Patent ID: 11899152
Assignee: ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 13:
14. A ranging system comprising:
a plurality of receivers configured to receive ranging signals;
a plurality of transmitters configured transmit ranging signals over a plurality of channels; and
a processor configured to determine distances between each of the receivers and a subset of the transmitters within a predefined limited range thereof, based on propagation of the respective ranging signals from the subset of the transmitters within the respective predefined limited range of each receiver;
wherein each transmitter in the subset of transmitters within the respective predefined limited range is configured to generate the respective ranging signal over a different one of the plurality of channels; and
wherein, during an acoustic ranging cycle and in response to receipt of a synchronization signal, the plurality of transmitters are each configured to initiate transmission of the respective ranging signals at a substantially same time, such that propagation of the respective ranging signals is substantially simultaneous;
wherein each of the receivers is configured to detect the ranging signals within a time window defined by the respective predefined limited range; and
wherein a cycle time of the acoustic ranging cycle starts with initiation of transmission of the respective ranging signals by each of the transmitters at the substantially same time, and ends upon expiration of the time window defined for a longest of the respective predefined limited ranges.