Patents Represented by Attorney Moser, Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 6877553
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recess within an expandable downhole tubular, such as an expandable sand screen. The recess resides within the wall, such as the outer shroud of an expandable sand screen. The recess serves as a housing for instrumentation lines, fiber optics, control lines, or downhole instrumentation. By placing the lines and instrumentation within a wall of the expandable downhole tool, the tool can be expanded into the wall of the wellbore without leaving a channel outside of the tool through which formation fluids might vertically migrate. The recess is useful in both cased hole and open hole completions. In one embodiment, the recess serves as a housing for an encapsulation which itself may house instrumentation lines, control lines, and downhole instrumentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. M. Cameron
  • Patent number: 6877873
    Abstract: A structure of an illumination apparatus is described. The structure has a light guide rod arranged at one lateral side of a light guide plate, and plural light sources located below the light guide rod. The light guide rod has at least one tilt plane formed thereon in order to guide the light emitted from the light sources to the light guide plate such that uniform planar light could be generated therefrom. A plurality of notches is formed in the tilt plane, and a plurality of depressed or protruding dispersion dots is formed on an out-going plane of the light guide rod. The structure further includes an anti-reflection layer positioned between the light guide rod and the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Toppoly Optoelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Che-Kuei Mai, Hong-Yu Lin
  • Patent number: 6879422
    Abstract: Electro-optical modulator (100), comprising at least one electrical port (918, 919) and an input circuit (915, 916, 917) for the application of a modulating electrical signal to the said at least one electrical port. The said modulator also comprises a linear processing circuit (250) capable of generating a compensation signal. This linear processing circuit comprises a first terminal connected to the input circuit for taking a fraction of the said modulating electrical signal, at least one filtering element (2, 3) for eliminating predetermined spectral components from the said fraction of the modulating electrical signal, and at least one phase-shifting element (4, 6) for inverting the phase of the said fraction of the modulating electrical signal. The said linear processing circuit also comprises a second terminal capable of being connected to the said at least one electrical port for applying the compensation signal to the said electro-optical modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Massimo Notargiacomo, Giuseppe Ravasio, Paolo Brambilla
  • Patent number: 6879621
    Abstract: A spherical lens (K) for an optoelectronic module has a plane surface that is provided with a solderable metal coating (M). The spherical lens (K) is soldered by means of its plane, metallized surface (M) onto a solder pad (P) applied to the substrate (T).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Wolfgang Heck, Walter Joerg
  • Patent number: 6876795
    Abstract: An optical module (1) which contains at least one optical component (2) whose one optical input/output is directed towards an optical fibre (4) to which it is to be coupled. At least one additional optical waveguide (6) is arranged between this optical component (2) and the optical fibre (4). The optical component (2) is provided with an optical waveguide (3) whose end (5), facing towards the optical fibre (4), is tapered or widened for a modal field adaptation. Additionally the end of each interposed optical waveguide (6) facing towards the optical fibre (4) is also tapered or widened for a modal field adaptation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Anton Ambrosy, Alexis Lestra
  • Patent number: 6873765
    Abstract: A tuneable optical fibre comprising a long-period Bragg grating (5) written in a portion of an optical waveguide (10) comprising a core and an optical cladding (11), characterised in that the portion of the waveguide comprising the grating (5) is at least partially immersed in an external environment consisting of two distinct sections, a first section (1) whose refractive index is higher than that of the optical cladding (11) and a second section (2) whose refractive index is lower than that of the optical cladding (11), the long-period grating being at least partially immersed in one of the said sections so as to almost independently tune the wavelength and/or the contrast of the spectral response of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Hedi Labidi, Carlos De Barros, Hervé Loury, Xavier Bonnet, Isabelle Riant, Jean-Jacques Guerin
  • Patent number: 6873098
    Abstract: Improved electroluminescent and photonic devices with integrated logic and control circuits are disclosed. Low mobility, contact barrier, space charge limitation and carrier balancing are provided solutions that increase efficiency, reliability and longevity of the devices. Device power loss and power requirements are reduced. True-ohmic contact materials allow a gate-controlled, light emitting organic triode MESFET configuration that eliminates commonly used ITO thereby increasing luminous output, and providing ease of address and control by integrally fabricated complementary MESFET address and control circuitry. The devices can be fabricated by printing or by weaving appropriate materials, and can be configured as color displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventor: Alton O. Christensen, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6873267
