Ex. PGS 1042
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`EX. PGS 1042
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`

`
`United States Patent [19]
`Ambs et al.
`
`US006011752A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`6,011,752
`Jan. 4, 2000
`
`[54] SEISMIC STREAMER POSITION CONTROL
`MODULE
`
`4,694,435
`5,443,027
`
`9/1987 Magnesville ............................ .. 367/17
`8/1995 OWsley et al. ........................ .. 114/244
`
`[75] Inventors: Loran D. Ambs, Fulshear; Ronald E.
`Chambers, Houston, both of TeX.
`
`[73] Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.,
`Houston, TeX.
`
`Primary Examiner—Christine K. Oda
`Assistant Examiner—Anthony Jolly
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Appl. No.: 09/128,336
`Filed:
`Aug. 3, 1998
`
`Int. C1.7 ..................................................... .. G01V 1/00
`US. Cl. .......................... .. 367/17; 114/235; 114/244;
`114/242
`[58] Field of Search ...................... .. 367/61, 17; 181/110;
`340/7; 114/235, 244, 242
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`A seismic streamer position control module has been
`invented having a body With a ?rst end and a second end and
`a bore therethrough from the ?rst end to the second end for
`receiving a seismic streamer therethrough, at least one
`control surface, and at least one recess in Which is initially
`disposed the at least one control surface, the at least one
`control surface movably connected to the body for move
`ment from and into the at least one recess and for movement,
`When extended from the body, for attitude adjustment. In one
`aspect the seismic streamer position control module body
`has tapered ends.
`
`3,943,483
`
`3/1976 Strange ................................. .. 114/235
`
`20 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`S
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`Ex. PGS 1042
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan. 4,2000
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`Sheet 1 0f5
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`Ex. PGS 1042
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`Jan. 4,2000
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`Sheet 2 0f5
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`54 50X
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`54
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`l
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`56 58
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`Fig. 4A
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`Ex. PGS 1042
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan. 4,2000
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`Sheet 3 0f5
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`Jan. 4,2000
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`Sheet 4 0f5
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan. 4,2000
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`Sheet 5 0f5
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`I" ________________________________________________ '“T'TI
`
`: STREAMER ELECTRONICS
`STREAMER POWER
`
`E STREAMER CONTROL SIGNALS I
`L ______ "I _______________________________________ "J
`
`:
`
`PROGRAMED DEPTH
`MOVE LEFT / RIGHT
`
`I
`V FUZZY LOGIC CONTROL
`II
`
`I
`— WING AXIS ROTATOR
`
`STREAMER POSITION
`CONTROL MODULE
`ROLL SENSOR
`
`DEPTH
`SENSOR
`
`WING
`ANGLE-OF-ATTACK
`SENSOR
`
`Fig. 7
`
`Ex. PGS 1042
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`

`
`1
`SEISMIC STREAMER POSITION CONTROL
`MODULE
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`This invention is directed to seismic streamers; to seismic
`streamer depth control devices; to methods of their use; and
`to methods of their storage and deployment.
`2. Description of Related Art
`The prior art discloses a Wide variety of depth control
`devices for seismic streamers, some of Which are referred to
`as “birds.” Typically, a bird is suspended from a streamer
`from a slip ring attached to the streamer and is releasably
`connected thereby to the streamer as it is deployed and
`removed from the streamer as it is recovered. To control
`streamer depth, certain prior art systems use one bird for
`every thousand feet of streamer or for every three “sections.”
`Currents, Wind, and Wave action de?ect the streamer
`cables from their intended paths, and streamer cable drift is
`a continuing problem for marine seismic surveys. See, for
`example, US. Pat. No. 5,532,975. By controlling the posi
`tion and shape of the streamer cables entanglement of the
`streamer cables is avoided and collisions With offshore
`haZards such as marine drilling rigs and production plat
`forms are prevented. Since knoWn 3-D seismic binning
`processes acquire subsurface seismic coverage by combin
`ing seismic data from seismic streamers at different
`locations, it is desirable to have the ability to control the
`position and shape of the streamer cables during marine 3-D
`seismic surveys. The need for this ability is taught by
`Franklyn K. Levin in “Short Note: The effect of binning on
`data from a feathered streamer,”Geophysics, Vol. 49. No. 8,
`pp. 1386—1387.
