Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
367153000 | Plural transducer array | 30 |
20080304363 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING A CENTER OF A SEISMIC SOURCE - The present invention provides a method and apparatus for positioning a center of a seismic source. The method includes determining a desired center-of-source of the seismic source and selecting one of a first and a second plurality of guns to form the seismic source based upon the desired center-of-source, a center-of-source of the first plurality being different than a center-of-source of the second plurality. | 12-11-2008 |
20100061189 | SENSOR STREAMER HAVING TWO-LAYER JACKET - A seismic streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer, at least one strength member extending along the length of and disposed inside the jacket, at least one seismic sensor mounted in a sensor spacer affixed to the at least one strength member, and a void filler made from a material introduced into the jacket in liquid form and undergoing state change thereafter. The jacket includes an inner layer in contact with and having adhesiveness to the void filler, and an outer layer disposed over the outer layer and having substantially no adhesiveness. | 03-11-2010 |
20100208554 | MULTIPLE SEISMIC SIGNAL INVERSION - The invention relates to methods and equipment for acquiring and processing marine seismic data are disclosed that correct source movement during inversion. By correcting source movement during inversion, multiple data sets may be acquired independently during overlapping time periods thus reducing the number of sweeps required, generating greater amounts of data, and simplifying data processing. | 08-19-2010 |
20110211424 | Acoustic Transducer for Swath Beams - A swath beam acoustic transducer ( | 09-01-2011 |
20110305117 | Omni-directional radiator for multi-transducer array - An acoustic radiator for underwater application is provided by opposing boundaries mutually spaced and centered on a common axis, a plurality of radial barriers located perpendicular to and connected between the top and bottom boundaries to define a plurality of adjacent radial waveguides, and a plurality of transducers disposed in each radial waveguide, and with one group of transducers being located radially outwardly from another group, the groups being defined in part by all members of the group being the same distance from the apex of the radial waveguide. | 12-15-2011 |
20120002508 | UNDERWATER ANTENNA - A submarine antenna, in particular for assembly on the hull of a submarine, comprising a number of adjacently arranged electroacoustic converters each with a number of hydrophones arranged one below the other and a reflector arranged behind the converters in the direction of incidence of the sound. According to the invention, hull noise decoupling of the converter can be achieved at the connection to the reflector wherein the hydrophones arranged one beneath the other of each converter are moulded into a converter bar by an acoustically transparent moulded mass and the converter bars are provided with sprung retainer elements at the bar ends which are held by retainer devices made on the reflector. | 01-05-2012 |
20120106300 | DOWNSCAN IMAGING SONAR - A sonar transducer assembly for mounting to a surface watercraft includes a rectangular first transducer configured to produce a first beam defining a fan-shape and extending generally in a first plane. The assembly further includes a rectangular second transducer configured to produce a second beam defining a fan-shape and extending generally in a second plane. The first transducer and the second transducer are oriented such that the respective first and second beams insonify different first and second areas each extending laterally with respect to a running direction of the surface watercraft, and such that the first beam is outside of the second plane of the second beam, the resulting planar separation of the first and second planes of the first and second beams reducing interference between the first and second transducers. | 05-03-2012 |
20120155222 | Method and apparatus for terminating rope and its application to seismic streamer strength members - A termination for an end of a braid formed as a flat closed loop of braided strands expandable to an annular cylinder having a selected wall thickness includes a sleeve having a selected internal diameter. Spacers are configured to be applied on the braid such that when in contact with each other form an annular cylinder having an external diameter selected to fit inside the sleeve. The spacers have a bevel at one longitudinal end. A substantially cylindrical insert has a bevel at one longitudinal end at substantially a same bevel angle as on the spacers. A diameter of the insert combined with twice the wall thickness of the braid is larger than an internal diameter the spacers. When axial tension is applied to the braid, the bevel on the insert with braid thereon laterally urges the spacers outward. The sleeve limits lateral outward movement of the spacers. | 06-21-2012 |
