Patents Examined by Donald McElheny, Jr.
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Patent number: 6999876Abstract: A method and system for providing centralized deployment and coordination of field assessment activities. In accordance with one embodiment, an emergency management data processing system includes a field assessment database for storing and processing layered geospatial visual portrayal data and field surveillance attribute data. The emergency management data processing system includes an event setup data input interface for receiving an event identifier associated with an emergency event, a location identifier identifying a portion of the layered geospatial visual portrayal data corresponding to a region affected by the emergency event, and a field surveillance attribute category identifier specifying a category of the stored field surveillance attribute data. The event identifier is then associated with the region data and the specified field surveillance attribute data to generate an event-specific field assessment record.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2003Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: University of North FloridaInventors: J. David Lambert, John Franklin Alexander, Gerald Merckel
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Patent number: 6999880Abstract: A set of seismic trace data is collected in an input data set that is first Fourier transformed in its entirety into the frequency domain. A normalized wavefield is obtained for each trace of the input data set in the frequency domain. Normalization is done with respect to the frequency response of a reference trace selected from the set of seismic trace data. The normalized wavefield is source independent, complex, and dimensionless. The normalized wavefield is shown to be uniquely defined as the normalized impulse response, provided that a certain condition is met for the source. This property allows construction of the inversion algorithm disclosed herein, without any source or source coupling information. The algorithm minimizes the error between data normalized wavefield and the model normalized wavefield. The methodology is applicable to any 3-D seismic problem, and damping may be easily included in the process.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2004Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventor: Ki Ha Lee
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Patent number: 6999877Abstract: A method and system for evaluating crop performance obtains weather data for defined geographic locations within a geographic area. Historic soil data is obtained for the defined geographic locations within a geographic area. Historic yield data is obtained for the defined geographic area for a representative crop. Predictive data nodes are determined based on at least one of the obtained weather data, the historic soil data, and the historic yield data. Each node is associated with a certain range of average yields for a particular crop.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2003Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: James Scott Dyer, Jerry Ray Halterman, Gerhard Josef Hunner, George Bailey Muehlbach
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Patent number: 6999377Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for acquiring seismic data. Data are collected representing acoustic signals received from the Earth at distinct geographic locations. Data representing an ambient signal at the distinct geographic locations are also collected. For each of the geographic locations, a known time dependence of the ambient signal is correlated with a time dependence of the collected acoustic-signal data to define time-correlated acoustic signal data. The collected acoustic-signal data for the distinct geographic locations are synchronized from the time-correlated acoustic-signal data.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2005Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Ascend Geo, LLCInventors: Scott K. Burkholder, Paul D. Favret, Todd J. Fockler, Robert Stewart
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Patent number: 6996471Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for analyzing seismic data. The method includes determining a portion of the seismic data recorded substantially before the arrival of a seismic signal and adding a test signal to the portion of the seismic data recorded substantially before the arrival of the seismic signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2003Date of Patent: February 7, 2006Assignee: WesternGeco, L.L.C.Inventor: Ralf Ferber
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Patent number: 6993432Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for communicating information from a downhole location to the surface including a plurality of releasable vessels containing predetermined signal information affixed to the vessels prior to placement of the vessels downhole and indicative of the presence of at least one of three or more predetermined downhole conditions and a sensing and releasing system that senses the occurrence of the downhole condition, such as a simple threshold, and release the vessels in response to the sensing. The predetermined downhole condition can be characteristic of the fluid being produced in the borehole, such as water fraction, a certain level of mechanical wear or damage to downhole equipment such as bit wear, or the firing a one or more charges on a wireline deployed perforation tool.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2003Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Charles Roderick Jenkins, Ashley Bernard Johnson, Harry Barrow, Michael Paul Barrett
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Patent number: 6993434Abstract: A method for processing data sets is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises; (a) defining at least two primary region constraints in the data sets by creating a corresponding constraint data set, (b) combining at least two primary region constraints using gated-logic expressions to create derived regions, (c) creating mapping functions from the gated-logic expressions of the derived regions, and (d) displaying desired derived regions through manipulation of the mapping functions. This method is preferably computer implemented and permits processing of multiple constraints in large data sets (such as, three-dimensional seismic or discontinuity data).Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2004Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Yao-Chou Cheng, James E. Holl
