Abstract: Various methods for controlling one or more parameters of a flow cytometer type measurement system are provided. One embodiment includes monitoring parameter(s) of the measurement system during measurements of sample microspheres. The method also includes altering the parameter(s) in real time based on the monitoring. Another method includes monitoring a temperature proximate to the measurement system. One such method includes altering a bias voltage of an avalanche photo diode in response to the temperature using empirically derived data. A different such method includes altering output signals of a photomultiplier tube in response to the temperature using a characteristic curve. Some methods include monitoring a temperature of a fluid, in which sample microspheres are disposed, that will flow through the flow cytometer type measurement system. This method also includes determining a velocity of the sample microspheres in the measurement system from a viscosity of the fluid at the temperature.

Abstract: An external fluid-filled catheter pressure transducer for monitoring fluid pressure characteristics in a vessel in a living body. The external fluid-filled catheter pressure transducer includes an inverted sensor bonded to a hollow carrier so that measuring occurs on the inside of the carrier. The fluid-filled catheter pressure transducer allows pressure measurements to be taken in vessels smaller than 1 mm in diameter. A method for manufacturing an external fluid-filled catheter pressure transducer describes connecting sections of tubing (semi-rigid and flexible) to an inverted sensor module, and providing a reference port for the inverted sensor module.

Abstract: A system and method is described for event-driven data transformation. Generally, the system and method is directed to a transformation engine that iterates through one or more data sources, transforms data received from the data sources, and stores the output to one or more data targets. More specifically, the transformation engine is driven by executing specified event actions upon occurrence of specified triggering events. Thus, flexible, adaptable, highly tailored transformations can be implemented without incurring the often substantial expense of developing customized point-to-point solutions from scratch. The present invention supports one-to-one mappings, many-to-one mappings, one-to-many mappings, and many-to-many mappings. In addition, the present invention supports both hierarchical and flat data sources and targets.

Abstract: A system and method is described for event-driven data transformation. Generally, the system and method is directed to a transformation engine that iterates through one or more data sources, transforms data received from the data sources, and stores the output to one or more data targets. More specifically, the transformation engine is driven by executing specified event actions upon occurrence of specified triggering events. Thus, flexible, adaptable, highly tailored transformations can be implemented without incurring the often substantial expense of developing customized point-to-point solutions from scratch. The present invention supports one-to-one, mappings, many-to-one mappings, one-to-many mappings, and many-to-many mappings. In addition, the present invention supports both hierarchical and flat data sources and targets.

Abstract: Microspheres are constructed using magnetic particles. Hybrid microspheres are constructed using fluorescent or luminescent microspheres and magnetic nanoparticles. Reactive moieties on the surface of the resultant particles can be used for attachment of biologically active molecules, thus allowing selective separations and analytical assays to be performed. Distinguishable subsets of microspheres can be constructed based on fluorescent intensities, and separations can be affected based on variable degree of magnetic content.

Abstract: The software synthesis method and system of the present invention provides a problem solving environment for Monte Carlo simulations (or other concise mathematical description), common in engineering, finance, and science, which automatically transforms a problem description into executable software code. The method and system uses a specification language to support a user's natural description of the geometry and mathematics of the problem and solution strategies. The natural description is concisely expressed using general coordinates and dimensionless parameters, using domain specific keywords as appropriate. The user's problem description is compared with the system's knowledge base to refine the problem—i.e., identifying constraints, applying heuristics and defaults, and applying elaboration rules.

