Patent ID: 9354337
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: G01V

Claim Text:
1. A machine to generate a seismic image having enhanced resolution, the machine being in communication with a plurality of (L) real seismic sensors to sense a plurality of (I) statistically independent seismic signals originating from a seismic energy source and to output a plurality of seismic signal responses responsive thereto, the machine comprising: a processor; a non-transitory memory positioned in communication with the processor to store computer program products therein; an input/output unit connected to the processor and the non-transitory memory, the input/output unit to receive seismic signal responses from the plurality of (L) real seismic sensors; a filter bank comprising a plurality of band-pass filters to separate each of the plurality of (I) statistically independent seismic signals into a plurality of components, each of the plurality of components carrying a single-frequency sub-band of the original signal; and a tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program product operable on the processor, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the machine to perform the following operations: decomposing each seismic signal response of the plurality of seismic signal responses into one or more narrowband signals for the seismic signal response responsive to the filter bank, wherein each narrowband signal comprises a plurality of components and each component carries a single-frequency sub-band of the original signal, defining a plurality of narrowband signals, responsive to receiving the plurality of seismic signal responses for the (I) statistically independent seismic signals from the plurality of (L) real seismic sensors, calculating a virtual steering vector for each of the plurality of (I) statistically independent seismic signals responsive to a plurality of fourth-order crosscumulants for the plurality of narrowband signals, defining a plurality of virtual steering vectors, each of the virtual steering vectors being a true steering vector for a virtual array of (L generating an enhanced seismic trace comprising the plurality of fourth-order crosscumulants for the plurality of narrowband signals and the plurality of virtual steering vectors for each of the plurality of (I) statistically independent seismic signals so that the enhanced seismic trace is output to fourth-order direction-finding processing for the virtual seismic array responsive to the plurality of virtual steering vectors, and generating, using the enhanced seismic trace, a seismic image having enhanced resolution.