Seismic trace annotation generator

Claim 2

In a seismic data processing system for photographically reproducing seismic data from a plurality of seismic channels in which the electron beam of a cathode-ray tube is intensity modulated one time during each sweep across the face of the cathode-ray tube for each of said seismic channels and a drum recorder which rotates past the face of the cathode-ray tube to photographically record each such sweep of the electron beam, thereby producing a photographic recording of the seismic traces in parallel relationship, the method of annotating the recording with alpha-numeric characters, comprising the steps of: a. storing a plurality of alpha-numeric characters in the form of digital bit character matrices, such characters to be reproduced in a line across the photographic recording, b. synchronizing a plurality of clock pulses with each sweep of the electron beam across the face of the cathode-ray tube, c. modulating the electron beam at the frequency of said clock pulses with the bit information from the first row of each of the stored character matrices to thereby display the first row of each character matrix sequentially across the face of the cathode-ray tube, the electron beam being unmodulated for a predetermined number of clock pulses between the first row of each character matrix to provide for the horizontal character spacing on the recording, d. producing a photographic recording in side-by-side relationship of each sweep of the electron beam whereby the width of each character recorded on the photographic recording is proportional to the frequency of said clock pulses, and e. repeating steps (c) and (d) for each succeeding row of the character matrices, the recording of the line of characters being complete when the electron beam has been modulated by the bit information contained in the last row of the character matrices.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 including the modulation of the electron beam for a predetermined number of sweeps fOr each matrix row of bit information whereby the height of the character reproduced on the photographic recording is proportional to said predetermined number of sweeps.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 further including the step of repeating steps (a) through (e) to reproduce another line of characters on the photographic recording following a predetermined number of sweeps of the electron beam after the completion of the reproduction of the preceding line of characters, the electron beam being unmodulated for said predetermined number of sweeps provides for the spacing between the lines of characters on the recording.

Claim 5

In a seismic data processing system for photographically reproducing seismic data from a plurality of seismic channels including a converter for providing a plurality of pulse width modulation signals representing the data contained on each seismic channel, a multiplexer for successively applying one modulation signal for each of said plurality of seismic channels to a cathode-ray tube to successively intensity modulate the electron beam one time during each sweep of the electron beam across the face of said cathode-ray tube for each of said seismic channels, and a drum plotter for photographically reproducing in a side-by-side relationship each sweep of said electron beam whereby a plurality of seismic traces are recorded simultaneously in parallel, the combination therewith of: a. a memory for storing a line of alpha-numeric characters in binary bit matrices, said characters to be photographically reproduced on said drum plotter to annotate said seismic traces, b. a generator of a plurality of different frequency clock pulses, c. means responsive to a selected one of said clock pulses for multiplexing the bit information out of said memory sequentially along common rows of each of said matrices, the sweep of the electron beam of the cathode-ray tube being modulated by the multiplexed output of the memory to display on the face of the cathode-ray tube that portion of each character in the line of characters represented by said multiplexed output, and the width of each character portion in the line of characters being determined by the frequency of the selected clock pulses, d. a sweep counter which counts each sweep of the electron beam, e. means for incrementing said memory after a first predetermined number of sweeps of the electron beam have been counted by said sweep counter whereby bit information from each succeeding common row of said character matrices is multiplexed out of said memory to modulate the electron beam, and f. means for inhibiting the production of said clock pulses for a second predetermined number of sweeps of said electron beam after the first predetermined number of sweeps have been completed for the last common row of said character matrices in the line of characters, thereby providing for a spacing which is parallel to and immediately following the line of characters.

Claim 6

In a seismic data processing system for photographically reproducing seismic data from a plurality of seismic channels including a converter for providing a plurality of pulse width modulation signals representing the data contained on each seismic channel, a multiplexer for successively applying one modulation signal for each of said plurality of seismic channels to a cathode-ray tube to successively intensity modulate the electron beam one time during each sweep of the electron beam across the face of said cathode-ray tube for each of said seismic channels, and a drum plotter for photographically reproducing in a side-by-side relationship each sweep of said electron beam whereby a plurality of seismic traces are recorded simultaneously in parallel, the combination therewith of: a. a memory for storing a line of alpha-numeric characters in binary bit matrices, said characters to be photographically reproduced on said drum plotter to annotate said seismic traces, b. a generator of a plurality of different frequency clock pulses, c. means responsive to a selected one of said clock pulses for multiplexing the bit information out of said memory sequentially along common rows of each of said matrices, the sweep of the electron beam of the cathode-ray tube being modulated by the multiplexed output of the memory to display on the face of the cathode-ray tube that portion of each character in the line of characters represented by said multiplexed output, and the width of each character portion in the line of characters being determined by the frequency of the selected clock pulses, d. a sweep counter which counts each sweep of the electron beam, e. means for incrementing said memory after a first predetermined number of sweeps of the electron beam have been counted by said sweep counter whereby bit information from each succeeding common row of said character matrices is multiplexed out of said memory to modulate the electron beam, and f. means for inhibiting the production of said clock pulses for a second predetermined number of sweeps of said electron beam after the first predetermined number of sweeps have been completed for the last common row of said character matrices in the line of characters, thereby providing for a spacing which is parallel to and immediately following the line of characters.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4 wherein said means for multiplexing the bit information from said memory includes a counter which counts said clock pulses and inhibits the multiplexing of said bits of information from said memory for a predetermined number of said clock pulses immediately after the last bit of each character matrix in a common row has been multiplexed to the modulation input of said cathode-ray tube, thereby providing for the horizontal spacing between each character in the line of characters.