Communication Between Sensor Units and a Recorder

Abstract

A seismic acquisition system. In one implementation, the seismic acquisition system includes a recorder having a memory having a communication protocol application stored therein and one or more sensor units in communication with the recorder through a communications network. Each sensor unit may include a memory having the communication protocol application stored therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A seismic acquisition system, comprising:
 a seismic recorder for recording seismic data;   a plurality of seismic sensor units in communication with the seismic recorder through a communications network, wherein the sensor units are configured to:
 send the seismic data to the seismic recorder via a first communication path; and 
 send the seismic data again to the seismic recorder via a second communication path if an acknowledgement signal is not received, wherein the first communication path is different from the second communication path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor units comprise one or more sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensors are accelerometers for measuring ground acceleration on the earth's surface produced by acoustic vibrations. 
     
     
         4 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor units are further configured to sample the seismic data from the sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the first communication path and the second communication path are part of a communications protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the seismic recorder is configured to send the acknowledgement signal to the sensor units upon receipt of the seismic data from the sensor units. 
     
     
         7 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         8 . The seismic acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the acknowledgement signal indicates that the seismic recorder received the seismic data. 
     
     
         9 . The acquisition system of  claim 1 , wherein the seismic data are sent again without analyzing the communications network. 
     
     
         10 . A sensor unit for a seismic acquisition system, comprising:
 a sensor;   a processor; and   a memory comprising program instructions executable by the processor to:
 send seismic data via a first communication path; and 
 send the seismic data again via a second communication path if an acknowledgement signal is not received, wherein the first communication path is different from the second communication path. 
   
     
     
         11 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to sample the seismic data from the sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first communication path and the second communication path are part of a communication protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the communications protocol is a TCP/IP or an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the seismic data are sent to a seismic recorder. 
     
     
         15 . The sensor unit of  claim 14 , wherein the acknowledgement signal indicates that the seismic recorder received the seismic data. 
     
     
         16 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the seismic data are acquired during a land seismic survey or a marine seismic survey. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the memory further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to receive a command to start sending the seismic data to a seismic recorder. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first communication path and the second communication path are part of a communications network and the seismic data are sent again without analyzing the communications network. 
     
     
         19 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , further comprising a network interface unit configured to communicate with a wireless communications network. 
     
     
         20 . The sensor unit of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor is an accelerometer for measuring ground acceleration on the earth's surface produced by acoustic vibrations.