`Avariety of streamer positioning devices are Well knoWn
`in the art. Apparatus, such as those disclosed in US. Pat.
`Nos. 5,532,975, 4,729,333, and 4,463,701 are attached to
`streamer cables to maintain them at a lateral offset to the
`pathWay of a toWing vessel. US. Pat. No. 4,890,568
`describes steerable tail buoys for controlling the position of
`the tail end of toWed seismic streamer cables. Streamer
`positioning devices that are attached externally to the
`streamer cables to control lateral positioning by using
`camber-adjustable hydrofoils or angled Wings are disclosed
`in US. Pat. Nos. 4,033,278 and 5,443,027. US. Pat. No.
`3,931,608 discloses a bird for controlling the vertical posi
`tioning of streamer cables With diving planes and a preset
`depth control apparatus.
`The prior art discloses a variety of location sensing
`devices and methods for determining the positions of seis
`mic sources and seismic streamer cables. A Global Position
`ing System, described in US. Pat. No. 4,809,005 and a
`netWork of acoustic elements described in US. Pat. No.
`4,912,682 may be deployed on a vessel, streamer cables, and
`tail buoy and may then be used to determine the real-time
`position of seismic sources and seismic streamer cables by
`computing a netWork solution With a Kalman ?lter, eg as
`disclosed by US. Pat. No. 5,353,223.
`In knoWn prior art methods of marine seismic surveying,
`a human operator monitors the survey’s operational
`conditions, such as the extent of subsurface seismic
`coverage, the adequacy of separations betWeen streamer
`cables, and the proximity of streamer cables to obstructive
`haZards. When these conditions indicate the need to repo
`sition the streamer cables, the operator may manually issue
`commands to various individual streamer positioning
`
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`devices in order to adjust the position and shape of the
`streamer cable, or order a vessel’s helmsman to redirect the
`vessel, or suspend data acquisition.
`In certain prior art systems, a bird is about four feet long
`and is poWered by multiple D-siZe batteries. Rechargeable
`batteries have been employed in some birds to extend the life
`of the batteries. Electric poWer in some devices is inef?
`ciently transmitted to the bird via electromagnetic induction
`coils beneath the skin of the streamer and a coil in the bird.
`These birds must be removed from a streamer as it is
`retrieved and secured to the streamer as it is deployed.
`Communication betWeen the ship-board streamer controller
`and the birds is accomplished via signals communicated at
`relative loW data rates across the skin of the streamer by
`indirect means of one or more electromagnetic coils beneath
`the skin of the streamer and another coil Within the bird
`structure. Elaborate mechanical schemes have been devised
`to assure communications as the streamer cable rotates
`relative to the bird.
`There has long been a need for an easily deployable and
`retrievable seismic streamer Whose depth can be controlled.
`There has long been a need for such a streamer With effective
`and efficient depth control devices. There has long been a
`need for a seismic streamer depth control device Whose
`poWer is effectively and ef?ciently obtained from a streamer
`poWer distribution system. There has long been a need for a
`simple Way to communicate directly With a bird’s control
`and sensor electronics. There has long been a need for a bird
`device Which is also capable of producing vertical, non
`vertical, and horiZontal forces Which facilitate vertical and
`horiZontal movement of the streamer cable. There has long
`been a need, recogniZed by the present inventors, for rela
`tively compact bird devices that do not interfere With
`streamer deployment and retrieval operations and Which, in
`certain aspects, remain on a streamer in storage.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
`The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses a
`marine seismic streamer having one or more position control
`devices or “birds” therein or thereon Which do not hang from
`the streamer but are secured therearound or thereto, or are
`applied on streamer section connectors. In one aspect, such
`a streamer has one or more position control modules Which
`are co-axially attached to an exterior of a streamer section
`coupling module. Such position control modules, in certain
`embodiments, have a streamlined and relatively small pro
`?le projecting outWardly from the streamer’s exterior sur
`face thereby making it possible to retrieve the streamer With
`the depth control modules in place thereon. The modules are
`retrieved onto a reel With the streamer, i.e., there is no
`necessity to remove them during streamer retrieval. Also,
`there is, therefore, no necessity to attach them to the
`streamer as it is being deployed. The streamlined pro?le also
`inhibits tangling of the streamer With another streamer, With
`?shing lines and nets, etc.
