Abstract: A plugging device for multistage fracturing wherein a stopper assembly is installed in the plugging device in manner that allows pressure integrity from above the plugging device, and the stopper assembly is further configured to allow a bore of the plugging device to open with an at least minimal pressure from therebelow in order to remove a stopper from the stopper assembly in order to open a flow path through the plugging device in either direction.

Abstract: A downhole system for multistage fracturing wherein a stopper assembly is installed in a plugging device in manner that allows pressure integrity from above the plugging device, and the stopper assembly is further configured to allow a bore of the plugging device to open with an at least minimal pressure from therebelow in order to remove a stopper from a baffle in order to open a flow path through the plugging device in either direction.

Abstract: A method of fabricating and controlling a thick-film transducer array for steering and focusing ultrasonic waves within a substrate volume is provided. A ceramic film composition can be coated on a substrate volume in one or more layers. The ceramic film can be masked with a plastic sheet out of which an electrode pattern is cut. Conductive electrode material can be applied to the pattern to create a transducer array that can be polarized with an applied electric field. A method of controlling a thick-film transducer array comprises exciting one or more array elements to generate a wavefield in a substrate volume, the wavefield can be reflected by features within the substrate volume, one or more array elements can receive reflected wavefield signals, and images of the insonified substrate volume can be generated.

Abstract: A downhole system for multistage fracturing wherein a stopper assembly is installed in a plugging device in manner that allows pressure integrity from above the plugging device, and the stopper assembly is further configured to allow a bore of the plugging device to open with an at least minimal pressure from therebelow in order to remove a stopper from a baffle in order to open a flow path through the plugging device in either direction.

Abstract: A shearing tool for shearing, trimming, or reducing objects being pulled through a drill string and methods for retrieving retrievable tools with fins from the drill string, where the retrievable tools must pass through restrictions in the drill string having interior diameters less than the outer diameters of the fins. The fins, affixed to the retrievable tools, provide stability to the tools, while within the drill string, and can be made of rubber, plastic, other shearable materials, or combinations thereof. The apparatuses and methods include inserting a shearing tool with a flange into a box end of a section of drill string, where the flange keeps the shearing tool in place. The shearing tool further comprising a cutting surface for cutting materials pulled through the shearing tool.

Abstract: A shearing tool for shearing, trimming, or reducing objects being pulled through a drill string and methods for retrieving retrievable tools with fins from the drill string, where the retrievable tools must pass through restrictions in the drill string having interior diameters less than the outer diameters of the fins. The fins, affixed to the retrievable tools, provide stability to the tools, while within the drill string, and can be made of rubber, plastic, other shearable materials, or combinations thereof. The apparatuses and methods include inserting a shearing tool with a flange into a box end of a section of drill string, where the flange keeps the shearing tool in place. The shearing tool further comprising a cutting surface for cutting materials pulled through the shearing tool.

Abstract: A shearing tool for shearing, trimming, or reducing objects being pulled through a drill string and methods for retrieving retrievable tools with fins from the drill string, where the retrievable tools must pass through restrictions in the drill string having interior diameters less than the outer diameters of the fins. The fins, affixed to the retrievable tools, provide stability to the tools, while within the drill string, and can be made of rubber, plastic, other shearable materials, or combinations thereof. The apparatuses and methods include inserting a shearing tool with a flange into a box end of a section of drill string, where the flange keeps the shearing tool in place. The shearing tool further comprising a cutting surface for cutting materials pulled through the shearing tool.

Abstract: A shearing tool for shearing, trimming, or reducing objects being pulled through a drill string and methods for retrieving retrievable tools with fins from the drill string, where the retrievable tools must pass through restrictions in the drill string having interior diameters less than the outer diameters of the fins. The fins, affixed to the retrievable tools, provide stability to the tools, while within the drill string, and can be made of rubber, plastic, other shearable materials, or combinations thereof. The apparatuses and methods include inserting a shearing tool with a flange into a box end of a section of drill string, where the flange keeps the shearing tool in place. The shearing tool further comprising a cutting surface for cutting materials pulled through the shearing tool.

Abstract: An internet user visits a web site and requests to see imagery from a specified one of a plurality of video cameras. At a system associated with the web site, a load distribution server assigns the user's request to one of a plurality of image servers. The assigned image server first checks its local image cache to see whether a recent image from the specified camera is stored there. If so, the image from that local image cache is sent to the user. If the local image cache does not have a recent image from the requested camera, the assigned image server then checks its local request cache to see whether an earlier process has recently requested the same imagery. If so, then the assigned image server simply waits for the earlier process to compete instead of initiating its own new image retrieval request. If no earlier process has recently requested the same imagery, the assigned image server issues its own image retrieval request.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring the quality of video cameras automatically performs one or more tests on a current image received from each of the cameras. The cameras are connected to a network, such as the Internet, and are generally of different types and are owned and/or operated by various entities. A current image from each of the cameras is evaluated using image processing techniques so that a human need not have to view the camera imagery when an initial evaluation is made. Evaluation parameters may include such things as whether a camera is outputting a predefined error image, an image whose brightness is bad, or an image with bad hues. The status of each camera on a network is stored along with a snapshot of the image from which an evaluation was made and a time stamp. The data are made available to the operator of the camera for maintenance and other purposes.

