Patents Assigned to Fugro N.V.
  • Patent number: 9869786
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for acoustically exploring structure of a floor below a water body. The system can comprise a vessel, at least one streamer placed in the water and towed by the vessel. The system can also comprise a plurality of acoustic sensors positioned at regular intervals along the length of the streamer. The longitudinal direction of the streamer can make an angle with the horizontal. The system can also comprise a source for generating acoustic pulses placed in the water and towed by the vessel using a tow line. The tow line can have such length that the horizontal distance between the vessel and the source is larger than the horizontal distance between the vessel and the first sensor closest to the vessel and smaller than the horizontal distance between the vessel and the last sensor most remote from the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: FUGRO N.V.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Cowlard, Angus James Stephen Ogilvie
  • Publication number: 20170350998
    Abstract: A system for surveying the structure beneath the seabed, comprising: a survey vessel; a streamer comprising a cable, a first set of N1 sensor groups positioned at a first end portion of the cable, the sensor groups of the first set being spaced from each other by a group interval, and a second set of N2 sensor groups positioned at a second end portion of the cable, the sensor groups of the second set being spaced from each other by the group interval; a sound source; wherein, when the system is in use, the survey vessel travels at a predetermined speed, towing the streamer and the sound source such that the sound source is positioned adjacent an intermediate portion of the cable between the first and second end portions of the cable; the sound source sends acoustic pulses at a predetermined period between pulses towards the seabed such that reflections are produced towards both the first set of sensor groups and the second set of sensor groups; and the speed of the survey vessel and the predetermined period o
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Fugro N.V.
    Inventors: Angus James Stephen OGILVIE, Andrew Paul COWLARD
  • Publication number: 20170328982
    Abstract: An underwater positioning system provides position information for a rover, moveable within a reference frame. The system may comprise: at least one beacon having a light source, located at a fixed position within the reference frame; an underwater imaging device, moveable with the rover in the reference frame to observe the light source from different viewpoints and determine direction data representing a direction or change in direction of the light source with respect to the imaging device; an orientation sensor, associated with the imaging device to determine an orientation of the imaging device with respect to the reference frame and generate orientation data; and a scaling element for providing scaling data representative of a distance between the imaging device and the light source. Various different beacons may be provided. In alternative system implementations, the locations of light source(s) and underwater imaging device are reversed between rover and beacon(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: Fugro N.V.
    Inventors: Arnoud Marc JONGSMA, Carl SONNIER
  • Patent number: 9778360
    Abstract: Airborne gravity measurements may be added to the collection of airborne LiDAR so that it may be used to produce a digital elevation model (DEM), which may be used along with gravity data to produce an improved geoid, which may be used to produce an improved DEM based on the improved orthometric heights. A computing device may be configured to receive airborne navigation, gravity and LiDAR data, generate position information based on the navigation data, generate gravity field information based on the gravity data and the position information, generate orthometric height information based on the LiDAR data and the position information, and generate a geoid based on the gravity field and orthometric height information. The computing device may also generate a geoid model based on the gravity field and an existing DEM, and generate the orthometric height information based on the LiDAR data, position information, and geoid model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: FUGRO N.V.
    Inventors: Robert Kingdon, Carl Sonnier, Detang Zhong
  • Publication number: 20170276479
    Abstract: An image acquisition unit for obtaining data to generate at least one three-dimensional representation of at least one underwater structure is disclosed. The image acquisition unit includes a unit body, a plurality of cameras, a first laser light device, and a second laser light device. The first laser light device can operate based on a first illumination setting. The second laser light device can operate based a second illumination setting. The first and second cameras can be configured to capture light during the first illumination setting and generate a first set of data representative of the first laser projecting on the at least one underwater structure at a predetermined scan rate. The third and fourth cameras can be configured to capture light during the second illumination setting and generate a second set of data representative of the second laser projecting on the at least one underwater structure at the predetermined scan rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: FUGRO N.V.
    Inventors: Olaf BOOIJ, Evert SCHIPPERS, Hendrik WOUTERS, Fatemeh Karimi NEJADASL, Pawel MICHALAK
  • Publication number: 20170243493
    Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring an offshore construction is presented. The offshore construction to be monitored comprises mutually mechanically coupled marine assets. The monitoring system comprises a data storage unit, an intrusion detection service, an input device, and an update service. The data storage unit stores data specifying a spatial range of at least one warning zone pertaining to the offshore construction. The intrusion detection service is provided to detecting an intrusion of the spatial range and for issuing an alert message upon such detection. The input device receives position information for one or more of the marine assets. The update service updates the spatial range of the at least one warning zone based on the received position information. Additionally a monitoring method and a computer program product are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Fugro N.V.
    Inventors: Michael Joseph BLANCHARD, JR., Edwin Martin HOWARD, John Darius ROBIDEAUX, Christopher Ray STELLY
  • Publication number: 20170228478
    Abstract: A method is presented for simulating marine assets (MA) in an offshore operation. The marine assets comprise at least an anchor, a line coupling the anchor with a winch, and a support platform located offshore for supporting the winch. The method involves a computation stage for estimating a state of the marine assets using a computational model and received sensor data (Ds) pertaining to a state of the marine assets and/or of an environment (ME) wherein the marine assets are used. The computational model of the marine assets (MA) includes at least a specification of an anchor, a specification of a winch and a specification of a line coupling the anchor with the winch. The at least a line is modeled as a first portion extending between the winch and a touch-down point where the line touches the seabed and a second portion extending between the touch-down point and the anchor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Fugro N.V.
    Inventors: Keith ALEXANDER-BUCKLEY, Nicholas BRETT, Martin HALL, Jason TISDALL, Jason WILLIAMS, Richard WOOD, Scottie DOUCET
  • Publication number: 20170205231
    Abstract: A device for monitoring a height profile of an ocean floor. The device comprises an elongated structure, and includes a first fluid conduit for accommodating a first liquid, at least one differential pressure transducer provided along the elongated structure, and in fluid communication with the first liquid at a first pressure based on the communicating vessels principle and with a second liquid at a second pressure, when in use. The at least one pressure transducer is configured for measuring differential pressures between the corresponding first and second pressures. The device further comprises a pressure compensator for exerting on the first liquid an inner reference pressure in response and proportional to an outer reference pressure exerted on the pressure compensator by the body of water at a reference position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: Fugro N.V.
    Inventor: Arnoud Marc JONGSMA
  • Patent number: 9611706
    Abstract: Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) are more susceptible to meteorological conditions such as winds, currents and, most importantly, waves. These meteorological conditions generate a movement of the installation that will inevitably be transferred to some extent to the drilling pipe. A mobile offshore drilling unit can include a rooster box configured to move the rooster box along the height of a derrick to which it is attached. An injector configured to attach to an intervention frame of the rooster box, wherein the injector is configured to be releasably coupled to a conduit The injector configured to be positioned on-axis with the conduit in a first configuration and off-axis with the conduit in a second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fugro N.V.
    Inventor: Mitchell Pinckard
  • Patent number: 6901333
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for the generation and application of anisotropic elastic parameters. Anisotropic elastic parameters are generated such that, for selected seismic wave and anisotropy types, an approximation to the anisotropic modeling of seismic amplitudes is obtained by the equivalent isotropic modeling with the anisotropic elastic parameters. In seismic modeling, wavelet estimation, seismic interpretation, inversion and the interpretation and analysis of inversion results anisotropy are handled with isotropic methods, when earth elastic parameters utilized in these methods are replaced by the anisotropic elastic parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Fugro N.V.
    Inventors: Paul Van Riel, Hendrik Willem Johan Debeye