Patents Examined by Donald McElheny, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7184892
    Abstract: A method and system for evaluating crop performance obtains weather data and soil data for a defined geographic area. Further, management data is obtained, where the management data is associated with a particular agricultural crop affiliated with the defined geographic area. At least one of the obtained weather data, the obtained soil data, and the obtained management data is evaluated in comparison to reference weather data, reference soil data, and reference management data. The estimated performance level of a performance characteristic is determined for the particular crop associated with at least a portion of the defined geographic area based upon the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: James Scott Dyer, Jerry Ray Halterman, Gerhard Josef Hunner, George Bailey Muehlbach
  • Patent number: 7181346
    Abstract: A system and method for determining information about the potential impact of a significant weather event on a category of interest, such as a population base, property, traffic flow and infrastructure. Information about the forecasted path of a weather event is used in conjunction with census or other data to determine the human safety and property risks, etc. that are present in the situation. The path of the weather event is used to determine an area which is likely to be effected by the storm during the time period. The population, property value, traffic flow, infrastructure etc. within the area is determined to ascertain the impact of the weather event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: WSI Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Kleist, Douglas G. Dempster
  • Patent number: 7177765
    Abstract: A method designed to combine both pseudo compressional interval velocity and pseudo shear interval velocity from seismic data for predicting fluid type and porosity in oil and gas exploration. The first step is the generation of ?S, pseudo shear reflectivity data, and P, pseudo compressional reflectivity data from the seismic data. The second step of the method is to produce scaled pseudo shear reflectivity ?Vs and scaled pseudo compressional reflectivity ?Vp from both the ?S and P data and then combine and re-project the ?Vs and the ?Vp data. The compression and shear reflectivity data are inverted, scaled to pseudo-velocity and then calibrated to well control. The resulting ?Vp and ?Vs volumes produce fluid volume and porosity volume. The fluid and porosity volumes can be stored in an electronic storage medium for analysis to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial gas accumulations prior to drilling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Inventor: Tim B. Berge
  • Patent number: 7174254
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of interpreting sampled mud gas compositional and isotopic data from a target area in a drilling operation. The compositional and isotopic data is plotted on a chart. The chart preferably illustrates methane compositional data together with isotopic composition, such as ?13C1. From this chart, mixing lines are determined. The mixing lines are determined by finding data points plotted on the chart which approximate a straight line or other trend. The mixing lines are then analyzed to determine reservoir isotopic signature, hydrocarbon communication and any interference to this communication within the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Leroy Ellis
  • Patent number: 7171307
    Abstract: A mobile portable terminal may have a sensor section that measures weather information including temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and sunshine. A first weather information storage section stores the weather information, a first threshold information storage section stores threshold information used to sift the weather information, and a first information computation section computes necessary weather information from the weather information based on the threshold information. A first weather forecast section makes a first weather forecast based on the necessary weather information, a communication section transmits the weather information and receives the threshold information, and a weather forecast output section outputs the first weather forecast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takenori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7167800
    Abstract: Presented herein is a method for predicting suitability for performing a remote sensing operation over a particular field. The method includes the step of accessing predicted operation variables at points within the field. These operation variables may include values for weather, crop, and soil conditions. Based on operation suitability parameters selected for each variable, the method predicts remote sensing operation suitability for different points in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Faivre, Mark William Stelford
  • Patent number: 7158886