`In one aspect the position control modules or “birds” have
`a body and one, tWo, three, four or more control surfaces
`initially disposed in recesses in the body. The control
`surfaces are selectively movable from the body to contact
`the Water in Which the streamer is deployed to effect a
`change in depth and/or lateral position of the streamer and
`to maintain the streamer at a desired location relative to a
`toW vessel. In one aspect the bird is ?xedly attached around
`the streamer, and rotates or tWists as the streamer rotates or
`tWists. In another aspect, the bird is loosely positioned
`around streamer and aligns itself to the gravity normal by
`gravity and/or by mechanical means.
`
`Ex. PGS 1042
`
`

`
`3
`In one aspect each depth control module has one or more
`internal accelerometers to sense and indicate direction of a
`gravity vector. Commands generated by a toW vessel may
`instruct the bird to change streamer depth and/or lateral
`position. This is accomplished, in certain preferred
`embodiments, by fuZZy or proportional control algorithms
`Within a bird microprocessor. The purpose of the micropro
`cessor is to adjust bird “Wing” angles to achieve a desired
`change in position given the con?guration of the “sWings”
`on the bird and the relative orientation of the bird With
`respect to the gravity vector. Commands are communicated
`betWeen the streamer control system on-board the toW vessel
`and the bird along Wires or ?ber-optic channels Within the
`streamer. Status of the bird health and activity may also be
`communicated on such channels back to the toW-vessel.
`Certain particular bird control methods and systems are
`disclosed in pending US. application Ser. No. 08/771,049
`?led on Dec. 20, 1996, co-oWned With the present invention,
`and incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
`In one aspect the control surfaces are releasable from an
`extended position in response to contact With an obstruction.
`In one embodiment, control surfaces of a bird are ?exibly
`attached to a streamer by a spring or springs of suf?cient
`stiffness to prevent the axis of the “Wing” from bending
`under normal hydrodynamic loading. In the event that the
`“oWing” comes into contact With foreign objects (eg but
`not limited to another streamer, ?sh pot buoy lines, ?shing
`lines, etc.) the spring(s) alloW the “Wing” to be de?ected and
`thereby prevent or minimiZe damage to the bird and reduce
`the risk of entanglement With foreign objects.
`In one embodiment the control modules are incorporated
`into a streamer section rather than secured around it. In one
`aspect the control modules are disposed in streamer con
`nection modules that connect tWo streamer sections. Posi
`tion control devices disposed in these Ways may include
`poWer and/or signal transmission apparatus for conveying
`poWer and/or signals betWeen streamer sections.
`In one embodiment, the Wings of a bird are opened and
`closed in a plane parallel to the diameter of a control module.
`Wings may be housed on or in a streamer-position-module.
`In another embodiment, the Wings of a bird are opened
`and closed in a plane perpendicular to the diameter of the
`control module. In one such embodiment, tWo short Wings
`are deployed at right angles to a larger Wing Which produces
`comparable lift for the same angle-of-attack of the tWo
`smaller Wings.
`What folloWs are some of, but not all, the objects of this
`invention. In addition to the speci?c objects stated beloW for
`at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention,
`other objects and purposes Will be readily apparent to one of
`skill in this art Who has the bene?t of this invention’s
`teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at
`least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention
`to provide:
`NeW, useful, unique, ef?cient, nonobvious seismic
`streamers and such streamers With one or more position
`control devices thereon or therein;
`Such a seismic streamer With position control device(s)
`With a streamlined pro?le so that the streamer With the
`device(s) thereon and/or therein may be easily retrieved on
`a reel and deployed from a reel;
`Such a position control device With at least one or a
`plurality of selectively movable angle-of-attack control sur
`face Which is/are positioned Within a recess in a body of the
`module and movable outWardly therefrom;
`Such a streamer With such position control modules Which
`is less likely to entangle With another streamer or other
`object;
`
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`Such a streamer With position control modules spaced
`apart a relatively short distance for greater control of
`streamer depth; and
`NeW, useful, unique, efficient and nonobvious methods
`for using such streamers.
`Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to
`any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include
`combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in
`their structures and functions. Features of the invention have
`been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that
`folloW may be better understood, and in order that the
`contributions of this invention to the arts may be better
`appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the
`invention described beloW and Which may be included in the
`subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled
`in the art Who have the bene?t of this invention, its
`teachings, and suggestions Will appreciate that the concep
`tions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for
`designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying
`out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this
`invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent
`devices or methods Which do not depart from the spirit and
`scope of the present invention.
`The present invention recogniZes and addresses the
`previously-mentioned problems and long-felt needs and
`provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory
`meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments
`and equivalents thereof. To one skilled in this art Who has the
`bene?ts of this invention’s realiZations, teachings,
`disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages
`Will be appreciated from the folloWing description of pre
`ferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure,
`When taken in conjunction With the accompanying draWings.
`The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thWart this
`patent’s object to claim this invention no matter hoW others
`may later disguise it by variations in form or additions of
`further improvements.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`A more particular description of embodiments of the
`invention brie?y summariZed above may be had by refer
`ences to the embodiments Which are shoWn in the draWings
`Which form a part of this speci?cation. These draWings
`illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be
`used to improperly limit the scope of the invention Which
`may have other equally effective or legally equivalent
`embodiments.
`FIG. 1 is a perspective vieW of a seismic streamer and
`control module according to the present invention.
`FIG. 2 is a perspective vieW of the seismic streamer of
`FIG. 1 With control surfaces of the control module extended.
`FIG. 3A is a perspective vieW of a seismic streamer and
`depth control module according to the present invention.
`FIG. 3B shoWs the streamer of FIG. 3A With Wings
`extended.
`FIG. 4A is a perspective vieW of a seismic streamer and
`depth control module according to the present invention.
`FIG. 4B shoWs the streamer of FIG. 4A With Wings
`extended. FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, and FIG. 4E are side cross
`section vieWs of a Wing apparatus of the streamer of FIG.
`4A. FIG. 4F is a cross-section vieW along line 4F—4F of
`FIG. 4A.
`FIG. 5 is a perspective vieW of a ?ange used With the
`streamer of FIG. 4A.
`FIG. 6A presents schematically a position for the streamer
`of FIG. 4A. FIG. 6B presents schematically a position for
`the streamer of FIG. 4A.
`
`Ex. PGS 1042
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`6,011,752
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`position by interior side Walls of slots 71. A sensor 65
`interconnected With the control apparatus 60 and each Wing
`senses the Wing angle and transmits a signal indicative
`thereof to the control apparatus 60. The control apparatus 60
`is in communication With a streamer-position-module con
`troller Which, in one aspect, is located Within the bird 50 and
`in communication With a remote control apparatus; and, in
`another aspect, is located on the toW vessel and is in
`communication With the apparatus 60.
`FIG. 7 illustrates a signal ?oW diagram for the streamer
`position-control-module. This module computes an angle
`of-attack for each Wing. In one aspect a rotationally balanced
`force is produced on the streamer to achieve desired vertical
`or horiZontal streamer movement. The dotted line in FIG. 7
`indicates a subset of streamer components. A computer
`assisted navigator apparatus (or a human operator) generates
`“STREAMER CONTROL SIGNALS” (e.g. depth setting,
`movement right or left). These signals are sent via the
`streamer to the bird’s control apparatus (“FUZZY LOGIC
`CONTROL”). The “STREAMER POWER” apparatus pro
`vides electric poWer for on-streamer electronics and for
`Wing rotation. A ROLL SENSOR senses streamer roll and
`sends signals indicative thereof to the control apparatus. A
`DEPTH SENSOR senses streamer depth and sends signals
`indicative thereof to the control apparatus. AWING ANGLE
`OF ATTACK SENSOR senses Wing attitude and sends
`signals indicative thereof to the control apparatus.
