Patents Examined by Donald McElheny, Jr.
-
Patent number: 7184892Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 23, 2003Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: James Scott Dyer, Jerry Ray Halterman, Gerhard Josef Hunner, George Bailey Muehlbach
-
Patent number: 7181346Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 31, 2005Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: WSI CorporationInventors: Michael R. Kleist, Douglas G. Dempster
-
Patent number: 7177765Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 21, 2005Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Inventor: Tim B. Berge
-
Patent number: 7174254Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 28, 2004Date of Patent: February 6, 2007Inventor: Leroy Ellis
-
Patent number: 7171307Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 1, 2005Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takenori Matsumoto
-
Patent number: 7167800Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 12, 2005Date of Patent: January 23, 2007Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Stephen Michael Faivre, Mark William Stelford
-
Patent number: 7158886Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 29, 2004Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignees: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Exploration & Production Research Institute, SinopecInventors: Xutian Hou, Chunguo Yang, Bingtang Gao, Yijin Zeng, Caixuan Guo, Jianlong Zhang
-
Patent number: 7155343Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Inventors: Charles A. Grant, Eugene F. Grant
-
Patent number: 7152001Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 1, 2002Date of Patent: December 19, 2006Assignee: Rubicon Research Pty. Ltd.Inventors: David Aughton, Iven Mareels, Erik Weyer
-
Patent number: 7149630Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 18, 2005Date of Patent: December 12, 2006Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.Inventor: Raymond L. Abma
-
Patent number: 7142984Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 8, 2005Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: Harris CorporationInventors: Mark Rahmes, John Karp, Anthony Smith, Stephen Connetti, Jr.
-
Patent number: 7142986Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 1, 2005Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: Smith International, Inc.Inventor: David P. Moran
-
Patent number: 7139664Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 28, 2005Date of Patent: November 21, 2006Assignee: Weather Central, Inc.Inventors: Terence F. Kelly, Victor W. Marsh, Randall T. Wiggins
-
Patent number: 7136757Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 2, 2005Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Gennady M. Goloshubin, Valeri A. Korneev
-
Patent number: 7136756Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 2, 2004Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: Vieux and Associates, Inc.Inventors: Baxter E. Vieux, Matthew C. Lawrence, Ryan M. Hoes
-
Patent number: 7133777Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 3, 2004Date of Patent: November 7, 2006Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Jaideva C. Goswami, Ashok Srivastava, Denis Heliot, Thomas J. Neville
-
Patent number: 7133779Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 4, 2004Date of Patent: November 7, 2006Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Peter Gerhard Tilke, David Allen
-
Patent number: 7127353Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 27, 2004Date of Patent: October 24, 2006Assignee: STRM, LLCInventor: Peter Anderson Geiser
-
Patent number: 7124030Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 14, 2004Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Inventor: Leroy Ellis
-
Patent number: 7124028Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 21, 2003Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Assignee: Fairfield Industries, Inc.Inventors: Clifford H. Ray, Glenn D. Fisseler