Patents by Inventor Robert A. P. Fernihough
Robert A. P. Fernihough 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).
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Patent number: 10175437Abstract: In at least some embodiments, a disclosed subsea cable includes one or more floodable optical fiber conduits each having at least one tight buffered optical fiber for transporting optical signals. Each tight buffered optical fiber may have a relatively limited length. The subsea cable may further include multiple strength members contra-helically wound around or together with the one or more floodable optical fiber conduits. There may also or alternatively be included at least one hermetically sealed optical fiber conduit having at least one protected optical fiber spliced to one of the tight buffered optical fibers. At least some implementations splice each of the tight buffered optical fibers to corresponding protected fibers for the long-haul communications. Flooding of the floodable conduits may be provided via connectors at the subsea cable ends, via breakout locations where sensors are attached, and/or via vents in the conduit wall.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2014Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: PGS Geophysical ASInventors: Jeremy Crane Smith, Robert A. P. Fernihough
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Publication number: 20150234143Abstract: In at least some embodiments, a disclosed subsea cable includes one or more floodable optical fiber conduits each having at least one tight buffered optical fiber for transporting optical signals. Each tight buffered optical fiber may have a relatively limited length. The subsea cable may further include multiple strength members contra-helically wound around or together with the one or more floodable optical fiber conduits. There may also or alternatively be included at least one hermetically sealed optical fiber conduit having at least one protected optical fiber spliced to one of the tight buffered optical fibers. At least some implementations splice each of the tight buffered optical fibers to corresponding protected fibers for the long-haul communications. Flooding of the floodable conduits may be provided via connectors at the subsea cable ends, via breakout locations where sensors are attached, and/or via vents in the conduit wall.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2014Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: PGS Geophysical ASInventors: Jeremy Crane Smith, Robert A.P. Fernihough
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Patent number: 8990022Abstract: A disclosed direct velocity seismic sensor includes a housing, a proof mass suspended in the housing by a resilient component, and a motion dampener that damps oscillation of the proof mass to a degree that displacement of the proof mass relative to the housing is substantially linearly proportional to a rate of change of seismic displacements of the housing over a frequency range of interest. A described method for constructing a seismic sensor includes using a calculated resonant frequency to determine a damping factor that causes the displacement of the proof mass to be substantially proportional to the rate of change of seismic displacement of the housing. One illustrative disclosed system includes an optical velocity sensor and a detector where a light beam produced by the velocity sensor and a reference beam interfere at the detector, and the detector produces a signal indicative of a velocity experienced by the velocity sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: PGS Geophysical ASInventor: Robert A. P. Fernihough
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Patent number: 8816690Abstract: A marine electromagnetic sensor cable system includes a first sensor cable subsystem including at least a first sensor cable segment. The first sensor cable segment includes a plurality of spaced apart electrodes which electrically contact a body of water when the first sensor cable segment is immersed therein, and an electrical conductor coupled to each electrode, each electrical conductor extending from one longitudinal end of the sensor cable segment to the other. The system includes a first signal processing module electrically coupled to a longitudinal end of the first sensor cable segment, and including a voltage measuring circuit electrically connected between two or more electrodes from the first plurality of electrodes. Marine electromagnetic surveys are conducted using the marine electromagnetic sensor cable system.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: PGS Geophysical ASInventors: Gustav Göran Mattias Südow, Ulf Peter Lindqvist, Andras Robert Juhasz, Robert A. P. Fernihough
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Publication number: 20140112094Abstract: A disclosed direct velocity seismic sensor includes a housing, a proof mass suspended in the housing by a resilient component, and a motion dampener that damps oscillation of the proof mass to a degree that displacement of the proof mass relative to the housing is substantially linearly proportional to a rate of change of seismic displacements of the housing over a frequency range of interest. A described method for constructing a seismic sensor includes using a calculated resonant frequency to determine a damping factor that causes the displacement of the proof mass to be substantially proportional to the rate of change of seismic displacement of the housing. One illustrative disclosed system includes an optical velocity sensor and a detector where a light beam produced by the velocity sensor and a reference beam interfere at the detector, and the detector produces a signal indicative of a velocity experienced by the velocity sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: PGS Geophysical ASInventor: Robert A.P. FERNIHOUGH
