Geo-locating positions along optical waveguides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016161633-A1
Application number	US-201615042970-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of correlating physical locations with respective positions along an optical waveguide can include transmitting to the waveguide a signal including an indication of the transmitting location, and the waveguide receiving the signal. A system for correlating a physical location with a position along an optical waveguide can include a transmitter which transmits to the optical waveguide a signal including an indication of the transmitter location, and a computer which correlates the location to the position, based on the signal as received by the waveguide. A method of determining a position along an optical waveguide at which a signal is transmitted can include modulating on the signal an indication of a transmission location, and transmitting the signal to the waveguide, thereby causing vibration of the waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of determining a position along an optical waveguide at which a signal is transmitted, the method comprising:
modulating on the signal an indication of a physical location at which the signal is transmitted; and transmitting the signal to e optical waveguide, thereby causing vibration of the optical waveguide.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting comprises acoustically transmitting the signal to the optical waveguide.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the physical location includes a latitude and longitude of the physical location.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the physical location includes a descriptor of the physical location.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a distance along the optical waveguide corresponding to the position at which the signal is received.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the position along the optical waveguide closest to the transmitting.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the signal as variations in optical scattering in the optical waveguide.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Barfoot David Andrew
• Mcphail Paul H

Classifications

• G01D5/35338 Primary

  using other arrangements than interferometer arrangements · CPC title

• G01V8/24 Primary

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• G01V1/001

  Acoustic presence detection · CPC title

• G01V8/16

  using optical fibres · CPC title