20120275275 | ANTI-ATTACHMENT DEVICE AND METHOD - Method and an anti-attachment device configured to be provided on a streamer. The anti-attachment device includes a body configured to be provided around the streamer and a first end is configured to be rotatably attached to the streamer. | 11-01-2012 |
20130039153 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MARINE ANTI-FOULING - An anti-biofouling casing for a seismic streamer is described, the anti-biofouling casing including a polymer system having a hydrophobically-modified base polymer, the hydrophobically-modified base polymer including a base polymer having a backbone and a hydrophobically derivatized chain extender coupled to the backbone of the base polymer. The polymer system including between about 0.1% and 10% of the hydrophobically derivatized chain extender by weight. The anti-fouling casing including a hydrophobic surface that serves to prevent biofouling of the surface. | 02-14-2013 |
20130142013 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MARINE ANTI-FOULING - An anti-biofouling casing for a seismic streamer is provided, the casing comprising an outer-skin, the outer skin comprising a mix of a base material and a molecular additive, wherein the molecular additive is localized throughout the base material and the molecular additive is configured to impart a high contact angle and/or a low surface energy to an outer surface of the anti-biofouling casing to prevent adhesion of living organism thereto. The outer-skin may comprise a casing/skin for a seismic streamer such that the streamer skin comprises a base material with a hydrophobic molecular additive distributed throughout the streamer skin. | 06-06-2013 |
20130315036 | SENSOR ASSEMBLY - A multiple axis sensor assembly includes an enclosure and encapsulated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors. The encapsulated sensors are disposed inside the enclosure and are mounted in different orientations, which correspond to different axes of the sensor assembly. A controller of the sensor assembly is disposed in the enclosure and electrically coupled to the MEMS sensors. | 11-28-2013 |
367154000 | Line array | 10 |
20090040873 | Marine Seismic Sources and Methods of Use - Marine seismic sources and methods of use are described, one source comprising a first set of source arrays and a second set of source arrays, each source array of the first set alternates in cross-line position with source arrays of the second set, each source member of the first set hangs from a hang plate having a first length, and each source member of the second set hangs from a hang plate having a second length, wherein the first length is sufficiently longer than the second length such that downward traveling acoustic pulses emanating from source members in the first set are substantially deghosted by acoustic pulses emanating from corresponding source members of the second set. | 02-12-2009 |
20090154295 | VERTICAL-AXIS TRANSMITTING SONAR ANTENNA THAT CAN BE WOUND ONTO A WINCH - Embodiments of the present invention relate to the undersea mechanics of ship-towed linear bodies which preferably are towed in a vertical position and which, at rest, are designed to be stored on the drum of a winch. The linear submersible body is capable of adopting a rectilinear configuration in a vertical position when it is towed at a total immersion depth and of adopting a curved configuration at rest, having a radius of curvature allowing it to be wound onto the drum of a winch. The device according to the invention includes a plurality of rigid segments that are articulated and can adopt relative to one another an orientation making it possible to form a rectilinear body or a curved body, of which the radius of curvature is adapted to the drum of the winch onto which it is wound. The segments are associated with couplers and configured so that a vertical rectilinear posture is naturally obtained when the device is totally submerged and towed by the ship, while the curved posture is obtained naturally by the winding of the device onto the winch. Embodiments of the invention apply to the production of linear and vertical transmitting acoustic antennas. | 06-18-2009 |
20090190442 | Electroacoustic Underwater Antenna - An electroacoustic underwater antenna, particularly a lateral antenna which can be fixed to the outer hull of an underwater craft, comprising a series of hydrophones ( | 07-30-2009 |
20090207695 | Method for Production of an Antenna Section for an Underwater Antenna - The invention relates to a method for production of an antenna section comprising a hydrophone ( | 08-20-2009 |
