Patents Examined by Ian J. Lobo
  • Patent number: 11313985
    Abstract: An attachment system for releasably attaching a sensor node to a cable when in a coupled state includes a clamp base and a clamp grip. The clamp base is fixed to a surface of the sensor node. The clamp base further includes a latch that is biased in a latched position when the attachment system is in both the coupled state and an uncoupled state. The clamp grip is pivotably attached the clamp base and biased in an open position when the attachment system is in the uncoupled state. The clamp grip is secured to the clamp base by the latch when the attachment system is in the coupled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: ION Geophysical Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Dudley, Darrell Burch, Paul Brettwood
  • Patent number: 11284613
    Abstract: A water animal deterrent is disclosed herein. The water animal deterrent includes an animatronic spider having moving legs, multiple lights, Bluetooth speakers, and motion detectors, where the device is powered by a rechargeable battery and solar panels. The water animal deterrent is placed near a swimming pool to protect the pool against various vermin that may come into contact and contaminate the pool. The motion detectors of the water animal deterrent detect the presence of any vermin that walks by a swimming pool. If vermin are detected, the legs of the animatronic body begin to move, and the lights begin to illuminate. As a result, the vermin in the vicinity of the swimming pool are scared away. The water animal deterrent further includes a Bluetooth speaker to facilitate a noise to scare the vermin away. The speaker may also be used for entertainment purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Inventor: Michael Middleton
  • Patent number: 11269092
    Abstract: Methods and systems for seismic data acquisition in a survey area use compressed sensing and take into consideration operational limitations. The operational limitations may be related to the equipment used for the survey, the topography of the surveyed area or limitations that otherwise optimize the survey path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SERCEL SAS
    Inventors: Paul Hardouin, Thomas Bianchi
  • Patent number: 11269095
    Abstract: A cableless seismic acquisition system that is configured to resolve the locations of a plurality of cableless seismic acquisition units (e.g., up to 1,000,000 or more) of the system at sub-meter levels of accuracy (e.g., less than 10 cm, less than 5 cm, etc.) free of many of the limitations of existing manners of determining cableless unit locations in seismic acquisition systems. While accurately determining cableless unit locations for use in mapping underground structures of interest, the disclosed cableless seismic acquisition system also limits power demands of and ultimately power consumption by the cableless units to extend serviceable deployment time of the cableless acquisition system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Wireless Seismic, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Elder, Jerry Edward Stair, Garrick Thomas Wager, Steven Kooper, Joshua Dice
  • Patent number: 11269103
    Abstract: A submersible node and a method and system for using the node to acquire data, including seismic data is disclosed. The node incorporates a buoyancy system to provide propulsion for the node between respective landed locations by varying the buoyancy between positive and negative. A first acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate positioning of a node when landing and a second acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate a node transiting between respective target landed locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Blue Ocean Seismic Services Limited
    Inventors: Fabio Mancini, Ben Hollings
  • Patent number: 11261721
    Abstract: A method evaluating borehole subsurface geologies can include receiving a total response signal by a sensor array disposed in a borehole, the response signal represents a pressure wave propagating in the borehole. A secondary signal can be extracted from the total response signal and a depth location for at least one secondary source that corresponds to the secondary signal is determined. An estimated reflectivity response for the secondary signal as a function of frequency is determined and the estimated reflectivity response is inverted to determine the secondary source includes at least one of a potential fracture or a potential washout. The at least one of a fracture conductivity or a washout volume for the secondary source is compared to one or more borehole images corresponding to the depth location of the secondary source to determine the potential fracture is an actual fracture or the potential washout is an actual washout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Edward Hornby, Mark Vincent Collins
  • Patent number: 11255998
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ocean bottom seismic node for recording seismic signals on the seabed. The ocean bottom seismic node may comprise an arched cathedral buoyant body coupled to a substantially flat bottom metal plate. The buoyant body may be formed of hard plastic (such as plastic injection in a mold) and have one or more cathedral type inner structures with columns that form a plurality of interconnected inner chambers, which may be dry or filled with foam and/or act as ballasts. One or more electronic components may be directly attached to the bottom metal plate (and within one or more of the internal cathedral chambers) and covered/protected by the buoyant body that is water and pressure resistant at seabed depths. The edge(s) of the buoyant body may seal around the metal plate on one or more peripheral edges of the plate and buoyant body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seabed Geosolutions B.V.