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Patent number: 6988037Abstract: A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized weather forecast signals to remote communicator devices. The broadcast network comprising a user input database, a communicator location database, a weather information database, a weather analysis unit and a communication network. The user input database contains user-defined parameters, each of the user-defined parameters includes a user profile. The user profile in each of the user-defined parameters utilizes a user identifier code and identifies a communicator device associated with a particular user. The communicator location database contains real-time data indicative of the spatial locations of the communicator devices. The weather information database contains real-time weather forecast data or weather data for the spatial locations contained in the communicator location database.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2004Date of Patent: January 17, 2006Assignee: WeatherBank, Inc.Inventors: Steven A. Root, Michael R. Root
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Patent number: 6985817Abstract: Method for the prediction of earthquakes comprising the following phases: Detecting the low frequency electromagnetic waves that are released due to mechanical stress in underground rock layers, with at least three peripheral detecting stations distributed in predetermined positions over a territory, temporally marking the premonitory signals received relating to said electromagnetic waves by means of a GPS receiver, sending said marked signals to a central processing station, calculating the differences in the receiving times between a signal coming from a peripheral station and another signal coming from a different peripheral station.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2004Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: Windsor Management Luxembourg S.A.Inventor: Victor Saenz Alvarado
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Patent number: 6985816Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide for determining the orientation of natural fractures in the Earth resulting from hydraulic fracturing treatment. Data attribute information from a far-field point-source signal profile for a microseismic event is extracted in the time domain. An estimate of the orientation of the natural fracture is calculated in the time domain based on the extracted data attribute information.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2003Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: Pinnacle Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Gordon G. Sorrells, Norman R. Warpinski, Chris Wright, Eric Davis
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Patent number: 6985813Abstract: A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized weather forecast signals to remote communicator devices. The broadcast network comprising a user input database, a communicator location database, a weather analysis unit and a communication network. The user input database contains user-defined parameters, each of the user-defined parameters includes a user profile. The user profile utilizes a user identifier code and identifies a communicator device associated with a particular user. The communicator location database contains data indicative of the real-time spatial locations of the communicator devices. The weather analysis unit compares the spatial location of each communicator device contained in the communicator location database with real-time weather forecast data or weather data and generates an individualized weather forecast signal upon demand of a user.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2004Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: WeatherBank, Inc.Inventors: Steven A. Root, Michael R. Root
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Patent number: 6980909Abstract: A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized output signals to remote communicator devices. The broadcast network is comprised of a user input database, a communicator location database, an information database, an analysis unit and a communication network. The user input database contains user-defined parameters and each of the user-defined parameters includes a user profile. The user profile in each of the user-defined parameters utilizes a user identifier code and identifies a communicator device associated with a particular user. The communicator location database contains real-time data indicative of the spatial locations of the communicator devices. The information database contains real-time data for the spatial locations contained in the communicator location database. The analysis unit compares the spatial location of each communicator device contained in the communicator location database with the real-time data and generates an individualized weather output signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2004Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignee: WeatherBank, Inc.Inventors: Steven A. Root, Michael R. Root
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Patent number: 6980908Abstract: Weather data is collected and used to create a master precipitation steering component grid and a master precipitation grid. These grids are then used to forecast when precipitation will start and stop at one or more identified locations with a geographic area.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2004Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignee: Meteorlogix, LLCInventors: Martin M. McKewon, James W. Foerster, Travis M. Richardson, II, Douglas P. Chenevert