20100020644 | SEISMIC STREAMER FORMED OF SECTIONS COMPRISING A MAIN SHEATH COVERED WITH AN EXTERNAL SHEATH FORMED USING A THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL LOADED WITH A BIOCIDE MATERIAL - Described herein is a seismic streamer formed of sections including a main sheath covered with an external sheath, wherein said external sheath is formed using a thermoplastic material loaded with a biocide material. | 01-28-2010 |
20100246330 | Vertical Line Hydrophone Array - A hydrophone assembly includes at least four hydrophone units for converting an acoustic signal to an electrical signal, the hydrophone units being in a parallel, cylindrically symmetric spaced spatial relationship with each other, and at least one spacer element to maintain the hydrophone units fixed in the spatial relationship to each other, wherein the hydrophone units and spacer element are embedded in an encapsulant to form an elongated, flexible body. | 09-30-2010 |
20130070565 | SEABED INSTALLATIONS - There is described a method and apparatus for deploying and covering undersea seismic sensing cables to improve seismic coupling between the sensors of the cable and the seabed. The method comprises simultaneously deploying a submarine seismic cable and a mat in order to cover at least the sensor units of the cable. The mat may be attached to the cable prior to laying the cable on the seabed, and is preferably simultaneously laid with the cable by unwinding the cable and mat from a drum. The mat may be continuous, or may be in discrete sections attached to the cable at spaced locations. The mat or mat sections may comprise a sediment-trapping formation such as a number of upstanding fronds on their upper surfaces | 03-21-2013 |
20130170322 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MARINE ANTI-FOULING - An anti-biofouling casing for a seismic streamer is described, the anti-biofouling casing comprising a polymer system comprising a hydrophobically-modified base polymer, the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprising a base polymer having a backbone and a hydrophobically derivatized chain extender coupled to said backbone of said base polymer, wherein the the hydrophobically derivatized chain extender comprises a hydrophobic moiety. The anti-fouling casing comprises a hydrophobic surface the serves to prevent biofouling of the surface. | 07-04-2013 |
20130208571 | SOLID MARINE SEISMIC CABLE WITH AN ARRAY OF HYDROPHONES - In a first embodiment of the present invention, a hydrophone is provided comprising: a rigid tubular substrate; an annular cavity formed around the rigid tubular substrate by affixing a tubular diaphragm around the rigid tubular substrate; a flexible piezoelectric element wrapped around and bonded to the flexible tubular diaphragm; and a molded portion covering the piezoelectric element. | 08-15-2013 |
20130229894 | UNDERWATER SENSOR ARRAYS LINEARIZED BY WEIGHT AND BUOYANCE DISTRIBUTION - A system and method for linearizing underwater sensor arrays is disclosed. The sensor array comprises slightly positive or negative buoyant sensors that are positioned along a cable. A weight is positioned at a deep end of the cable or a buoyant object is positioned at a shallow end of the cable, but not both. Distributing buoyant elements throughout the length of the array generates more consistent, uniformly distributed tension, enabling the sensor array to maintain a linear shape in currents of all strengths and speeds. | 09-05-2013 |
367155000 | Piezoelectric | 8 |
20090231959 | COMPOSITE TRANSDUCER APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE AND METHOD OF CONSTURCTING THE SAME - A transducer, system and method of constructing the same that utilizes a composite of piezoelectric pillars. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus for generating acoustic energy comprising: a plurality of pillars constructed of a piezoelectric material, the pillars arranged in a spaced-apart manner so that spaces exist between adjacent pillars; the pillars having a width and a height extending between a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the height of the pillars is greater than the width of the pillars; and the spaces filled with a resilient material so as to form a composite assembly. | 09-17-2009 |
20090245027 | SLOTTED CYLINDER ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER - A slotted cylinder acoustic transducer has a crescent-shaped insert disposed between a ceramic stack assembly and s cylindrical housing shell. In some embodiments, all of the ceramic elements in the ceramic stack assembly can have the same shape. | 10-01-2009 |