    Abstract: The invention provides apparatus and methods for monitoring and controlling hydrocarbon production wells and/or injection wells from a remote location. The apparatus for monitoring and controlling one or more hydrocarbon production wells or injection wells from a remote location comprises one or more surface control and data acquisition systems; one or more sensors disposed in communication with the one or more control and data acquisition systems; one or more downhole flow control devices disposed in communication with the one or more control and data acquisition systems; and one or more remote controllers disposed in communication with the one or more control and data acquisition systems. Preferably, the remote controller comprises a computer having an internet access disposed in communication with the one or more control and data acquisition systems through a communication device comprising an internet web site server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Tubel, Mark Crawford, Henning Hansen, Rolv Arne Flaaten
  • Patent number: 6872253
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of forming a semiconductor component comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a pattern of pores in the semiconductor substrate, the pores having a first depth, photoassisted wet etching of the substrate for etching of the pores to a second depth, the second depth being substantially greater than the first depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Georg Bastian, Roland Münzner
  • Patent number: 6868737
    Abstract: An apparatus for varying the gain of a fiber optic sensor that non-intrusively senses the strain response of a pipe is provided. The apparatus includes a circumferential strain attenuator that has an annular land portion that mechanically couples the attenuator to the pipe. An annular web extends coaxially from the land portion and has a reduced cross sectional area relative to the land, and an annular mandrel portion extends coaxially from the web portion and forms a gap between the pipe and the mandrel. The fiber optic sensor is wound on the circumferential strain attenuator. The web and mandrel cooperate to reduce the strain response of the fiber optic sensor relative to the strain response of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Croteau, Daniel L. Gysling, James M. Diener
  • Patent number: 6868905
    Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods for expanding an expandable sand screen in the wellbore and then fracturing the wellbore. In one aspect of the invention, an expandable sand screen includes a perforated inner pipe and outer shroud. The outer shroud includes a plurality of longitudinal channels that retain their general shape after the expandable sand screen is expanded. In the expanded state, the channels provide a fluid conduit along an area between the screen and the wall of the wellbore. In a subsequent fracturing operation, slurry travels along the conduits permitting communication of the fracturing slurry with hydrocarbon bearing formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Eric Lauritzen, Robert J. Coon
  • Patent number: 6870977
    Abstract: A monolithic integrated optical component includes a control transistor connected to an electro-optical component including an active waveguide and at least one input waveguide and one output waveguide. The transistor is a heterojunction bipolar transistor including at least one sub-collector layer that is common to a confinement layer of the electro-optical component. The active waveguide of the electro-optical component includes a widened structure under a contact area of the heterojunction bipolar transistor and having substantially the same surface area as the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Fabrice Devaux, Sylvain Blayac, Philippe Andre
  • Patent number: 6868906
    Abstract: A closed-loop system is used to perform a variety of well services. The well services include well completion services, production and maintenance services, and enhanced recovery services. A closed-loop system to complete an oil and gas well is an automated system under computer control that executes a sequence of programmed steps, but those steps depend in part upon information obtained from at least one downhole sensor that is communicated to the surface to optimize and/or change the steps executed by the computer to complete the well. A tractor conveyor with a Retrieval Sub is a tractor deployer that may be used to deploy completion devices and other devices within the wellbore to perform well services. The tractor deployer may be operated from a wireline, or from an umbilical. The umbilical may be made from composite materials and it may be a neutrally buoyant in any well fluids present. The umbilical provides power and data communications downhole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: William Banning Vail, III, James E. Chitwood
  • Patent number: 6867911
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical amplifier device including a semiconductor optical amplifier component (1) including a guide active structure (12), characterized in that the guide active structure (12) is subjected to a stress external to said component (1) coming from integrating said component (1) in said device, and in that said component (1) has a controlled sensitivity to the state of polarization of the light to be amplified in order to render the gain of said optical amplifier device insensitive to the polarization of said light to be amplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: François Dorgeuille, Stéphane Rabaron, Frédéric Pommereail, Claude Artigue, Philippe Brosson