    Abstract: This invention provides an automatic control system and method for bottom hole pressure (BHP) in the underbalanced drilling. It relates to a computer automatic control technology. The automatic control system according to the invention includes a processing module for the BHP based on the mechanisms of hydraulics. The BHP in the underbalanced drilling is calculated from the acquired standpipe pressure (SPP), the calculated circulating pressure loss in the drilling tools, drill bit pressure drop and the fluid colunm pressure in the drill string. The resulting BHP is then compared with the set pressure value of the system. In case that the BHP is higher or lower than the set pressure, an instruction to regulate throttle valve opening will be issued in order to bring the BHP back to the set pressure range and complete BHP monitoring and control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignees: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Exploration & Production Research Institute, Sinopec
    Inventors: Xutian Hou, Chunguo Yang, Bingtang Gao, Yijin Zeng, Caixuan Guo, Jianlong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7155343
    Abstract: The device implements nanotechnology by embedding nanocircuits with sensors to surfaces such as walls, wall coverings, clothing, windows, window coverings, flooring, roofs, roadways and telephone poles. Using a plurality of nanocircuits in a multitude of locations, events can be continuously detected and recorded without intrusion, and reconstructed at a later time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Inventors: Charles A. Grant, Eugene F. Grant
  • Patent number: 7152001
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method of predicting the fluid level at a predetermined location in a fluid flow network (10) having at least one regulator (16, 18) to control the flow of fluid along fluid flow network (10). The method includes the steps of collecting data based on timed measurements of fluid levels upstream (24, 28) of at least one regulator (16, 18), fluid levels downstream (26, 29) of at least one regulator (16, 18) and the opening position (30, 32) of at least one regulator (16, 18), and using data analysis (40) to provide a model based on the data whereby the model will provide prediction of fluid level at the predetermined location based on timed measurements of fluid levels upstream (24, 28) of at least one regulator (16, 18) and the opening position (30, 32) of at least one regulator (16, 18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Rubicon Research Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: David Aughton, Iven Mareels, Erik Weyer
  • Patent number: 7149630
    Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided herein a system and method for improving the computational efficiency of the DMO transformation that has many uses in the seismic processing arts. More particularly, the instant inventor has conceived and invented a faster method of calculating a log-stretch DMO transformation that utilizes multiple independent time windows, each with its own starting and ending time. A particularly preferred usage of the improved DMO method is as an element of a multiple attenuation program such as SRME.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond L. Abma
  • Patent number: 7142984
    Abstract: A computer implemented method is for processing an original digital elevation model (DEM) including data for terrain and a plurality of objects thereon. The method includes generating a lower-resolution DEM from the original DEM, and generating an objects-only DEM based upon a comparison of the lower-resolution DEM and the original DEM. The method further includes reducing noise in the objects-only DEM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Rahmes, John Karp, Anthony Smith, Stephen Connetti, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7142986
    Abstract: A method for optimizing drilling parameters includes obtaining previously acquired data, querying a remote data store for current well data, determining optimized drilling parameters, and returning optimized parameters for a next segment to the remote data store. Determining optimized drilling parameters may include correlating the current well data to the previously acquired data, predicting drilling conditions for the next segment, and optimizing drilling parameters for the next segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventor: David P. Moran
  • Patent number: 7139664
    Abstract: A system and method for generating storm warnings which are precisely tailored automatically for a particular individual or business user's geographic location of interest. The user establishes an individualized user profile, in which the user may define a particular location of interest and a contact address to which a personalized storm warning is to be delivered. The user may also establish a storm profile defining characteristics of a storm for which the user desires a storm warning to be provided. A detailed and accurate storm track is generated. Generated storm tracks are compared to individual user profiles. Personalized storm warnings are generated for user profiles defining locations of interest within a predicted storm track, if the storm track characteristics of the storm meet the characteristics specified in the storm profile established by the user, and may be delivered to users via e-mail, cell phone, pager, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Weather Central, Inc.
