Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
A seismic acquisition system with decentralized processing capacity for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted with a communication link to at least one control unit and centralized therein comprising: at least one acquisition device for collecting the data in response to seismic signals received by an array of seismic receivers positioned on a field and transmitted to the at least one acquisition device, the at least one acquisition device including at least one acquisition chain for digitizing signals received by at least one of the seismic receivers and a control set for controlling acquisition and storage of signals, the control set including a processor and a digital signal processor controlled by the processor, the digital signal processor being programmed for performing processing operations on the seismic signals before transmission thereof to the control unit and for performing quality control on each seismic receiver and each acquisition chain and functioning according to two methods of operation, one method of operation being an active mode for performing the data processing operations and the quality control and the other operation being a standby mode having a lower power consumption than power consumption during the active mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
A seismic acquisition system with decentralized processing capacity for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted with a communication link to at least one control unit and centralized therein comprising: at least one acquisition device for collecting the data in response to seismic signals received by an array of seismic receivers positioned on a field and transmitted to the at least one acquisition device, the at least one acquisition device including at least one acquisition chain for digitizing signals received by at least one of the seismic receivers and a control set for controlling acquisition and storage of signals, the control set including a processor and a digital signal processor controlled by the processor, the digital signal processor being programmed for performing processing operations on the seismic signals before transmission thereof to the control unit and for performing quality control on each seismic receiver and each acquisition chain and functioning according to two methods of operation, one method of operation being an active mode for performing the data processing operations and the quality control and the other operation being a standby mode having a lower power consumption than power consumption during the active mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising: means for compressing the digitized signals before transmission to the control unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: means in the control set for correlating signals received by the at least one receiver with emitted signals to reduce data to be centralized in the control unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
171 words
A seismic acquisition system with decentralized processing capacity for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted with a communication link to at least one control unit and centralized therein comprising: at least one acquisition device for collecting the data in response to seismic signals received by an array of seismic receivers positioned on a field and transmitted to the at least one acquisition device, the at least one acquisition device including at least one acquisition chain for digitizing signals received by at least one of the seismic receivers and a control set for controlling acquisition and storage of signals, the control set including a processor and a digital signal processor controlled by the processor, the digital signal processor being programmed for performing processing operations on the seismic signals before transmission thereof to the control unit and for performing quality control on each seismic receiver and each acquisition chain and functioning to determine electric and electromechanical characteristics of each seismic receiver by using an electrical circuit model of each seismic receiver.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
171 words
A seismic acquisition system with decentralized processing capacity for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted with a communication link to at least one control unit and centralized therein comprising: at least one acquisition device for collecting the data in response to seismic signals received by an array of seismic receivers positioned on a field and transmitted to the at least one acquisition device, the at least one acquisition device including at least one acquisition chain for digitizing signals received by at least one of the seismic receivers and a control set for controlling acquisition and storage of signals, the control set including a processor and a digital signal processor controlled by the processor, the digital signal processor being programmed for performing processing operations on the seismic signals before transmission thereof to the control unit and for performing quality control on each seismic receiver and each acquisition chain and functioning to determine electric and electromechanical characteristics of each seismic receiver by using an electrical circuit model of each seismic receiver.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 comprising: means for compressing the digitized signals before transmission to the control unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 comprising: means for combining seismic signals received at different times by at least one of the receivers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein: the control unit is a central seismic laboratory.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein: the control unit is a control box connected to each acquisition device with a transmission link for providing communications allowing an operator to control the performing of the quality control on each seismic receiver to determine if positioning of each receiver on the field is correct and if each acquisition chain is operating correctly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
A system a claimed in claim 4 wherein: each acquisition device includes two storage units for providing alternate storage of data received during successive emission-reception cycles of the seismic receivers and transmission devices for transmitting at least part of the data contained in a first storage unit during acquisition and storage of seismic data in a second storage unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein: each acquisition device includes a permanent memory for storing instructions received from the control unit via the communication link.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
96 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein: each acquisition device includes a first and a second switching module associated with each seismic receiver for successively connecting the seismic receiver and an associated reference resistance to an input of a signal acquisition chain, a third and a fourth switching module connected to a power supply for applying electrical power to each seismic receiver and to the associated reference resistance, and at least one local oscillator for applying test signals having a predetermined at least one of frequency and amplitude to the input of the acquisition chain.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein: the control set performs fast Fourier transformer to test each acquisition chain.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as claimed in claim 11 comprising: a switching device for successively applying the test signals to a plurality of seismic receivers associated with a single acquisition device and means for measuring crosstalk between channels and a distortion level of the receivers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein: the control set controls the switching modules to measure leakage currents between each receiver and ground.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein: the control set performs fast Fourier transforms to test each acquisition chain.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising: means in the control set for correlating signals received by the at least one receiver with emitted signals to reduce data to be centralized in the control unit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
191 words
A seismic acquisition method for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted between at least one acquisition device in response to signals received by an array of seismic receivers coupled to a zone to be explored and at least one control unit including performing in each acquisition device tests on each seismic receiver to determine electrical and electromechanical properties thereof comprising: applying to each receiver calibrated signals and recording an actual response curve thereof in response to the calibrated signals; making a model of the seismic receivers with an equivalent electrical circuit and forming a reference response curve of the equivalent electrical circuit; determining a response curve of the model of the seismic receivers and deviations thereof from the reference response curve; and optimizing the model of the seismic receivers by reducing the deviations according to an iterative operative sequence by modifying the equivalent electrical circuit and comparing the reference response curve obtained after modification with the actual response curve to determine the electrical circuit model which is a best electrical circuit model of the seismic receivers for use in determining the electrical and electromechanical properties thereof during the testing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
191 words
A seismic acquisition method for reducing a volume of data to be transmitted between at least one acquisition device in response to signals received by an array of seismic receivers coupled to a zone to be explored and at least one control unit including performing in each acquisition device tests on each seismic receiver to determine electrical and electromechanical properties thereof comprising: applying to each receiver calibrated signals and recording an actual response curve thereof in response to the calibrated signals; making a model of the seismic receivers with an equivalent electrical circuit and forming a reference response curve of the equivalent electrical circuit; determining a response curve of the model of the seismic receivers and deviations thereof from the reference response curve; and optimizing the model of the seismic receivers by reducing the deviations according to an iterative operative sequence by modifying the equivalent electrical circuit and comparing the reference response curve obtained after modification with the actual response curve to determine the electrical circuit model which is a best electrical circuit model of the seismic receivers for use in determining the electrical and electromechanical properties thereof during the testing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 17 comprising: positioning each of the receivers on the field and testing positioning thereof by transmitting the determined electrical and electromechanical properties of each receiver to the control unit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 17 comprising: positioning each of the receivers on the field and testing positioning thereof by transmitting the determined electrical and electromechanical properties of each receiver to an operator associated with the field.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising: correlating signals received by at least one of the plurality of seismic receivers with emitted signals for reducing data to be centralized in the control unit.