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Patent number: 6978211Abstract: The present invention provides methods of monitoring the injection of a fluid into a subterranean formation. The present invention also provides a method of fracturing a subterranean formation. All methods feature the use of a wavelet transform of data generated by the subterranean injection process.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2003Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventors: Mohamed Y. Soliman, Joseph Ansah
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Patent number: 6970788Abstract: The aim of the present invention is the determination of the best possible correlation (keying) for electric recordings obtained in a borehole with seismic recordings obtained in a volume of subsoil (the seismic block) containing the bore. This is accomplished by defining in a neighborhood of the trajectory of the bore a set of layered networks, the entries of which are the seismic signals and the exits of which are electric signals. Accordingly, a quality measure is awarded with regard to the convergence. The best convergence quality then permits the determination of the best place in the neighborhood which produces the best keying.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2003Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: TOTAL S.A.Inventors: Naamen Keskes, Frederic Mansanne
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Patent number: 6963804Abstract: A method of processing data of seismic traces for geophysical interpretation of the earth's subsurface includes the steps of determining a modified Hilbert transform of an input trace of data values to detect rapid and slow changes in the input trace with reduced sensitivity to noise and providing results of modified Hilbert transform to enable identification of any detected rapid or slow changes. The modified Hilbert transform is advantageously a windowed Fourier transform, wherein the input trace is represented as x(t), where t indicates time, a window function is represented by win(?), a first function is defined as g(?)=x(t??)·win(?), X(t,?) is the Fourier transform of g(?), hi(t) represents a sum over imaginary portions of X(t,?), hr(t) represents a sum over real portions of X(t,?), and the modified Hilbert transform is h(t)=hr(t)+i·hi(t). In its most general form, for any integer n greater than 1, hr(t)=??Real {X(t,?)}n and hi(t)=??Imag{X(t,?)}n.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2002Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventor: Yi Luo
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Patent number: 6963803Abstract: One or more high resolution logs of a formation property having thin beds is provided for the laminated formation. From this log, the bed boundaries are detected and the facies for each of the beds detected is identified, using one or more high resolution logs of the laminated formation. Each of the identified facies is then defined. One or more squared logs for formation property is then generated by using the imported volumetric descriptions of the facies to generate a value of the formation property for each of the beds. A reconstructed log is generated and compared with a low resolution log of the formation property for laminated formation. By adjusting the values of the squared log the difference between the reconstructed log and the squared log may be minimized. An optimized squared log is output as having the square log and the volumetric analyses thereon.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2004Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Denis Heliot, Jacques R. Tabanou, Jaideva C. Goswami
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Patent number: 6961663Abstract: System and method for borehole compensation. The method includes simultaneously transmitting at least two modulated signals from one or more transmitters; receiving the at least two modulated signals by at least one receiver; and processing the received at least two modulated signals to determine a phase difference and an amplitude attenuation of the transmitted modulated signals, the processing providing borehole compensated data.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2004Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.Inventors: Paul L. Sinclair, Tom Springer
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Patent number: 6961662Abstract: A lightning detection system provides an estimated location of a lightning stroke. The system includes sensors and an analyzer. Each sensor within range of a lightning event provides messages to the analyzer. Each sensor includes a waveform engine that converts a signal received from the lightning event to a series of frequency domain components having respective magnitude and phase. The waveform engine adjusts magnitudes and phases of the frequency components, for example, to mitigate the effects of terrain conductivity where the received signal traveled across terrain. The adjusted frequency components are then converted by the waveform engine into a second time domain signal that is described in a message to the analyzer. Each message includes sensor identification, peak amplitude, and time of detecting the lightning event. The analyzer provides an estimated location of the lightning stroke and an estimated peak current of the lightning stroke in accordance with messages received from sensors.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2004Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: Vaisala OyjInventor: Martin J. Murphy
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Patent number: 6959246Abstract: A modification to the Coates-Timur relationship to produce a more coherent relationship applicable to carbonate formations is disclosed. In this method, permeability may be determined using porosity and the ratio of bound fluid volume to (1—bound fluid volume). This method also allows for improved estimation of irreducible water saturation of a carbonate formation using the ratio of kc and (e?f+kc). Likewise, the bound fluid volume of a carbonate formation may be determined using the ratio of ?kc and (e?f+kc). In these relationships, e, x, and f are constants according to the following relationships e=xc, f=bc+1, x is between 1 and 100 mD (preferably 10 mD).Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2003Date of Patent: October 25, 2005Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventor: Michael M. Herron