Abstract: An internet user visits a web site and requests to see imagery from a specified one of a plurality of video cameras. At a system associated with the web site, a load distribution server assigns the user's request to one of a plurality of image servers. The assigned image server first checks its local image cache to see whether a recent image from the specified camera is stored there. If so, the image from that local image cache is sent to the user. If the local image cache does not have a recent image from the requested camera, the assigned image server then checks its local request cache to see whether an earlier process has recently requested the same imagery. If so, then the assigned image server simply waits for the earlier process to compete instead of initiating its own new image retrieval request. If no earlier process has recently requested the same imagery, the assigned image server issues its own image retrieval request.

Abstract: Lines of existing data are extrapolated to provide additional lines of seismic data by using small inline gates of existing cables. At each frequency slice of a space gate on the existing cables, a 2-D prediction error filter that can predict the data in forward and backward directions is designed. A prediction filter is obtained from the prediction error filter and applied to a cable at an edge of the space gate to predict a first missing cable. By repeating this process using overlapping inline gates, overlapping inline gates of the extrapolated cables may be obtained. By suitable weighting of the inline gates of the extrapolated cables, a complete cable length is extrapolated. The process may be repeated using the first extrapolated cable in the derivation to give additional extrapolated cables. The invention may be used for interpolating cables of dealiased cables between existing cables using a masking and filtering operation in the frequency-wave number domain.

Abstract: Lines of existing data are extrapolated to provide additional lines of seismic data by using small inline gates of existing cables. At each frequency slice of a space gate on the existing cables, a 2-D prediction error filter that can predict the data in forward and backward directions is designed. A prediction filter is obtained from the prediction error filter and applied to a cable at an edge of the space gate to predict a first missing cable. By repeating this process using overlapping inline gates, overlapping inline gates of the extrapolated cables may be obtained. By suitable weighting of the inline gates of the extrapolated cables, a complete cable length is extrapolated. The process may be repeated using the first extrapolated cable in the derivation to give additional extrapolated cables. The invention may be used for interpolating cables of dealiased cables between existing cables using a masking and filtering operation in the frequency-wavenumber domain.

Abstract: A method for controlling the position and shape of marine seismic streamer cables, whereby a plurality of real time signals from a marine seismic data acquisition system and a plurality of threshold parameters from an input device are received. The real time signals are compared to the threshold parameters to determine if the streamer cables should be repositioned. The streamer cables are repositioned when the real time signals exceed the threshold parameters.

Abstract: Wide-angle reflections that have been overcorrected using a simple two-term hyperbolic moveout correction are adjusted by application of a bi-quadratic term. The biquadratic term is derived by scanning the overcorrected reflections for residual velocity. The residual velocity is used to calculate an adjustment as a linear function of the first power of the travel time to each receiver versus the fourth power of the corresponding receiver offset.

Abstract: A high-order polynomial regression curve is fitted to a global set of first arrival times as a function of the nominal ranges between a plurality of acoustic sources having known geodetic coordinates and a plurality of acoustic detectors whose coordinates are imperfectly known. The order of the polynomial is chosen to be that order that minimizes the variance of the parameters about the regression curve. The polynomial is used as a quasi-velocity function for iteratively optimizing the best estimate of the ranges between each detector and every source station. The best estimate of the detector position is derived by multi-lateration using the computed ranges.

Abstract: A computer-aided method for providing a de-aliased output data set d.sub.L (t,x.sub.L,y.sub.L) from a spatially aliased, three-dimensional, input data set of known seismic signals, a(t,x,y), where L is an interpolator. The known data set is zero-padded by L. The zero-padded data set is zero-masked. The zero-padded data set is divided by a zero-padded, zero-masked data set to provide an interpolation operator H.sub.L. L-1 zero traces are interleaved between the known traces of data set a(t,x,y) to provide a zero-inserted data set c.sub.L ((t,x.sub.L,y.sub.L) whose transform is C.sub.L (m,k.sub.xL,k.sub.yL). The product of (H.sub.L) with (C.sub.L) is (D.sub.L) which is inverse-transformed to provide the desired de-aliased data set d.sub.L (t,x.sub.L,y.sub.L).

Abstract: A powered vehicle mirror includes a support shaft securable to a pair of support brackets in a fixed attachment. A mirror housing supports a mirror and defines an interior cavity through which the support shaft extends. A bidirectional motor and speed reduction gear mechanism is coupled to a rotatable threaded shaft having a pair of threaded shuttles supported thereby. A multiple arm linkage mechanism is coupled between the threaded shuttles and the support shaft such that rotation of the threaded shaft during motor energizing causes the threaded shuttles to be drawn closer together or spread farther apart and produce a rotational force against the support shaft which operates to pivot the mirror. A solenoid brake mechanism is operative to captivate a brake plate and prevents run-on or overshoot during mirror angular changes.

Abstract: An improved round for a mortar is shown to include a streamlined, jettisonable nose covering a hemispherical infrared (I.R.) dome incorporated in a gyroscopically stabilized I.R. seeker, deployable wings and a jet control arrangement; during the initial phases of flight the streamlined nose is in place and the deployable wings are deployed so that the aerodynamic characteristics of the round are similar to those of a conventional round, but, in the terminal phase of flight, when the nose is jettisoned the jet control arrangement may be operated in response to commands from the I.R. seeker to direct the round to impact on the top of a selected target.