`A conceptual model of a bird With an even number of
`control surfaces uniformly disposed about the bird and
`attached to a streamer is shoWn in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The
`dotted line arroW in FIG. 6A indicates a gravity vector. To
`effect a vertical change in position, a net vertical force is
`produced by independently adjusting the angle of attack of
`each Wing using the folloWing mathematical relationship:
`
`5
`FIG. 7 presents schematically a signal ?oW diagram for a
`seismic streamer system according to the present invention.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
`PREFERRED AT THE TIME OF FILING FOR
`THIS PATENT
`
`Referring noW to FIG. 1, a seismic streamer S according
`to the present invention has a streamer body 12 of any
`desired length. A depth control module or “bird” 10 With a
`body 22 is secured on the body 12 of the seismic streamer
`S. Ends 24 of the body 22 are, preferably, faired or tapered
`to form a streamlined pro?le for a control module 20. One
`or both ends may be faired or tapered for smooth hydrody
`namic ?oW.
`A plurality of control surfaces or Wings 26 are initially
`disposed in recesses 28, as shoWn in FIG. 1, so that they are
`?ush With the exterior surface of the body 22.
`The Wings 26 are movable out from the recesses 28 by
`control and poWer apparatus 14 (shoWn schematically in
`FIG. 1) Within the body 22. Once extended, the Wings 26 are
`also rotatable to adjust their attitude With respect to the body
`22. The control apparatus may be physically linked to a toW
`vessel’s on-board controls or it may be controlled remotely
`from the toW vessel.
`FIGS. 3A and 3B shoW a bird 30 according to the present
`invention on a streamer S With a body 32; faired ends 34;
`Wing recesses 36 for Wings 38; and Wing recess 42 for Wing
`44. The Wings 38 and 44 are movable as are the Wings 26
`(FIG. 1) and have similar control and poWer apparatus.
`FIG. 4A shoWs a seismic streamer bird SO according to
`the present invention With a body 52 having tapered ends 54
`and four Wing recesses 58 in Which are disposed movable
`Wings 56. Each Wing is independently movable by control
`apparatus 60 (shoWn schematically) enclosed in a Water
`proof enclosure 61 (see FIG. 4F). FIG. 4B shoWs the Wings
`56 extended and rotated. The body is emplaceable on a
`seismic streamer extending through a central channel 51.
`FIGS. 4C—4E illustrate a Wing mount 62 as used With each
`Wing 56. The Wing mounts 62 include a ?exible/breakaWay
`joint 64 (eg but not limited to a spring member Whose
`tensile strength is knoWn and Which Will break in response
`to a knoWn force on the Wing). The joint 64 is part of a shaft
`66 that has one end secured to the Wing 56 and the other end
`secured to a gear 67. At an intermediate point the shaft 66
`rotatably extends through a Waterproof ball and socket joint
`63 that is itself rotatably secured by pins 59 to the body 52
`of the streamer 50.
`FIG. 4E shoWs the position of the shaft 66 When a Wing
`is housed in its recess 58. FIG. 4C shoWs the position of the
`shaft 66 When a Wing is extended as in FIG. 4B. As shoWn
`in FIG. 4C a gear 67 on a loWer end of the shaft 66 is turned
`by a corresponding Worm gear 69 Which is interconnected
`With the control apparatus 60. Turning of the Worm gear 69
`adjusts the attitude of the Wing 56 connected to the shaft 66.
`Each shaft 66 has its oWn corresponding Worm gear and is
`interconnected With the control apparatus. A ?ange 68 is
`rotatably ?xed inside the bird body 52. Slots 71 (one for each
`of four Wing shafts 66) are cut through the ?ange 68. An
`interior portion of the shafts 66 betWeen the gear 67 and the
`socket joint 63 passes through the ?ange 68 in the slot 71.
`When the ?ange 68 is rotated by the control apparatus 60
`about an axis coincident With an axis of the streamer
`module, the shaft 66 rotates about an axis de?ned by the pins
`59. Thus, the Wings 56 may rotate through a 90° arc (as in
`FIGS. 4C, 4E) to deploy and retract. When the ?ange 68 is
`rotated to its maximum extent, the shaft 66 is locked into
`
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`Where n is the control surface identi?cation and (xv repre
`sents the nominal angle-of-attack for a hypothetical control
`surface With area AH oriented in the horiZontal plane having
`a Wing area equal to 1/2 of the sum of actual control surfaces.