    Inventors: Erwan Francois Marie Postic, Thierry Brizard
  • Patent number: 11243316
    Abstract: A housing for a seismic sensor station has a base and a removable lid, which when assembled together form a shell whereby the base and the removable lid both have a shell side and an exterior side. A sensor spike, protruding outward from the shell, may be attached to the base on the exterior side of the base. The housing is further provided with two cable docking ports, each allowing passage of a fiber optical cable from outside to inside the shell. The two cable docking ports are exclusively provided in the removable lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven James Maas, Daniel Joseph Gentner, Jr., Akbar Arab Sadeghabadi
  • Patent number: 11242121
    Abstract: A remotely positioned, ultrasonic wave producing, and low voltage anti-fouling system comprising; a computing module, a mounting system having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to vessel or a structure, a substantially waterproof enclosure detachably engaged with the second end of the mounting system, at least one transducer positioned within the substantially waterproof enclosure and cooperatively connected to the computing module, wherein the at least one transducer produces a sound wave able to impinge upon a submerged surface, at least one wave form generator cooperatively connected to the computing module and the at least one transducer, at least one power amplifier cooperatively connected to the at least one wave form generator and the at least one transducer, and at least one sensor cooperatively connected to the computing module, wherein the at least one sensor substantially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventors: James DiLorenzo, Pete Schibly, Geoff Trager, Dave Sherzer
  • Patent number: 11243317
    Abstract: Methods of analyzing and optimizing a seismic survey design are described. Specifically, the sampling quality is analyzed as opposed to the overall quality of the whole survey. This allows for analysis of the impact of the offsets, obstacles, and other aspects of the survey on the sampling quality, which will improve the ability to compress the resulting data and minimize acquisition footprints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Peter M. Eick, Joel D. Brewer
  • Patent number: 11237287
    Abstract: A submersible node and a method and system for using the node to acquire data, including seismic data is disclosed. The node incorporates a buoyancy system to provide propulsion for the node between respective landed locations by varying the buoyancy between positive and negative. A first acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate positioning of a node when landing and a second acoustic positioning system is used to facilitate a node transiting between respective target landed locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Blue Ocean Seismic Services Limited
    Inventors: Fabio Mancini, Ben Hollings
  • Patent number: 11226426
    Abstract: Geophysical survey methods. At least some of the example embodiments are methods of performing a marine geophysical survey including: towing a plurality of sensor streamers behind a tow vessel, each sensor streamer coupled to the tow vessel by a respective lead-in cable; towing, by the tow vessel, a plurality of lead vessels with each lead vessel pulling a respective seismic source, each lead vessel pulled by a respective tow cable and at least one intermediate cable; actuating the respective seismic sources pulled by the plurality of lead vessels; and gathering seismic data by each of the sensor streamers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventor: Andrew Samuel Long
  • Patent number: 11215719
    Abstract: A performance-level seismic motion hazard analysis method includes: (1) extracting seismic motion data and denoising the data; (2) extracting feature parameters from the data, and carrying out initialization; (3) generating a training set, an interval set and a test set; (4) training a multi-layer neural network based on the training set; (5) training output values of the neural network based on the interval set, and calculating a mean and a standard deviation of relative errors of the output values; (6) training the neural network based on the test set to determine output values, and calculating a magnitude interval based on an interval confidence; (7) carrying out probabilistic seismic hazard analysis to determine an annual exceeding probability and a return period of a performance-level seismic motion; and (8) determining a magnitude and an epicentral distance that reach the performance-level seismic motion based on the performance-level seismic motion and consistent probability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: QINGDAO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Wenfeng Liu, Zheng Zhou, Jianfeng Li
  • Patent number: 11199624
    Abstract: Disclosed is a bathymetric system including a multi-beam emitting and receiving device attached to a carrier vehicle, configured, in a first recurrence, to measure the amplitude of a first plurality of beams reflected off the seabed, and a computer to determine three-dimensional spatial coordinates of a first scan swath. In a second recurrence, the device emits a second incident beam and measures the amplitude of a second plurality of beams reflected off the seabed, the computer determines the three-dimensional spatial coordinates of a second scan swath, so that at least one probe point of the first scan swath is redundant with a probe point of the second scan swath, and the computer calculates an altitude variation of the carrier vehicle using altitude variations of the at least one redundant probe point between the first recurrence and the second recurrence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventors: Fabien Napolitano, Didier Charlot
