Communication systems for water vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016356908-A1
Application number	US-201615242916-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 11, 2012
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various technologies described herein are directed to a method that includes deploying a plurality of wave gliders in a seismic survey area, where the plurality of wave gliders has one or more seismic sensors coupled thereto for acquiring seismic data. The method may also include deploying at least one source vessel in the seismic survey area, where the at least one source vessel has one or more sources coupled thereto and a central communication unit disposed thereon. The method may then include positioning the plurality of wave gliders according to an initial navigation plan. The method may further include monitoring a relative position of a respective wave glider in the plurality of wave gliders with respect to other wave gliders in the plurality of wave gliders and with respect to the at least one source vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of performing a seismic survey, comprising:
deploying a plurality of wave gliders in a seismic survey area, the plurality of wave gliders having one or more seismic sensors coupled thereto for acquiring seismic data; deploying at least one source vessel in the seismic survey area, the at least one source vessel having one or more sources coupled thereto and a central communication unit disposed thereon; positioning the plurality of wave gliders according to an initial navigation plan; and monitoring a relative position of a respective wave glider in the plurality of wave gliders with respect to other wave gliders in the plurality of wave gliders and with respect to the at least one source vessel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the plurality of wave gliders comprises positioning each wave glider according to a respective navigation plan for each wave glider.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the plurality of wave gliders comprises:
sending a positioning command data from the central communication unit to a first wave glider of the plurality of wave gliders, wherein the first positioning command data comprises a navigation plan; relaying the positioning command data from the first wave glider to a second wave glider of the plurality of wave gliders through one or more wave gliders disposed therebetween; and positioning the second wave glider according to the navigation plan.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the relative position of the respective wave glider in the plurality of wave gliders comprises using the central communication unit to monitor the relative position of each wave glider in the plurality of wave gliders with respect to other wave gliders of the plurality of wave gliders and with respect to the at least one source vessel.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein using the central communication unit to monitor the relative position of each wave glider comprises sending positional data from each wave glider to the central communication unit.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the positional data comprises data derived from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), dead reckoning, an inertial navigation measurement, an altimeter, a compass, a long baseline measurement method, a short baseline measurement method, or combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein using the central communication unit to monitor the relative position of each wave glider comprises:
sending positional data from a first wave glider of the plurality of wave gliders to a second wave glider of the plurality of wave gliders by relaying the positional data through one or more wave gliders disposed between the first wave glider and the second wave glider; and sending the positional data from the second wave glider to the central communication unit.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sending positioning command data from the central communication unit to the second wave glider based on the positional data, wherein the positioning command data comprises an updated navigation plan; sending the positioning command data from the second wave glider to the first wave glider by relaying the positioning command data through the one or more wave gliders disposed between the first wave glider and the second wave glider; and positioning the first wave glider according to the updated navigation plan.

9 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
sending positional data from a first wave glider of the plurality of wave gliders to the central communication unit; sending positioning command data from the central communication unit to the first wave glider based on the positional data, wherein the positioning command data comprises an updated navigation plan; and positioning the first wave glider according to the updated navigation plan.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the relative position of the respective wave glider in the plurality of wave gliders comprises each wave glider determining its relative position with respect to the other wave gliders of the plurality of wave gliders and with respect to the at least one source vessel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the relative position of each wave glider is determined using dead reckoning, an inertial navigation measurement, an altimeter, a compass, a long baseline measurement method, a short baseline measurement method, or combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
upon determining its relative position, each wave glider creating a respective updated navigation plan; and positioning each wave glider according to the respective updated navigation plan.

13 . A method of performing a seismic survey, comprising:
communicably coupling the first unmanned water vehicle to one or more remaining unmanned water vehicles of the plurality of unmanned deploying a plurality of unmanned water vehicles in a seismic survey area, wherein a first unmanned water vehicle of the plurality of unmanned water vehicles comprises one or more seismic sensors for acquiring seismic data; water vehicles using a first communication system; and communicably coupling a central communication unit disposed on a source vessel to the plurality of unmanned water vehicles using a second communication system, wherein the second communication system has a greater range than the first communication system.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising: sending command data from the central communication unit to the plurality of unmanned water vehicles via the second communication system.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising sending support data from the plurality of unmanned water vehicles to the central communication unit to via the second communication system.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
sending command data from the central communication unit to the first unmanned water vehicle via the second communication system; and sending the command data from the first unmanned water vehicle to a second unmanned water vehicle of the plurality of unmanned water vehicles by relaying the command data through one or more of the plurality of unmanned water vehicles disposed between the first unmanned water vehicle and the second unmanned water vehicle via the first communication system.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
sending support data from the second unmanned water vehicle to the first unmanned water vehicle by relaying the support data through one or more of the plurality of unmanned water vehicles disposed between the first unmanned water vehicle and the second unmanned water vehicle via the first communication system; and sending the support data from the first unmanned water vehicle to the central communication unit via the second communication system.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
deploying the source vessel proximate to the first unmanned water vehicle; sending command data from the central communication unit to the first unmanned water vehicle via the first communication system; and sending support data from the first water vehicle to the central communication unit to via the first communication system.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
sending the command data from the first unmanned water vehicle to a second unmanned water vehicle of the plurality of unmanned water vehicles by relaying the command data through one or more of the plurality of unma

Assignees

• Westerngeco Llc

Inventors

• Muyzert Everhard
• Welker Kenneth E

Classifications

• G01V1/3843

  Deployment of seismic devices, e.g. of streamers (equipment for marine deployment in general B63B) · CPC title

• G01V1/3817 Primary

  Positioning of seismic devices · CPC title

• G01V1/3808

  Seismic data acquisition, e.g. survey design · CPC title

• H04B13/02

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy · CPC title

• H04B11/00

  Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title