Abstract: The software synthesis method and system of the present invention provides a problem solving environment for systems of partial differential equations (or other concise mathematical description), common in engineering, finance, and science, which automatically transforms a problem description into executable software code. The method and system uses a specification language to support a user's natural description of the geometry and mathematics of the problem and solution strategies. The natural description is concisely expressed using general coordinates and dimensionless parameters, using domain specific keywords as appropriate. The user's problem description is compared with the system's knowledge base to refine the problem—i.e., identifying constraints, applying heuristics and defaults, and applying elaboration rules.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving acquired digital data over bandpass channels (i.e. channels having a limited range of frequencies) at high data transmission rates. Combined amplitude and phase modulation (quadrature amplitude modulation) is applied to the digital data and the sampled digital waveform converted to an analog waveform for passage over the bandpass channel. The sample rate is chosen as an integer multiple of the symbol rate and carrier frequency to significantly reduce processing overhead. Reception of the acquired data is similar to transmission and involves an analogous amplitude and phase demodulation. The quadrature amplitude modulation technique of the present invention is applied to an oil well-logging application to transmit the data acquired from the downhole logging instruments over the logging cable (bandpass channel) at high transmission rates.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus of the present invention provides for determining accurate positions using a global positioning satellite system (GPS), either the United States Navstar or Russian Glonass, without the use of radio broadcast differential corrections. The method contemplates that selective availability (S/A) is either disabled or satellites with S/A active can be identified and not used. In one method, a GPS receiver is positioned at a reference location with a known position. The apparent position determined by the GPS receiver is then compared to the known position to determine an error correction. Preferably, the error correction is made to each satellite's pseudorange as a timing or range correction. When the GPS receiver moves, the error correction is applied to each satellite's pseudorange. The satellites used for position determination are chosen based on the "quality" of the satellite. Here, "quality" can mean the geometry of the satellite relative to the earth and the absence of SIA.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting the peak voltage at the load end of a power transmission cable having a power supply end and a load end, where direct measurement at the load end is not practical. The method samples the current and voltage waveforms at the power supply end of the cable. The current waveform is used to estimate a current function which includes a full width at half maximum and adjustments for cable reactive current, distortions, and load. The product of the current function and a peak voltage sample from the power supply end is an estimate of the peak voltage at the load end. The method and apparatus have been applied to oil well logging where one or more logging tools are lowered at the end of a transmission cable into an oil well and it is desirable to predict peak voltage at the tools to ensure proper tool performance. An important improvement is a more accurate current function which compensates for capacitive current flow in the cable and includes a quadratic term.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a geological formation is described which compares actual wireline log measurements from a number of wireline logging tools to predicted tool response logs. The system and method uses a forward model of each tool response, given a formation description, to predict a set of wireline logs. Comparing the predicted logs with the actual measured logs yields a mismatch error. The system and method iteratively adjusts the formation description to minimize the mismatch error to obtain a "best" formation description. In one form, the formation description includes petrophysical properties (porosity, density, saturation) and geometry properties (dip, bedding, invasion). In a more complicated form, the formation description also includes a model of petrophysical mixing laws and formation material content. In the special case of a horizontally layered formation and linear tool response models, there exists a computationally efficient version of the system and method.

Abstract: A method, useful in computer-aided design, of identifying possible solutions to an over-constrained system having a collection of entities and constraints. The method represents the entities in terms of degrees of freedom and incrementally assembles the system by adding entities, satisfying constraints and reducing the degrees of freedom of the entities. For an over-constrained system, the method constructs a dependency graph of the system and identifies the set of constraints which over-constrains the system. The over-constraining set includes the constraint which initiated the over-constraint and those constraints back traced in the dependency graph from the initiating constraint. Removal of one or more constraints from the over-constraining set results in a solvable fully or under-constrained system. Intelligent selection of the removed constraint may increase computational efficiency or system stability.

Abstract: A method for 3 dimensional, one pass migration of post stack seismic data is implemented on a massively parallel computer. The quality of the migration and speed of execution makes possible iterative 3D post stack depth migrations. The depth migration method computes in the frequency domain and downward continues one or more frequency planes through all depth levels of interest. For a single frequency, at each depth level, the method extrapolates a shifted position for each x,y position by applying a filter for 2D convolution. A processing component is assigned to each subgrid of x,y spatial positions and the processing components operate concurrently in parallel to determine filter coefficients independently for each x,y spatial position and to extrapolate the x,y shifted positions. The filter coefficients are derived independently at each x,y position by storing a limited table of filter coefficients in local memory of each processing component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting magnetic marks on a wireline logging cable and for more accurately making depth measurements during logging is described. The method uses depth-based, rather than time-based, samples and calculations. A Hall Effect sensor samples the cable at regular depth intervals approximated by an encoder mechanism. The signal values from the Hall Effect sensor are signal processed to better discriminate the precise location of the magnetic marks on the cable. The location of the magnetic marks is used to refine the depth measurements from the encoder mechanism. Depth-based sampling eliminates detection dependence on cable speed, enhances detection ability, reduces computational load, and leads to more accurate determination of the location of magnetic marks.

