Patents by Inventor E. Fredrick Herkenhoff

E. Fredrick Herkenhoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6950371
    Abstract: A method for enhancing signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of seismic data is presented. An ensemble of input traces is decomposed into a plurality of frequency bands of traces. Trace and signal power and then a maximum allowable signal-to-noise ratio are estimated for each frequency band. Weights are calculated which are functions of the inverse noise power or rms. The amplitudes in each of the traces are reformed using a fitting function which utilizes the estimated weights to create true relative amplitude signal enhanced traces. The weighting function has data adaptive parameters which can be changed to accommodate noise characteristics such coherency, incoherency, Gaussian and non-Gaussian distributions, etc. The method may be applied across many different coordinate systems. The method may be applied iteratively to seismic data to shape the noise distribution of the seismic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: E. Fredrick Herkenhoff, Dennis G. Bones, Kendall Bong Hu Louie
  • Publication number: 20040233782
    Abstract: A method for enhancing signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of seismic data is presented. An ensemble of input traces is decomposed into a plurality of frequency bands of traces. Trace and signal power and then a maximum allowable signal-to-noise ratio are estimated for each frequency band. Weights are calculated which are functions of the inverse noise power or rms. The amplitudes in each of the traces are reformed using a fitting function which utilizes the estimated weights to create true relative amplitude signal enhanced traces. The weighting function has data adaptive parameters which can be changed to accommodate noise characteristics such coherency, incoherency, Gaussian and non-Gaussian distributions, etc. The method may be applied across many different coordinate systems. The method may be applied iteratively to seismic data to shape the noise distribution of the seismic data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: E. Fredrick Herkenhoff, Dennis G. Bones, Kendall Bong Hu Louie
  • Publication number: 20040128074
    Abstract: A method for processing seismic traces to provide enhanced signal-to-noise ratio in seismic data is provided. A seismic survey of traces is obtained which has been collected over an areal region containing a grid of nodes. Each node is ideally representative of a reflection point from which multiple traces have been collected in the seismic survey. A rolling supergather aperture is used to select a subregion containing a working subset of traces. A model subset of traces is selected from proximate the center of the working subregion. Most preferably, the traces from only the center most portion of the rolling supergather aperture are selected for inclusion in the model subset of traces. The model subset of traces are composited to form a model trace. A modified subset of traces is created by comparing the individual traces with the model trace using an alignment technique, which is preferably a time varying trim statics technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: E. Fredrick Herkenhoff, Jonathan D. Cocker, Harry L. Martin
  • Patent number: 6754591
    Abstract: A method for processing seismic traces to provide enhanced signal-to-noise ratio in seismic data is provided. A seismic survey of traces is obtained which has been collected over an areal region containing a grid of nodes. A rolling supergather aperture is used to select a subregion containing a working subset of traces. A model subset of traces is selected from proximate the center of the working subregion. The model subset of traces are composited to form a model trace. A modified subset of traces is created by comparing the individual traces with the model trace using an alignment technique, which is preferably a time varying trim statics technique. These modified subsets of traces may then be composited into a reduced set of enhanced seismic traces having enhanced signal-to-noise ratio relative to the original seismic traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A.
    Inventors: E. Fredrick Herkenhoff, Jonathan D. Cocker, Harry L. Martin