Patent · US Expired

Two-wire multi-channel streamer communication system

US5200930A · kind A · utility

45Cited by
4References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 24, 1992
Grant dateApr 6, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 24, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V1/22
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

For use with marine seismic streamers, a two-wire, multi-channel communication system capable of handling the high throughput necessary for effective communication between a central controller aboard a tow vessel and the many sensors deployed along the streamer. The central controller includes an intelligent modem with the capability of transmitting and receiving frequency-modulated message signals on one or more signal lines, such as conventional twisted-pair wires, over a number of individual inbound and outbound frequency channels. In the preferred embodiment, seventeen channels are spread over a frequency band ranging from about 20 kHz to 100 kHz, thereby making available for communication a bandwidth much wider than available in conventional single-channel streamer communication. In this way, many positioning sensors, such as compasses, depth sensors, cable-leveling birds, and acoustic-ranging transceivers, attached to the streamer and each having a transmitter and receiver tuned to one of the modem's inbound and outbound channels, respectively, can be put in communication with the modem. To take advantage of its high throughput capability, the intelligent modem refers to a st…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.