Abstract: A collaborative engagement system comprises: at least two unmanned vehicles comprising an unmanned air vehicle including sensors configured to locate a target and an unmanned ground vehicle including sensors configured to locate and track a target; and a controller facilitating control of, and communication and exchange of data to and among the unmanned vehicles, the controller facilitating data exchange via a common protocol. The collaborative engagement system controls the unmanned vehicles to maintain line-of-sight between a predetermined target and at least one of the unmanned vehicles.

Abstract: A messaging system facilitates communication between users through various messaging channels. The messaging system supports multiple communication channels and includes a messaging module that automatically selects one or more of the messaging channels for delivering a message to a recipient of the message using, for example, a set of policy rules or a trained model. The messaging module may also provide, in a user interface for sending and receiving messages, a visual indication of the selected messaging channel to the sender of the message to provide the user with transparency about how the message will be delivered. Additionally, the message may be delivered via multiple messaging channels, where the messaging module may rescind messages from some of the messaging channels upon receiving a reply from the recipient of the message or other confirmation that the recipient has seen the message via one of the communication channels.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for drilling a wellbore using a rotary drill bit with a bit body having a plurality of mechanical cutters to cut away formation material as the wellbore is formed; and a directed energy mechanism to direct energy into the formation. The energy from the directed energy mechanism is used to enhance the cutting of the mechanical cutters by fracturing surrounding material to facilitate drilling in the direction of the directed energy.

Abstract: An apparatus for drilling a wellbore (10) is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a lowermost pilot drill bit (16) having a diameter less than that of the diameter of wellbore (12) drilled by the apparatus, above which is a reamer, having an adjustable drill diameter from a first diameter less than that of the pilot drill to a second diameter greater than that of the pilot drill, above which is a body portion (24) having a lower diameter less than that of the pilot drill and an upper diameter greater than that of the pilot' drill but less than the second diameter of the reamer.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for drilling a wellbore using a rotary drill bit with a bit body having a plurality of mechanical cutters to cut away formation material as the wellbore is formed and a directed energy mechanism to direct energy into the formation. The energy from the directed energy mechanism is used to enhance the cutting of the mechanical cutters by fracturing surrounding material to facilitate drilling in the direction of the directed energy.

Abstract: A subpart of a drill string is described having an outer circumferential surface which is contoured and adapted to engage the wall of the borehole with a small angle of attack while exerting during rotary drilling operations an compacting pressure on mud cake and/or cuttings present in the annulus between the drill string and the borehole.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically generating source code files in a file storage unit is disclosed. The apparatus includes a file storage unit that stores the source code files, a code generator unit that generates at least some of the source code files, wherein the code generator unit comprises, and a file unit that monitors the file storage unit to detect changes in the file storage unit and in response send file event notifications. A metadata unit that builds a metadata model relating to the source code files in the file storage unit is also provided. The metadata model comprises a plurality of metadata items, each metadata item comprises a metadata section containing metadata, a key that identifies the metadata item, and one or more dependencies of the metadata items in relation to other of the metadata items. The metadata unit sends metadata notifications according to changes to the dependencies of the metadata items.

Abstract: A subpart of a drill string is described having an outer circumferential surface which is contoured and adapted to engage the wall of the borehole with a small angle of attack while exerting during rotary drilling operations an compacting pressure on mud cake and/or cuttings present in the annulus between the drill string and the borehole.

Abstract: Methods and system are described for providing electric power in a wellbore including at least one thermoelectric generator at a downhole location; and one or more thermally insulated sections of wellbore tubing located such as to reduce heat loss of fluid flowing through the wellbore from the entry point of the fluid to the location of the generator.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamic generation of forms on devices such as mobile telephones. A device user enters a form descriptor code comprising a set of alphanumeric characters. A form generator applies stored mappings between the input characters and a set of electronic form components. This identifies required form components. The form generator dynamically generates an electronic form having the identified components, and displays the form on a display screen of the device. The device user completes the form and sends the completed form to a target data processing system. The dynamic generation of a form in response to a simple input code can be used to control the format of user-entered data, such that the data is validly formatted when received at the target.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seismic surveying method in which vibrators in a first vibrator group are actuated at time T0 and vibrators in a second vibrator group are actuated at time T1, where T0<T1<T0+S1+L and S1 is the sweep time of the first group and L is the listening time. This method enables the time required to complete a seismic survey to be reduced. In other embodiments, vibrators in the first vibrator group may be actuated at time T2, where T1<T2<T1+S2+L and S2 is the sweep time of the first group, and vibrators in the second vibrator group at time T3 where T2<T3<T2+S1+L and T3?T2?T1?T0. Such embodiments providing that by appropriately combining the shot records noise may be eliminated.