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Patent number: 8645071Abstract: A disclosed direct velocity seismic sensor includes a housing, a proof mass suspended in the housing by a resilient component, and a motion dampener that damps oscillation of the proof mass to a degree that displacement of the proof mass relative to the housing is substantially linearly proportional to a rate of change of seismic displacements of the housing over a frequency range of interest. A described method for constructing a seismic sensor includes using a calculated resonant frequency to determine a damping factor that causes the displacement of the proof mass to be substantially proportional to the rate of change of seismic displacement of the housing. One illustrative disclosed system includes an optical velocity sensor and a detector where a light beam produced by the velocity sensor and a reference beam interfere at the detector, and the detector produces a signal indicative of a velocity experienced by the velocity sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: PGS Geophysical ASInventor: Robert A. P. Fernihough
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Publication number: 20130286774Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and-at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique
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Patent number: 8493815Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and-at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2011Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Teledyne Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique
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Publication number: 20130127471Abstract: A marine electromagnetic sensor cable system includes a first sensor cable subsystem including at least a first sensor cable segment. The first sensor cable segment includes a plurality of spaced apart electrodes which electrically contact a body of water when the first sensor cable segment is immersed therein, and an electrical conductor coupled to each electrode, each electrical conductor extending from one longitudinal end of the sensor cable segment to the other. The system includes a first signal processing module electrically coupled to a longitudinal end of the first sensor cable segment, and including a voltage measuring circuit electrically connected between two or more electrodes from the first plurality of electrodes. Marine electromagnetic surveys are conducted using the marine electromagnetic sensor cable system.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2011Publication date: May 23, 2013Applicant: PGS Geophysical ASInventors: Gustav Göran Mattias Südow, Ulf Peter Lindqvist, Andras Robert Juhasz, Robert A.P. Fernihough
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Publication number: 20110300308Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and-at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: Teledyne Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique
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Patent number: 8000167Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and-at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2010Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Teledyne Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique
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Publication number: 20110153219Abstract: A disclosed direct velocity seismic sensor includes a housing, a proof mass suspended in the housing by a resilient component, and a motion dampener that damps oscillation of the proof mass to a degree that displacement of the proof mass relative to the housing is substantially linearly proportional to a rate of change of seismic displacements of the housing over a frequency range of interest. A described method for constructing a seismic sensor includes using a calculated resonant frequency to determine a damping factor that causes the displacement of the proof mass to be substantially proportional to the rate of change of seismic displacement of the housing. One illustrative disclosed system includes an optical velocity sensor and a detector where a light beam produced by the velocity sensor and a reference beam interfere at the detector, and the detector produces a signal indicative of a velocity experienced by the velocity sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Inventor: Robert A.P. Fernihough
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Publication number: 20100165787Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and-at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2010Publication date: July 1, 2010Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribbie, Philip M. Manrique
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Patent number: 7710819Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2007Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: Teledyne Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique
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Patent number: 7573781Abstract: The present invention relates to streamer cables. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a streamer cable. The method may comprise retrofitting the streamer cable with a solid void-filler material, where the streamer cable was configured as a liquid-filled streamer cable. The retrofitting may comprise introducing a void-filler material into the streamer cable when the void-filler material is in a liquid state and curing or otherwise solidifying the void-filler material to a solid state. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a streamer cable comprising an outer skin and at least one sensor positioned within the outer skin. The streamer cable may also comprise a solid void-filler material positioned between the outer skin and the at least one sensor, wherein the solid void-filler material is coupled to the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2004Date of Patent: August 11, 2009Assignee: Teledyne Technologies IncorporationInventors: Robert A. P. Fernihough, William G. Kikendall, Phillip R. Goines, Stephen M. Gribble, Philip M. Manrique