# US 7,613,071 B2 · Seismic telemetry system with steerable antennas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,613,071 B2 - Document ID: US7613071B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/190,742 - Filed: 2005-07-27 - Published: 2005-11-24 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 1998-08-07 - Assignees: ION Geophysical Corporation - Inventors: James Iseli; Kambiz Afkami; Xiabong Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613071B2 ## CPC - G01V 1/223: {Radioseismic systems} - 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 system for remotely controlling, acquiring and monitoring the acquisition of seismic data. The system includes remote equipment for collecting seismic data and for transmitting and receiving communication signals to and from a remote location. The system also includes local equipment for transmitting and receiving communication signals to and from the remote location. In this manner, the collection of seismic data at remote locations can be controlled and monitored locally. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A seismic data acquisition apparatus comprising: a seismic sensor deployed at a seismic sensor location that is configured to: i) listen for an open time slot and frequency, and ii) request the use of the open slot; a base station having a plurality of diversity antennas, the base station being configured to respond to the sensor request by reducing an overall data rate when operating at full capacity; and a steerable antenna coupled to the base station wherein the steerable antenna is configured to receive a sensor signal from the seismic sensor location, monitor a strength of the received sensor signal, and determine a direction of the seismic sensor location from the strength of the received signal to steer the steerable antenna, wherein the seismic sensor is configured to capture the open slot and transmit to the base station when the base station is not operating at full capacity, and wherein the base station is configured to select an optimum diversity antenna for transmission. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna scans a sector to determine the direction of the seismic sensor location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor location comprises a plurality of seismic sensor locations, each of the plurality of seismic sensor locations having a seismic sensor, the steerable antenna being steerable to communicate with each of the plurality of seismic sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the steerable antenna scans a substantially 360° sector around the base station for a received signal strength to determine a direction of each of the plurality of seismic sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor location further comprises a plurality of seismic sensors and the base station further comprises a plurality of base stations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna further comprises an active antenna array. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable antenna further comprises an active beamformer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor further comprises an active antenna array. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor further comprises an active beamformer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: i) a recorder; and ii) a recorder interface in communication with the recorder and the base station, the recorder interface receiving the sensor signal from the base station and transmitting the sensor signal to the recorder for recording the sensor signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station further comprises a wireless communication link coupling the base station to the recorder interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication link comprises a pair of directional antennas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station comprises a wireline communication link coupling the base station to the recorder interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the seismic sensor location further comprises a plurality of seismic sensor locations, each of the plurality of seismic sensor locations having a seismic sensor, the base station further comprising a plurality of base stations, each of the plurality of base stations having a steerable antenna, wherein each base station in the plurality of base stations is adapted to receive sensor signals from one or more of the plurality of seismic sensors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of seismic sensors provides wireless communication with the base station that uses one or more of (1) time division, (2) frequency division, (3) code division, (4) space division, and (5) polarization division. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of steerable antennas and the plurality of seismic sensors form a plurality of communication links, each communication link utilizing a different wireless communication method. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor provides a wireless communication with the base station that is one of i) a combination of time and frequency division and ii) a combination of time and code division. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor provides a wireless communication with the base station using a frequency range for wireless transmission, the frequency range being within one of i) a 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz band and ii) a VHF band. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon detecting an error in transmission, the sensor is configured to perform one of: i) retransmit the erred packets at the end of a frame; ii) wait until the end of a record and request retransmission of data; and iii) store erred packets of data and retransmit during non-active time. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic sensor is further configured to monitor a radio spectrum and maintain a log of available channels. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to determine a data density of each diversity antenna of the plurality of diversity antennas.