    Inventors: Terence F. Kelly, Victor W. Marsh, Randall T. Wiggins
  • Patent number: 7136757
    Abstract: A method for identifying, imaging and monitoring dry or fluid-saturated underground reservoirs using seismic waves reflected from target porous or fractured layers is set forth. Seismic imaging the porous or fractured layer occurs by low pass filtering of the windowed reflections from the target porous or fractured layers leaving frequencies below low-most corner (or full width at half maximum) of a recorded frequency spectra. Additionally, the ratio of image amplitudes is shown to be approximately proportional to reservoir permeability, viscosity of fluid, and the fluid saturation of the porous or fractured layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Gennady M. Goloshubin, Valeri A. Korneev
  • Patent number: 7136756
    Abstract: A real-time hydrologic modeling system to determine the hydrologic properties a selected geographic region. In a preferred embodiment, a drainage network of individual cells is created for the geographic region. The outflow of a selected cell within the drainage network is determined by solving the runoff from cells upstream of the selected cells until the flow of all upstream cells is known. The flow value of a cell is based upon factors such as runon, infiltration, and precipitation. In another embodiment the outflow of a selected cell is determined by setting simulated flow rates to equal measured flow rates at observation points upstream of the selected cell and within the drainage network. The flow rates of cells upstream of the observation points are adjusted proportionally based on hydrologic quantities of runoff, precipitation and drainage area to determine the outflow of the selected cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Vieux and Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Baxter E. Vieux, Matthew C. Lawrence, Ryan M. Hoes
  • Patent number: 7133777
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are useful for decomposing a complex distribution of data by modeling the complex distribution as a sum of discrete simple distributions, and processing the simple distributions independently. The independent processing enables the complex distribution to be reconstructed without the simple distributions that are concluded to be spurious. The simple distributions preferably include one or more statistical distributions that are subject to being characterized by a reduced data set for efficient communication and reconstruction of the complex distribution. The modeling and processing steps preferably employ one or more evolutionary algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Jaideva C. Goswami, Ashok Srivastava, Denis Heliot, Thomas J. Neville
  • Patent number: 7133779
    Abstract: A method of characterizing a borehole traversing an earth formation including (a) obtaining an array of data from a formation characterization tool, wherein the data describes a section of the borehole; (b) computing at least one spatial characteristic describing the relative position of pairs of data; (c) assigning said pairs of data to bins based on the spatial characteristic, wherein the size of the bins are selected based on the tool; (d) transforming the data to petrophysical properties of the borehole; (e) calculating the variance of each bin; (f) developing a model of the variances; (g) determining at least one geostatistical parameter using the model; and (h) upscaling the geostatistical parameters to characterize a region of said earth formation. The method may further include generating a heterogeneity index log using the geostatistical model parameters. The method may be implemented using a computer program product for processing and interpreting borehole data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Gerhard Tilke, David Allen
  • Patent number: 7127353
    Abstract: The application of SET for the imaging and analysis of seismic energy emission induced during production of fluid resources from their reservoirs allows 4 dimensional measurements of the components of the permeability field of the reservoir. The seismic energy emission associated with the permeability field is identified by its spatial and temporal location with respect to a well or plurality of wells in which fluid pressure is being changed. Changing fluid pressure causes seismicity to rapidly migrate outward from the points of fluid pressure change and will alter the characteristics of the seismic energy emission. Monitoring the changes in seismic energy emission in response to pressure changes in the active well and altering the values of the processing parameters permits measurement of components of the permeability tensor. The placement of subsequent infill, development and injection wells may be selected based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: STRM, LLC
    Inventor: Peter Anderson Geiser
  • Patent number: 7124030
    Abstract: A method of interpreting mud gas samples in a drilling operation of a target area. The method starts with obtaining a plurality of mud gas samples at a plurality of incremental depths of the target area. The plurality of mud gas samples are analyzed to find various isotopic data at each depth. The isotopic data of the mud gas samples are plotting on several charts to provide a visual representation of the isotopic data trends. The charts may include: depth versus ethane/methane; depth versus ?13C per mil; and depth versus ?13C and gas show. In addition, the percentage methane versus ?13C is provided on a separate chart. This percentage methane versus ?13C chart provides engineering and geological information such as the location of lithological hydrocarbon seals, barriers, and zones of good hydrocarbon communication (e.g., compartments). This engineering and geological information is then correlated with the other charts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Inventor: Leroy Ellis
  • Patent number: 7124028
    Abstract: The transmission method utilizes multiple seismic acquisition units within an array as intermediate short range radio receivers/transmitters to pass collected seismic data in relay fashion back to a control station. Any one seismic unit in the array is capable of transmitting radio signals to several other seismic units positioned within radio range of the transmitting unit, thus allowing the system to select an optimal transmission path. Utilizing an array of seismic units permits transmission routes back to a control station to be varied as needed. In transmissions from the most remote seismic unit to the control station, each unit within a string receives seismic data from other units and transmits the received seismic data along with the receiving unit's locally stored seismic data. Preferably, as a transmission is passed along a chain, it is bounced between seismic units so as to be relayed by each unit in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Fairfield Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford H. Ray, Glenn D. Fisseler