US3851302A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for seismic data acquisition by sequential sampling of data
Assignee: Seismograph Service Corp
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Filing: 1973-03-09
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1993-03-09
Abstract
Abstract The different geophones in a linear geophone array are connected through a tracking amplifier to a single two-wire data transmission line which connects with a central recording truck. The tracking amplifiers are sampled sequentially by a series of strobing pulses transmitted along a two-wire strobing pulse transmission line. A data pulse from each tracking amplifier is switched to the data transmission line in response to each strobing pulse, the data pulses from the different tracking amplifiers are separated in time by the time required for the strobing pulse to be propagated from one geophone station to the next. Each data pulse indicates that the geophone analog signal has increased or decreased by at least a known incremental amount during the time interval since the preceding sampling time. Repetition rate of the strobing pulses is selected to permit a strobing pulse to be propagated to the end of the geophone array and for a data pulse to return from the fartherest geophone station before the onset of a succeeding strobing pulse.
Inventors
- 👤 A Schmitt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 17:01
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01V; G01V1/00; G01V1/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
259 words
A seismic data acquisition system for transmission to a central recording truck of the electrical signals from different geophone stations disposed along the ground in a linear array of geophones where the seismic data acquisition system comprises: transmission line means having one end at the central recording truck and disposed along the linear array of geophones for transmission of pulses between the central recording truck and the geophone array; a pulse generator connected to the transmission line means at the central recording truck for generating strobing pulses at a predetermined rate, each strobing pulse being propagated on the transmission line means along the array of geophones for sequentially interrogating each geophone station from the geophone station nearest to the central recording truck to the fartherest geophone station along the array; and a plurality of incremental tracking amplifiers each characterized by having an output gate activated by a strobing pulse to provide a single output binary digit data pulse indicative of a change of the tracking amplifier input signal during a time interval defined by succeeding strobing pulses, each tracking amplifier being connected between a corresponding geophone station of the geophone array and the transmission line means whereby each tracking amplifier, starting with the tracking amplifier nearest to the recording truck and proceeding sequentially along the geophone array, transmits a data pulse to the transmission line means so that a series of data pulses is transmitted to the recording truck in an order corresponding to the distance of each tracking amplifier from the recording truck along the transmission line means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
259 words
A seismic data acquisition system for transmission to a central recording truck of the electrical signals from different geophone stations disposed along the ground in a linear array of geophones where the seismic data acquisition system comprises: transmission line means having one end at the central recording truck and disposed along the linear array of geophones for transmission of pulses between the central recording truck and the geophone array; a pulse generator connected to the transmission line means at the central recording truck for generating strobing pulses at a predetermined rate, each strobing pulse being propagated on the transmission line means along the array of geophones for sequentially interrogating each geophone station from the geophone station nearest to the central recording truck to the fartherest geophone station along the array; and a plurality of incremental tracking amplifiers each characterized by having an output gate activated by a strobing pulse to provide a single output binary digit data pulse indicative of a change of the tracking amplifier input signal during a time interval defined by succeeding strobing pulses, each tracking amplifier being connected between a corresponding geophone station of the geophone array and the transmission line means whereby each tracking amplifier, starting with the tracking amplifier nearest to the recording truck and proceeding sequentially along the geophone array, transmits a data pulse to the transmission line means so that a series of data pulses is transmitted to the recording truck in an order corresponding to the distance of each tracking amplifier from the recording truck along the transmission line means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
99 words
A seismic data acquisition system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the strobing pulse generator is designed to generate a series of identical pulses having a pulse repetition rate such that each pulse is separated in time from its succeeding pulse by a time equal to the time required for the pulse to be propagated along the entire length of the transmission line means plus the time required to propagate a data pulse from the incremental tracking amplifier fartherest along the transmission line means from the central recording truck, along the transmission line means to the central recording truck.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
A seismic data acquisition system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tracking amplifier output means is an electrical gate circuit, said gate circuit having a connection to the transmission line means whereby a strobing pulse opens the gate circuit thus permitting a digital data pulse to be transmitted through said gate circuit to said transmission line means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A seismic data acquisition system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the digital data pulse assumes a first logic level when the amplitude of an input signal from the geophone has increased during a preceding sampling period the time period since the arrival of the next pReceding strobing pulse, and wherein the data pulse assumes a second logic level when said input signal has decreased during said time interval.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A seismic data acuisition system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the data pulse indicates that the geophone input signal has changed amplitude by at least a predetermined incremental amount.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
A seismic data acquisition system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmission line means is a pair of two-conductor transmission lines, a first of said transmission lines being a strobing line for transmission of strobing pulses and a second of said transmission lines being a data line for transmission of data pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A seismic data acquisition system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmission line means is a single two-conductor transmission line for simultaneous transmission of strobing pulses and data pulses thereon.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for transmitting digital data pulses in a seismic data acquisition system comprising the steps of: generating strobing pulses at a central recording truck; transmitting the strobing pulses on transmission line means from the central recording truck along a linear array of geophone stations; digitizing an output voltage of each geophone station of the linear array in an incremental tracking amplifier connected between each geophone station and the transmission line means to form a digital data pulse, where each incremental tracking amplifier is characterized by having an output gate connected to the transmission line means and activated by a strobing pulse to provide a digital data pulse indicative of a change of the tracking amplifier input signal during a time interval defined by succeeding strobing pulses and where each tracking amplifier is activated sequentially by a strobing pulse to form a series of data pulses on the transmission line means in a sequential order corresponding to the distance of each incremental trucking amplifier along the transmission line means from the central recording truck.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for transmitting digital data pulses in a seismic data acquisition system comprising the steps of: generating strobing pulses at a central recording truck; transmitting the strobing pulses on transmission line means from the central recording truck along a linear array of geophone stations; digitizing an output voltage of each geophone station of the linear array in an incremental tracking amplifier connected between each geophone station and the transmission line means to form a digital data pulse, where each incremental tracking amplifier is characterized by having an output gate connected to the transmission line means and activated by a strobing pulse to provide a digital data pulse indicative of a change of the tracking amplifier input signal during a time interval defined by succeeding strobing pulses and where each tracking amplifier is activated sequentially by a strobing pulse to form a series of data pulses on the transmission line means in a sequential order corresponding to the distance of each incremental trucking amplifier along the transmission line means from the central recording truck.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method for transmitting digital data pulses in accordance with claim 8 including the step of generating a series of strobing pulses having a time interval therebetween equal to the time required for the pulse to be propagated along the entire length of the transmission line means plus the time required to propagate a data pulse along said transmission line means to the central recording truck from the tracking amplifier fartherest along the transmission line means from the central recording truck.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method for transmitting digital data pulses in accordance with claim 9 including the step of forming a data pulse having a first logic level when the geophone output voltage has increased during the preceding time interval, and having a second logic level when the geophone output voltage has decreased during the preceding time interval.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method for transmitting digital data pulses in accordance with claim 10 including the step of forming a data pulse to indicate that the geophone voltage has changed amplitude by at least a predetermined incremental amount.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |