Patents Examined by Hugh Jones
  • Patent number: 8855988
    Abstract: Determining viable hydraulic fracture scenarios. At least some of the illustrative embodiments include: executing a fracture planning program, and determining a set of schedules from the fracture planning program, each schedule comprising a volume of fracture fluid, amount of proppant, and flow rate of the fracture fluid; providing each schedule of the set of schedules to a stress analysis program, executing the stress analysis program, and determining a set of indications from the stress analysis program, each indication indicative of whether a respect schedule exceeds engineering limits of a tubing string; and providing at least some of the schedules to a fracture simulation program, executing the fracture simulation program, and determining a set of fracture geometries from the fracture simulation program, each fracture geometry corresponding to a respective schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Marshal A. Strobel, Gustavo Carvajal, Michael Szatny
  • Patent number: 8849638
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system for obtaining an oil field modeling file. One or more values are associated with one or more variables included within the oil field modeling file. The oil field modeling file is executed to generate one or more result sets. A portion of each of the one or more result sets is compared with empirically-derived data related to the portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: X Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Nigel James Brock, Geoffrey John George Wilby
  • Patent number: 8838426
    Abstract: A changepoint detector for modeling data received from at least one sensor in a process in the hydrocarbon industry. The data is segmented into a plurality of segments and for each segment a model is assigned and the data corresponding to the segment fit to that model. A plurality of segmentations are thus provided and these segmentations ar evaluated and assigned weights indicative of the fit of the models of the segmentation t the underlying data. The segmentation models are further used to calculate a result that may be input to a process control program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Aldred, Jonathan Dunlop, James Belaskie
  • Patent number: 8831920
    Abstract: Automated cabling layout systems and methods are presented. A cabling assembly library stores multiple generic, design-tool agnostic cabling assembly objects representing cabling layout objects (e.g., cables, trays, mounts, conduits, etc.). The cabling assembly objects further include design rules governing the conditions of use of the cabling assembly object. Design engineers or designers can query the library to identify appropriate cabling assembly objects that would be appropriate for using within a modeled physical environment. One or more matching cabling assembly objects can be converted to an appropriate format for a design tool and instantiated into the modeled environment. The design tool can create modeled cabling layouts from the instantiated assemblies according to the design rules of the corresponding cabling assembly objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Michael I. Logatoc
  • Patent number: 8825455
    Abstract: An on-demand table model for semiconductor device evaluation is provided. A method of providing on-demand table models for semiconductor device evaluation, includes measuring one or more measurement values of an instance of a semiconductor device. The method further includes providing, by a processor, a table model of the instance for the semiconductor device evaluation upon receiving a request for the semiconductor device evaluation. The method further includes generating a table entry in the table model for the one or more measurement values, the table entry including one or more evaluation values of an evaluation function for the instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin J. Bittner, Peter Feldmann, Richard D. Kimmel, Tong Li, Ali Sadigh, David W. Winston
  • Patent number: 8818774
    Abstract: There is provided a behavioral model generating device in which a first pattern generator selects behavioral patterns from all the behavioral patterns in behavioral pattern groups by duplicate sampling according to a weighting factor of each group, and adds modification to each pattern to generate first behavioral patterns, a second pattern generator generates device operation patterns from the first behavioral patterns, a power consumption calculator calculates power consumption data based on the device operation patterns, an evaluation selector selects behavioral patterns from the first behavioral patterns by duplicate sampling according to a likelihood of the calculated power consumption data with respect to measured power consumption data, a first updater merges a pair of most similar groups out of all the groups including a group of the selected behavioral patterns and sets a weighting factor of the merged group as a sum of respective weighting factors of the pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shuichiro Imahara, Kazuto Kubota
  • Patent number: 8805660
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are disclosed for coupling independent reservoir and surface facility network simulators. A reservoir simulator is configured to simulate fluid flow in subterranean reservoirs and a surface facility network simulator is configured to simulate fluid flow in production equipment. Simulation of fluid flow in a subterranean reservoir is initiated using the reservoir simulator. Simulation of fluid flow in production equipment is initiated using the surface facility network simulator. The simulated fluid flow in the production equipment includes fluids produced from the subterranean reservoir. The simulation of fluid flow in the subterranean reservoir is coupled with the simulation of fluid flow in the production equipment using a sub-domain inflow performance relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Baris Güyagüler, Vito J. Zapata, Hui Cao, Hernan F. Stamati, Jonathan A. Holmes
  • Patent number: 8805657
    Abstract: A method for characterizing a musical recording as a set of scalar descriptors, each of which is based on human perception. A group of people listens to a large number of musical recordings and assigns to each one many scalar values, each value describing a characteristic of the music as judged by the human listeners. Typical scalar values include energy level, happiness, danceability, melodicness, tempo, and anger. Each of the pieces of music judged by the listeners is then computationally processed to extract a large number of parameters which characterize the electronic signal within the recording. Algorithms are empirically generated which correlate the extracted parameters with the judgments based on human perception to build a model for each of the scalars of human perception. These models can then be applied to other music which has not been judged by the group of listeners to give to each piece of music a set of scalar values based on human perception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Gracenote, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxwell J. Wells, Navdeep S. Dhillon, David Waller
  • Patent number: 8805666
    Abstract: A method for calculating a primary time constant of a power grid. It comprises the steps of: establishing an electromechanical transient model of the power grid using the widely used power system analysis software package (PSASP) according to the actual power grid parameters and network topology; establishing an electromagnetic transient model under PASAP using the actual power grid parameters for a site which requires the calculation of the primary time constant of the power grid, and setting a ground short circuit fault at the site; obtaining a transient short circuit current of the short circuit point of the power grid using a hybrid simulation method of the electromechanical and electromagnetic transient models; filtering out a periodic component in the transient short circuit current to obtain a non-periodic component attenuated with time, and finding the attenuation time constant of the non-periodic component which is the primary time constant of the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Hebei Electric Power Research Institute
    Inventors: Baofeng Tang, Hui Fan
  • Patent number: 8805662
    Abstract: A simulator for driving a prosthetic element includes a prosthetic drive mechanism that drive the prosthetic element during an accelerated wear test of the prosthetic element. A simulation input represents the action of the simulator and a sensor mechanism is used to measure the force and torque applied to the prosthetic element. Position and orientation control sensors are further used to measure displacement of the prosthetic element. A closed loop feedback control system, responsive to the sensors, is used to determine a drive signal for the drive mechanism. The control system advantageously adds a computational model that incorporates mechanical representations of ligament fibers. The computational model is a non-human approximation to situations that would be encountered by the prosthesis within the human body and includes dimensional geometry of insertion sites and mechanical properties of ligament fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce F. White
  • Patent number: 8798977
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for simulating fluid flow in a fractured subterranean reservoir. A reservoir model representative of a fractured subterranean reservoir is provided. The reservoir model includes porous matrix control volumes and a network of fractures, which define fracture control volumes, overlying the porous matrix control volumes. A system of equations based on scale separation is constructed for fluid flow in the porous matrix control volumes and the fracture control volumes. The system of equations can include fracture equations having a pressure vector for each network of fractures that is split into an average pressure value and remainder pressure value. The system of equations based on scale separation is sequentially solved, such as by using an iterative Multi-Scale Finite Volume (MSFV) method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Schlumberger Technology Corporation, ETH Zurich
    Inventors: Hadi Hajibeygi, Dimitrios Karvounis, Patrick Jenny
  • Patent number: 8793104
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method to design the optical profile of a flat panel display device comprising a first waveguide, a transition waveguide and a waveguide/display, wherein the waveguide/display has a display surface and a substantially wedged shape, comprising the steps of: determining the optical profile of the first waveguide and the transition waveguide; selecting major light paths/angles, calculating to obtain the surface profile of the sections in the waveguide/display corresponding to the respectively selected light paths/angles, to compensate the distortions in the displayed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Inventor: Kuan Wen Chen
  • Patent number: 8788253
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for providing haptic feedback to a user interacting with a simulated (or “virtual”) pet, so as to enhance the realism of the user's relationship with the virtual pet. In one embodiment, a method of providing haptic feedback to a user interacting with a virtual pet comprises: receiving a signal relating to a biological status of the virtual pet, and outputting a haptic effect based on the received signal on a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventor: Louis B. Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 8781796
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating individualized predictions of alertness or performance for human subjects. Alertness or performance predictions may be individualized to incorporate a subject's individual traits and/or individual states. These individual traits and/or individual states (or parameters which represent these individual traits and/or individual states) may be represented by random variables in a mathematical model of human alertness. The mathematical model and/or prediction techniques may incorporate effects of the subject's sleep timing, the subject's intake of biologically active agents (e.g. caffeine) and/or the subject's circadian rhythms. The mathematical model and/or prediction techniques may incorporate feedback from the subject's measured alertness and/or performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Trustees of the Univ. of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Christopher Mott, Daniel Mollicone, Hans Van Dongen, Jen-Kuang Huang, David Dinges
  • Patent number: 8781800
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach that utilizes discrete event simulation to quantitatively analyze the reliability of a modeled de-duplication system in a computer storage environment. In addition, the approach described herein can perform such an analysis on systems having heterogeneous data stored on heterogeneous storage systems in the presence of primary faults and their secondary effects due to de-duplication. In a typical embodiment, data de-duplication parameters and a hardware configuration are received in a computer storage medium. A data de-duplication model is then applied to a set of data and to the data de-duplication parameters, and a hardware reliability model is applied to the hardware configuration. Then a set (at least one) of discrete events is simulated based on the data de-duplication model as applied to the set of data and the data de-duplication parameters, and the hardware reliability model as applied to the hardware configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kavita Chavda, Eric W. Davis Rozier, Nagapramod S. Mandagere, Sandeep M. Uttamchandani, Pin Zhou
  • Patent number: 8775144
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product is disclosed for using a constrained pressure residual (CPR) preconditioner to solve adjoint models. A linear system of fluid flow equations comprising a plurality of variables that represent fluid flow properties in a geological formation of a subterranean reservoir is provided. Matrix (Ã)T, which comprises a transpose of a Jacobian matrix associated with the linear system of fluid flow equations, is constructed. A constrained pressure residual preconditioner MCPRA?1 is constructed responsive to the matrix (Ã)T. Matrix equation (Ã)Ty=d is then solved using the constrained pressure residual preconditioner MCPRA?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Choongyong Han, John Wallis, Pallav Sarma, Gary Li, Mark Schrader, Wen Chen
  • Patent number: 8768671
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing a drilling operation is provided. The system has a drilling a drilling operation optimization unit. The drilling operation optimization unit has a base model unit for producing a base model of the reservoir and a reservoir stress unit for producing a three dimensional stress model of the reservoir. The drilling operation optimization unit has a trajectory unit for determining at least one property for at least one wellbore trajectory based on the base model and the three dimensional stress model, wherein each of the wellbore trajectories is selectable by an operator. The system has an operator station for inputting data into the drilling operation optimization unit at the wellsite and a drilling tool for forming a wellbore along at least one of the at least one selected wellbore trajectories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Donald W. Lee, Jose Ignacio Adachi, John R. Waggoner, Carmen Elena Alvarez, Jorge Aurelio Santa Cruz Pastor
  • Patent number: 8768653
    Abstract: Included are systems and methods for modeling compliant parts. Some of the systems and/or methods include creating a 3-dimensional simulation of a product that includes an outer part and an inner part, determining a deformation characteristic of the product, and simulating an interaction of the inner part with the outer part. Similarly, in some of the systems and/or methods a characteristic of interaction may be measured from the interaction, a determination may be made regarding whether the characteristic of interaction meets a predetermined threshold. In some of the systems and/or methods, in response to determining that the characteristic of interaction meets the predetermined threshold, an output may be sent indicating product design acceptability. In response to determining that the characteristic of interaction does not meet the predetermined threshold, the 3-dimensional simulation may be iteratively altered until the characteristic of interaction meets the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Rakesh Gummalla, Richard Shane Mays, Mel Allende-Blanco, James William Busch, Eva Grace Nellenbach, Matthew Howard Wasson, Kerry Lloyd Weaver, Ayub Ibrahim Khan
  • Patent number: 8768675
    Abstract: A method for simulating an effect of at least one electrical/electronic load includes: providing a controllable power supply unit that is connected to at least one terminal of a control unit; and simulating a first current theoretically flowing through a simulated load at the at least one terminal by drawing a second current from the control unit by the controllable power supply unit or impressing a third current on the control unit by the controllable power supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Dspace Digital Signal Processing and Control Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bracker, Marc Dolle
  • Patent number: 8756048
    Abstract: An embodiment of a design of one or more devices such as e.g. integrated circuits is ported from a source design technology to a target design technology by: —producing a standardized set of porting rules which translate device information related to the device or devices from the source design technology to the target design technology, and—creating a migrated design for the device or devices resulting from porting the CAD design from the source design technology to the target design technology by applying the standardized set of rules to the device information related.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Greco