Abstract: This invention provides a means for balancing the computational workload of individual processing nodes of a multiprocessor computer, such as a massively parallel processor (MPP), when executing a seismic migration program. Groups of prestack seismic traces are loaded into "input" nodes of the MPP. The "input" nodes examine the traces to determine which bins in the seismic survey are covered by the traces, and how many traces cover each bin. Each input node then broadcasts to all other nodes a description of the trace coverage. All nodes use the information in each broadcast to determine how many bins will be assigned to each "operator" node that will process the prestack data to produce poststack data. The bin assignment is designed to equalize the number of traces that each operator node processes. Thus, the invention provides a means for maximizing the efficiency with which an MPP can perform seismic migration processing, and is applicable to wide variety of MPPs and processing algorithms.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for inputting seismic trace data to a seismic processing program running on a massively parallel processor (MPP). The MPP, consisting of a plurality of individual processing nodes connected by a data and control communications network, is treated as a bipartite system of "operator" nodes and "input" nodes. Operator nodes apply mathematical operators to transform seismic data. Groups of seismic traces are loaded into the input nodes. The input nodes examine the data to determine which regions of the seismic survey are covered by the traces. The input nodes then broadcast to all operator nodes a compact description of the trace coverage. The operator nodes then retrieve traces from the input nodes, using efficient data transfer mechanisms of the data network. The input nodes can be seen to serve as a distributed, content-addressable data cache.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting the peak voltage at the load end of a power transmission cable having a power supply end and a load end, where direct measurement at the load end is not practical. The method samples the current and voltage waveforms at the power supply end of the cable. The current waveform is used to estimate a current function which includes a full width at half maximum approximation adjusted as required for load, cable type, and cable length. The product of the current function and a peak voltage sample from the power supply end is an estimate of the peak voltage at the load end. The method and apparatus have been applied to oil well logging where one or more logging tools are lowered at the end of a transmission cable into an oil well and it is desirable to predict peak voltage at the tools to ensure proper tool performance.

Abstract: A method, useful in computer-aided design, for finding possible configurations of a system having a collection of geometric entities and constraints. The method represents the geometric entities in terms of degrees of freedom and systematically satisfies the constraints reducing the degrees of freedom of the geometric entities. The method uses a number of specialized routines, called plan fragments, which satisfy a particular constraint relating to a particular geometric entity. Each plan fragment changes the configuration of a geometric entity in space--i.e. the location and orientation--satisfying a constraint and reducing a degree of freedom. The series of plan fragments which reduce the degrees of freedom and satisfy the constraints comprise an assembly plan for possible configurations of the system. The method identifies overconstrained, fully constrained, and underconstrained systems to the user and assists in finding possible configurations if the constraints are changed, added, or deleted.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting oil reservoir properties throughout the reservoir using well data and seismic data. While the reservoir properties in the vicinity of a well borehole are usually known (i.e. by well logging), the reservoir properties between wells are unknown and difficult to estimate. Because the relationships between reservoir properties and seismic data is seldom obvious, the method uses Artificial Neural Networks (ANN's) to estimate these relationships. First, the method calculates the intersections between the seismic data and wellbore date, i.e. seismic reflectors are correlated to geological markers in the wellbores. Second, the method estimates the significance between seismic attributes and borehole properties. Next, the method models or calibrates the relationship between reservoir properties and seismic attributes by training an ANN using seismic attributes and wellbore data close to the intersections.

Abstract: A method of dynamic simulation of mechanisms which constructs the lagrangian form of the dynamics equations as pure differential equations in terms of a minimal set of generalized coordinates. The dynamics problem is separated into two parts used in the lagrangian--a kinematic analysis and a kinetics analysis. The kinematic analysis is computed using a degrees of freedom analysis. The velocities required for the kinetic analysis are computed using screw theory. Once constructed, the lagrangian dynamics equations are solved for accelerations, applied to the mechanism, and integrated over time to simulate the dynamics of the mechanism. The kinetic and kinematic analyses are approximately linearly related to the number of components in the mechanism, allowing efficient solution of dynamics problems at interactive rates.