  • Patent number: 6867422
    Abstract: An ion implantation apparatus comprises an ion source section (18) for generating ions; an ion implantation section (14) for implanting the ions generated in the ion source section (18), in a substrate (92); a charged particle generator (62) for generating charged particles having a charge opposite to that of the ions; a beam guide section (24) having an inlet aperture (24a) for accepting the ions from the ion source section (18), an outlet aperture (24b) for delivering the ions into the ion implantation section (18), a guide tube (24c) extending from the inlet aperture (24a) to the outlet aperture (24b), and an introducing section (80) having an opening (82) thereof in an internal surface (24d) of the guide tube (24c), for introducing the charged particles from the charged particle generator (62) into the guide tube (24c); and a shield section (84) located between the opening (82) of the introducing section (80) and the outlet aperture (24b) inside the guide tube (24c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ito, Hiroshi Asechi
  • Patent number: 6866100
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for obstructing the passage of fluid within a fluid flow conduit and subsequently reconfiguring the tool to allow substantially full-bore passage therethrough. Pressure developed upstream of the obstruction can be utilized to operate pressure actuated tools such as liner hangers. Equipment used in subsequent wellbore operations such as drill pipe darts can pass undamaged through the opened port. In an embodiment, the flow through a tubular is obstructed by placing a ball on an expandable ball seat, developing a pressure differential across the ball seat, equalizing the pressure after the hydraulically actuated tool completes its function, and mechanically manipulating the drill string to open the expandable ball seat and allow the ball to pass through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Tarald Gudmestad, David E. Hirth, Gerald D. Pedersen
  • Patent number: 6862852
    Abstract: The invention releases to a sealing system comprising a cylindrical tube of a material that is capable of deformation under the influence of a temperature increase, and a gasket of an at least partially elastic material for sealingly retaining the tube in a lead-through housing coaxial with the tube by forming a collar therearound, wherein said gasket is made of a fire-retardant material with a base of a cross-linkable material and an expandable material, in such an amount and of such a composition that a temperature increase above the plasticizing point of the tube will cause the gasket to expand to such an extent that the tube is compressed and a medium-tight seal of the lead-through housing and the tube is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Beele Engineering, B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes A. Beele
  • Patent number: 6865486
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides methods of geological analysis. The method includes collecting wellbore data from a well undergoing underbalanced drilling. The wellbore data is then correlated to a seismic data to predict geological properties away from the wellbore. In one embodiment, correlating the seismic data with the wellbore data involves converting the seismic data and the wellbore data to a one-dimensional numerical series, respectively. The two respective one-dimensional numerical series are compared to each other to produce a mathematical formulation relating the two series. In another embodiment, the wellbore data may be separated into different categories or classifications and individually compared to the seismic data. Preferably, the categories are compared to two or more variations of seismic data and their attributes to derive at unique “signatures” for the respective category. The signatures may then be used to produce “classification” maps of the wellbore data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Tobias, Randall Cade
  • Patent number: 6865195
    Abstract: The invention concerns a tunable edge-emitting semiconductor laser (10) including a resonant cavity delimited by two reflectors (15, 20), one of which is a fixed reflector (15) and the other of which is a mobile reflector (20), and including an active section (1) with gain of length L1 and a tunable section (2) of length L2, characterized in that the total length of the cavity L=L1+L2 is less than or equal to 20 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventor: Joël Jacquet
  • Patent number: 6865303
    Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a dispersion compensating optical waveguide, and an optical pump that pumps the dispersion compensating optical waveguide with light. The light from the pump provides suitable selective gain to a fundamental mode of the dispersion compensating optical waveguide that multi-path interference is substantially reduced. A method of reducing multi-path interference comprises pumping a dispersion compensating optical waveguide with light to provide suitable selective gain to a fundamental mode of the dispersion compensating optical waveguide so that MPI from said dispersion compensating optical waveguide is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Avanex Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Mozdy, William A. Wood