`
`n
`
`A=ZAn
`
`I
`
`(Where An is the area of each Wing)
`The resulting hydrodynamic force is balanced about a
`vertical line passing through the centerline of the bird. The
`thrust produced by Wings on each side of the vertical
`produce force vectors parallel to the vertical plane and equal
`in magnitude.
`Similarly, to produce a lateral change in position, a net
`horiZontal force is produced by independently adjusting the
`angle-of-attack of each Wing using the folloWing relation
`ship:
`
`To effect a change in the vertical and horiZontal position,
`the sum of computed angles Will produce a net force
`balanced about a plane inclined to the vertical and thus Will
`not produce a rotational force on the streamer.
`
`In certain embodiments, a change in vertical position is
`easily automated With a depth sensor providing input to the
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`on-board microprocessor. The desired streamer depth may
`be dynamically set by a human or by a computer controller
`on the toW vessel. Adepth command is communicated to the
`bird controller by electrical or optical signals carried on
`conductors built into the streamer. The vertical position may
`be de?ned to achieve a particular depth suitable for seismic
`data acquisition or may be set to protect the streamer from
`collision With surface or subsurface obstructions. The bird
`controller sets Wing angle to move the streamer toWard the
`desired depth. As the streamer approaches the programmed
`depth, Wing angles are decreased so that the streamer does
`not overshoot the programmed depth and thus risk
`undamped oscillation about the programmed depth. A
`change in lateral position requires input from a position
`measurement system (in one aspect on board a toW vessel)
`Which may receive input from GPS, acoustic, or inertial
`navigation components.
`For a bird With an odd number of Wings, the mathematical
`formulas and computations are similar to those discussed
`above for a bird With an even number of Wings.
`The present invention, therefore, in certain embodiments,
`provides a bird for a seismic streamer for controlling posi
`tion of the seismic streamer, the bird having a body With a
`?rst end and a second end and a bore therethrough from the
`?rst end to the second end for receiving a seismic streamer
`therethrough, one or a plurality of Wings, each Wing mov
`ably connected to a shaft connected to the body, a recess in
`the body for each Wing, the Wing or Wings movably con
`nected to the shafts for movement from and into the
`recesses, and the shafts rotatable With respect to the body,
`and control apparatus interconnected With the shafts for
`controlling Wing movement to and from the recesses and for
`controlling Wing attitudel; such a bird Wherein the ?rst end
`of the body and the second end of the body are tapered ends;
`any such bird With control apparatus Within the body inter
`connected With the at least one Wing for controlling move
`ment of the at least one Wing; any such bird With poWer
`apparatus for moving the at least one Wing, the poWer
`apparatus controlled by the control apparatus; any such bird
`With ?exible mount apparatus for mounting each Wing to the
`body; any such bird With breakaWay mount apparatus for
`mounting each Wing to the body; any such bird Wherein the
`at least one Wing is a plurality of Wings; any such bird
`Wherein the plurality of Wings includes at least one ?rst Wing
`movable to a ?rst position and at least one second Wing
`movable to a second position; any such bird Wherein the ?rst
`and second Wings are parallel With respect to, at an angle to,
`or are perpendicular to each other folloWing movement from
`their respective recesses; any such bird Wherein each Wing
`of the plurality of Wings is interconnected With a sensor that
`senses attitude of the Wing and transmits a signal to control
`apparatus in the body indicative of Wing attitude, the control
`apparatus including a mechanism for adjusting the attitude
`of each Wing.
