relation to said geographic area and to said selected survey pattern;
• (h) automatically guiding said data acquisition vehicle along said preselected survey pattern according to electronic signals received from said base station representing the rear time position of said data acquisition vehicle;
• and
• (i) electronically processing said signals representing said geophysical data received at said base station to correlate and display automatically in real time said geophysical data at each position of said data acquisition vehicle corresponding to the position on said geographic area at which said geophysical data was detected.