20100020645 | RECONFIGURABLE ARRAY WITH LOCALLY DETERMINED SWITCH CONFIGURATION - A method for dynamically reconfiguring elements in an ultrasound transducer array is provided. The method includes defining two or more groups of the elements in the array, wherein each element individually comprises a first switch, and a second switch; providing boundary definitions information to the elements in the array to define boundaries for the two or more groups; and locally determining switch configuration state within the array for the first and second switch of one or more elements based on the boundary definitions. Further, a switch matrix configured to locally determine switch settings is provided. Furthermore, a system comprising an array of ultrasonic transducer subelements is provided. | 01-28-2010 |
20100202253 | ULTRASONIC SENSOR UNIT AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An ultrasonic sensor unit includes an ultrasonic transmission sensor array having a plurality of ultrasonic transmission sensors configured and arranged to transmit ultrasonic waves, and an ultrasonic reception sensor array having a plurality of ultrasonic reception sensors configured and arranged to receive the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic reception sensor array re coupled to the ultrasonic transmission sensor array so that the ultrasonic transmission sensors and the ultrasonic reception sensors do not overlap in planar view. One of the ultrasonic transmission sensor array and the ultrasonic reception sensor array include a plurality of through-holes through which one of the ultrasonic transmission sensors and the ultrasonic reception sensors provided in the other of the ultrasonic transmission sensor array and the ultrasonic reception sensor array are exposed. | 08-12-2010 |
20110110197 | Broadband Underwater Acoustic Transducer - An efficient, broadband, underwater acoustic transducer having nominally a quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern is realized with a plurality of thin walled radially vibrating spherical piezoelectric transduction elements aligned axially. Each spherical transduction element is progressively smaller in diameter so as to enhance the combined frequency coverage and achieve the desirable radiation pattern. The transduction elements may be excited individually, or together electrically in series or in parallel combinations. | 05-12-2011 |
20120163130 | TAPE CAST MULTILAYER SONAR TRANSDUCER AND METHOD - The invention herein pertains to a single-piece, multi-layer piezoelectric stack in a sonar transducer element utilized in acoustic arrays requiring many thousands of elements. A slurry formed by mixing ceramics, powders, and binders is filtered, dried and cast into a thin film on a moving substrate. When the film has dried, it is removed from the substrate and layered into piezoelectric stacks. Screening a pattern of conductive platinum ink onto a desired layer forms electrodes. Applied heat and pressure forms a unitary body with electrically accessible layers. Burning removes the binders and sintering produces a final density. Dicing the body exposes the desired electrode polarities. A strip of conductive material is applied to connect the electrodes of like polarity and the ceramic parts are polarized. The transducer elements may be arrayed to conform to the curved surfaces such as a ship's hull. | 06-28-2012 |
20130301394 | CMUT ASSEMBLY WITH ACOUSTIC WINDOW - In some implementations, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) apparatus includes one or more CMUTs or CMUT arrays, an acoustic window, a coupling medium, and a packaging substrate. The acoustic window may have various configurations, such as for reducing acoustic reflectance or increasing mechanical properties. In some examples, at least one of the CMUTs, the acoustic window or the coupling medium may include a focusing capability for focusing acoustic energy to or from the CMUT. | 11-14-2013 |
20140254325 | COMPOSITE TRANSDUCER APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SAME - An apparatus and method for processing articles utilizing acoustic energy. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus comprising a support; a conduit for applying a fluid to a surface of the article; and a transducer assembly comprising: a transmitting structure having a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface; a first acoustic transducer having a convex bottom surface bonded to the concave inner surface of the transmitting structure, wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to create a first acoustically active area on the convex outer surface of the transmitting structure when the first acoustic transducer is energized; and a second acoustic transducer having a convex bottom surface bonded to the concave inner surface of the transmitting structure, wherein the second acoustic transducer is configured to create a second acoustically active area on the convex outer surface of the transmitting structure when the second acoustic transducer is energized. | 09-11-2014 |