Abstract: A collaborative engagement system comprises: at least two unmanned vehicles comprising an unmanned air vehicle including sensors configured to locate a target and an unmanned ground vehicle including sensors configured to locate and track a target; and a controller facilitating control of, and communication and exchange of data to and among the unmanned vehicles, the controller facilitating data exchange via a common protocol. The collaborative engagement system controls the unmanned vehicles to maintain line-of-sight between a predetermined target and at least one of the unmanned vehicles.

Abstract: A method enables the time required to complete a seismic survey and the noises recorded in the seismic data to be reduced. One aspect of the method includes actuating a first vibrator group to start a first sweep at time T0; and a second vibrator group to start a second sweep at time T1, wherein T0<T1<T0+S1+L, where S1 is a sweep time of the first vibrator group and L is a listening time; wherein the time between the first sweep and the second sweep is T1?T0?((n?1)*f1*S1)/(n*(f1?f0)) where n is a natural number, f0 is the lower frequency limit of the vibrator sweep and f1 is the upper frequency limit of the vibrator sweep.

Abstract: The invention relates to navigation devices and to the provision of both data and functionality to navigation devices. The invention provides a navigation device running basic navigation framework software, supporting a complete navigation content provision framework, wherein the framework can support a fixed set of plug-in software object types. The supported plug-in software can provide data and additional functionality to the navigation device. Plug-in software objects can be downloaded to the navigation device from a server which is also part of the framework. The download can be via a wireless network, during operation of the navigation device, and in response to user selections on the navigation device.

Abstract: A method enables the time required to complete a seismic survey and the noises recorded in the seismic data to be reduced. One aspect of the method includes actuating a first vibrator group to start a first sweep at time T0; and a second vibrator group to start a second sweep at time T1, wherein T0<T1<T0+S1+L, where S1 is a sweep time of the first vibrator group and L is a listening time; wherein the time between the first sweep and the second sweep is T1?T0?((n?1)*f1*S1)/(n*(f1?f0)) where n is a natural number, f0 is the lower frequency limit of the vibrator sweep and f1 is the upper frequency limit of the vibrator sweep.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for downhole processing of measurements made in a wellbore during the construction of the wellbore. The system includes sensors located downhole adapted to measure downhole parameters. The system uses a downhole processor to calculate a statistical relationship, preferably covariance, between the two downhole parameters. A transmitter located downhole and in communication with the downhole processor is used to transmit the calculated statistical relationship to the surface. At the surface the statistical relationship is compared with surface acquired data and surface drilling operating parameters are altered based on the statistical relationship.

Abstract: Tissues having a high level of softness and hand protection in combination with improved cleaning are disclosed. The tissues have been shown to remove more mucus than commercially available tissues.

Abstract: A subpart of a drill string is described having an outer circumferential surface which is contoured and adapted to engage the wall of the borehole with a small angle of attack while exerting during rotary drilling operations an compacting pressure on mud cake and/or cuttings present in the annulus between the drill string and the borehole.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and methods for improving the stability of a wellbore during drilling operations using a rotary drill string. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for enhancing the performance of the filter or mud cake layer on the wall of the wellbore as a protective and isolating layer.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for drilling a wellbore including a rotary drill bit with a bit body having a plurality of mechanical cutters to cut away formation material as the wellbore is formed; and a directed energy mechanism to direct energy into the formation such that energy from the directed energy mechanism causes fracturing of surrounding material to facilitate drilling in the direction of the directed energy.