`The present invention, therefore, in certain embodiments,
`provides a bird for a seismic streamer for controlling posi
`tion of the seismic streamer, the bird having a body With a
`?rst end and a second end and a bore therethrough from the
`?rst end to the second end for receiving a seismic streamer
`therethrough, a plurality of Wings movably connected to the
`body With ?exible mount apparatus, a plurality of recesses
`in Which is initially disposed one of the Wings, each Wing
`movably connected to the body for movement from and into
`a recess and for attitude adjusting movement With respect to
`the body When the Wing is outside the recess, control
`apparatus Within the body interconnected With each Wing for
`controlling movement of each Wing, poWer apparatus for
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`6,011,752
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`8
`moving each Wing, the poWer apparatus controlled by the
`control apparatus, and each Wing of the plurality of Wings
`interconnected With a sensor that senses attitude of the Wing
`and transmits a signal to the control apparatus indicative of
`Wing attitude, the control apparatus including a mechanism
`for adjusting the attitude of each Wing.
`The present invention, therefore, provides in certain
`embodiments, a seismic streamer system With one or a
`plurality of seismic streamers each having a streamer body,
`at least one bird mounted to the streamer body, the bird
`having a body With a ?rst end and a second end and a bore
`therethrough from the ?rst end to the second end for
`receiving the seismic streamer therethrough, at least one
`Wing movably connected to the body, at least one recess in
`Which is initially disposed the at least one Wing, the at least
`one Wing movably connected to the body for movement
`from and into the at least one recess and for attitude
`adjusting movement With respect to the body When the at
`least one Wing is outside its recess; such a seismic streamer
`system Wherein the at least one Wing is a plurality of Wings
`and the at least one bird has control apparatus Within the
`body interconnected With each Wing for controlling move
`ment of each Wing, poWer apparatus for moving each Wing,
`the poWer apparatus controlled by the control apparatus, and
`?exible mount apparatus for mounting each Wing to the
`body; any such seismic streamer system Wherein the at least
`one bird is a plurality of spaced-apart birds; and any such
`seismic streamer system Wherein the at least one bird has a
`plurality of Wings including at least one ?rst Wing movable
`to a ?rst position and at least one second Wing movable to
`a second position.
`The present invention, therefore, provides in at least
`certain embodiments, a method for controlling a seismic
`streamer, the method including moving the seismic streamer
`through Water, the seismic streamer having secured thereto
`at least one bird, the at least one bird having a body With a
`?rst end and a second end and a bore therethrough from the
`?rst end to the second end for receiving a seismic streamer
`therethrough, at least one Wing movably connected to the
`body, at least one recess in Which is initially disposed the at
`least one Wing, the at least one Wing movably connected to
`the body for movement from and into the at least one recess
`and for attitude adjusting movement With respect to the body
`When the at least one Wing is outside its recess, and
`activating the at least one Wing of the at least one bird to
`control position of the seismic streamer; such a method
`Wherein the at least one bird has control apparatus Within the
`body interconnected With the at least one Wing for control
`ling movement of the at least one Wing, poWer apparatus
`Within the body, adjacent thereto, or remote therefrom and
`interconnected thereWith for poWer transmission thereto, for
`moving the at least one Wing, the poWer apparatus controlled
`by the control apparatus, the at least one Wing is a plurality
`of Wings including at least one ?rst Wing movable to a ?rst
`position and at least one second Wing movable to a second
`position; and such a method Wherein the ?rst and second
`Wings are at an angle to, parallel to, or perpendicular to each
`other folloWing movement from their respective recesses.
`In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present inven
`tion and the embodiments disclosed herein and those cov
`ered by the appended claims are Well adapted to carry out the
`objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can
`be made in the subject matter Without departing from the
`spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realiZed that
`changes are possible Within the scope of this invention and
`it is further intended that each element or step recited in any
`of the folloWing claims is to be understood as referring to all
`
`Ex. PGS 1042
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`

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`6,011,752
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`equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are
`intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible
`in Whatever form it may be utiliZed. The invention claimed
`herein is neW and novel in accordance With 35 U.S.C. § 102
`and satis?es the conditions for patentability in § 102. The
`invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance With
`35 U.S.C. § 103 and satis?es the conditions for patentability
`in § 103. This speci?cation and the claims that folloW are in
`accordance With all of the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
`The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to
`determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the
`claims that folloW as they may pertain to apparatus not
`materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of
`the invention as set forth in the folloWing claims.
`What is claimed is:
`1. Abird for a seismic streamer for controlling position of
`the seismic