Patent ID: 8681584
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: G01V,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A transmission method for seismic data acquisition units, said method comprising the steps of: A. Providing a self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit, said seismic acquisition unit comprising a casing; a power source for said seismic acquisition unit within said casing; a transceiver with short-range transmission capabilities disposed within said casing such that no portion of the transceiver module extends beyond said casing; and a geophone; B. Providing a wireless transmission communications unit comprising an elongated support structure having a first end and a second end; a power source for said communications unit, wherein one of the first end or the second end is mounted in the ground surface a distance from the casing such that the communications unit does not interfere with the seismic acquisition unit; a transceiver with short-range transmission capabilities mounted on said support structure and configured to wirelessly communicate with the short-range transceiver within said casing; and a radio transceiver with mid-range transmission capabilities mounted on said support structure; C. Deploying said self-contained wireless seismic acquisition unit at a desired location fully buried in the ground; D. Deploying said communications unit adjacent to said seismic acquisition unit, wherein a distance that the elongated support structure is mounted in the ground surface from the casing is sufficient to permit short-range transmissions between the short-range transmitter in the communications unit and the short-range receiver module in the seismic acquisition unit; E. Wirelessly coupling said seismic acquisition unit and said communications unit to create a short-range transmission network therebetween; F. Receiving a control signal over a mid-range radio network utilizing said mid-range radio transceiver mounted on said support structure; and G. Transmitting the control signal between said communications unit and said seismic unit utilizing said short-range transmission network.