  • Patent number: 11194067
    Abstract: An adaptable seismic source system that includes a first seismic source having at least one moving plate and a second seismic source also having at least one moving plate. Each of the moving plates of the first and second seismic sources creating a pressure wave. Each seismic source is comprised of a fixed center plate having opposed sides and a pair of movable plates that are arranged at respective opposed sides of the center plate; a coupling member that is disposed between the first and second seismic sources for enabling a sliding action between the first and second seismic sources and a controller coupled with the first and second seismic sources for exciting the seismic sources to provide a combined output with a lower frequency spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Falmouth Scientific Incorporated
    Inventors: Frederick Allen Hegg, Joseph Alan Sparks
  • Patent number: 11181655
    Abstract: Embodiments herein include a fairing for a marine seismic array system that includes a foil having a leading edge and a trailing edge and defining a chord length and a span length, a first interior conduit oriented along the span length aft of the leading edge, and a second interior conduit oriented along the span length forward of the trailing edge. The conduits are separated by a distance. A first cable having a first length extends within the first conduit and a second cable having a second length extends within the second conduit, and the fairing can rotate about the first cable within the first conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: GX Technology Canada LTD
    Inventor: Daniel George Martin
  • Patent number: 11175420
    Abstract: A data telemetry system and method digitizes acoustic sensor data. Acoustic sensor data is digitized and used to apply strain to a series of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) in a fiber. Each FBG is assigned a nominal wavelength. A wavelength interrogator launches wavelengths into the fiber and scans the reflected wavelengths from the FBGs. A data telemetry rate of at least 5 kHz may be achieved. Acoustic sensors may be part of undersea acoustic sensing arrays with large element counts having reduced system cabling and improved Size, Weight and Power (SWaP). The system and method realizes low power loss per array element and efficient multiplexing of many data streams in a small form factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Peter F Hallemeier, Alan M Heins
  • Patent number: 11168562
    Abstract: A tool assembly and method are for performing formation stress testing in an openhole section of a borehole, wherein the openhole section of the borehole is to be provided with, or already have been provided with, a perforation tunnel generated by a series of electrically induced focused acoustic shock waves. The tool assembly has at least two borehole isolation means arranged with an axial distance therebetween for forming an isolated section at the openhole section of the borehole; a pump device for altering a pressure within the isolated section; a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure within the isolated section; a control unit for controlling a testing sequence; an acoustic shock wave device for generating the series of acoustic shock waves to excavate the perforation tunnel; and an acoustic shock wave sub for actuating the acoustic shock wave device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: qWave AS
    Inventor: Hans Petter Eng
  • Patent number: 11163082
    Abstract: Methods, systems, devices, and products for performing well logging in a borehole intersecting an earth formation to obtain and transmit an acoustic reflection image of the formation. Methods include identifying a set of features in the acoustic reflection image substantially fitting a pattern, wherein the set of features corresponds to a portion of at least one reflecting structural interface of the formation; and using a representation of the pattern as the compressed representation of the acoustic reflection image. The features may be amplitude peaks in the acoustic reflection image, and the pattern may be a line segment therein that is obtained from the amplitude peaks. Identifying the set of features may include generating a binary image of the amplitude peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: David Freitas, Theodorous Geerits, Anna Przebindowska, Alber Tabone Novo, Martin Tygel
  • Patent number: 11163078
    Abstract: Sensors used in mapping strata beneath a marine body are described, such as used in a flexible towed array. A first sensor is a motion sensor including a conductive liquid in a chamber between a rigid tube and a piezoelectric motion film circumferentially wrapped about the tube. A second sensor is a traditional acoustic sensor or a novel acoustic sensor using a piezoelectric sensor mounted with a thin film separation layer of flexible microspheres on a rigid substrate. Additional non-acoustic sensors are optionally mounted on the rigid substrate for generation of output used to reduce noise observed by the acoustic sensors. Combinations of acoustic, non-acoustic, and motion sensors co-located in rigid streamer housing sections are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Seamap USA, LLC
    Inventor: Richard Pearce