Abstract: A system for assessing grip security, the system comprising: a contact surface having at least a first contact surface region and a second contact surface region, the first contact surface region being configured to resist slip less than the second contact surface region, a sensor for detecting slip in the first contact region.

Abstract: A system for estimating friction, the system including a contact surface including a plurality of protrusions extending from a base surface, the contact surface further including a first contact surface region and a second contact surface region, the first contact surface region being configured to resist slip less than the second contact surface region, and a sensor arrangement configured for detecting displacement of at least three of the plurality of protrusions in three different dimensions to measure a three-dimensional force applied to the at least three plurality of protrusions at a moment of slippage of the first contact surface region.

Abstract: System/method for real-time monitoring and control of pump operations at a well provide a pump control system that uses pump fillage with a proportional-integral-differential (PID) based algorithm to control positive displacement pump operations. The pump control system/method obtains measured or inferred pump speed from available pump speed data and, using certain pump characteristics provided by the well operator, calculates a theoretical fluid flow rate based on the pump speed. The pump control system/method thereafter compares the calculated theoretical fluid flow rate to a measured or observed fluid flow rate to calculate a pump fillage. The calculated pump fillage is then provided as a process input to the PID based algorithm along with a desired pump fillage from the well operator. The PID based algorithm processes the calculated pump fillage and the desired pump fillage using tuning parameters to determine an optimum pump speed based on the desired pump fillage.

Abstract: Remote configuration of an industrial or remote telemetry device using sound. Acoustic energy directed from a remote programming device to a remote industrial or telemetry device has tones indicating a request to establish communication. By directing further acoustic energy from the remote programming device to the remote industrial or telemetry device, the remote programming device requests information relating to a current configuration of the remote industrial or telemetry device. The remote industrial or telemetry device processes the tones to identify the request and replies with acoustic energy that has associated tones indicating the information relating to the current configuration of the remote industrial or telemetry device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cardio-pulmonary health monitoring apparatus. The apparatus comprises a contactless motion sensor configured to generate one or more movement signals representing bodily movement of a patient during a monitoring session; a processor; and a memory storing program instructions configured to cause the processor to carry out a method of processing the one or more movement signals. The method comprises extracting one or more sleep disordered breathing features from the one or more movement signals, and predicting whether a clinical event is likely to occur during a predetermined prediction horizon based on the one or more sleep disordered breathing features.

Abstract: Centrally optimizing production of a reservoir that has a plurality of wells comprises monitoring production of each well in the reservoir using one or more respective sensors at each well. Sensor data indicative of the monitored production of each well from the one or more respective sensors is input to a central processing device for processing to evaluate the production of each well. The production of each well is evaluated to identify opportunities for optimizing production by the plurality of wells in the reservoir. In addition, one or more actions are taken using the central processing device to optimize production by the plurality of wells based on the identified opportunities for optimizing production.

Abstract: Method and system for provisioning industrial assets. A provisioning server processes location data and an identifier associated with a selected industrial asset for verifying a presence of the asset within a predefined area and for determining a feature set for the asset. The location data is indicative of a location of the asset and the identifier identifies the asset and has the feature set associated therewith. The provisioning server then retrieves a license and/or configuration corresponding to the feature set for the asset from the repository in response to the asset being located within the predefined area. The provisioning server provisions the asset with the retrieved license and/or configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing power to devices at a well site employ a linear alternator to generate power at a well site. The linear alternator is mounted on a pump at the well site and uses the up-and-down motion of the pump to generate power. The pump may be a nodding donkey head pump or other sucker rod pump mechanisms that operate based on linear vertical motion. The linear vertical motion drives a linear rotor back and forth through a linear stator to induce current in the linear alternator. This allows the linear alternator to convert a portion of the mechanical work performed by the pump into electrical energy that can be supplied to the devices. In some embodiments, the pump-mounted linear alternator can be equipped with a position sensor to directly measure a vertical position of the pump as the alternator travels up and down with the pump.

Abstract: A multi-factor authentication method and system enabling secure access to an industrial asset. A higher level of authentication to access a selected privileged operation of the industrial asset requires verification of two or more multi-factor access credentials.

Abstract: System/method for real-time monitoring and control of pump operations at a well provide a pump control system that uses pump fillage with a proportional-integral-differential (PID) based algorithm to control positive displacement pump operations. The pump control system/method obtains measured or inferred pump speed from available pump speed data and, using certain pump characteristics provided by the well operator, calculates a theoretical fluid flow rate based on the pump speed. The pump control system/method thereafter compares the calculated theoretical fluid flow rate to a measured or observed fluid flow rate to calculate a pump fillage. The calculated pump fillage is then provided as a process input to the PID based algorithm along with a desired pump fillage from the well operator. The PID based algorithm processes the calculated pump fillage and the desired pump fillage using tuning parameters to determine an optimum pump speed based on the desired pump fillage.

Abstract: A load cell system for measuring rod load in a pumpjack. The system includes a tension load cell operatively coupled to a bridle between first and second bridle cables at a location longitudinally spaced between a horsehead and a bridle plate of the pumpjack. The bridle plate is coupled to the first bridle cable at a first connection point and the tension load cell is coupled to the first bridle cable at a second connection point longitudinally spaced between the bridle plate and the horsehead. The load cell system defines a third connection point longitudinally spaced between the second connection point and the horsehead. The load cell system is configured to maintain substantially constant longitudinal distances between the second connection point and each of the first and third connection points during operation of the horsehead.

Abstract: A controller or processor(s) implements detection of respiratory related conditions, such as asynchrony, associated with use of a respiratory treatment apparatus or ventilator. Based on data derived from sensor signals associated with the respiratory treatment, the detector may evaluate a feature set of detection values to determine whether or not an asynchrony occurs in a breath of the patient's respiratory cycle such as by comparing the values against a set of thresholds. Different events may also be identified based on the particular feature set and threshold(s) involved in the detection processing. Automated determination of feature sets may also be implemented to design different asynchrony event classifiers. The methodologies may be implemented by computers or by respiratory treatment apparatus.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide real-time optical monitoring and control of well operations using digital cameras and image analysis. The systems and methods deploy one or more digital cameras in place of or in addition to conventional sensors to capture images of a well pump during well operations. The images may then be analyzed using image analysis algorithms and programs to measure a height, position, shape, and other measurements for certain components of the well pump relative to previous images. These image-based measurements may then be used to determine various operational parameters, such as pump speed, pump load, and other operational parameters. The operational parameters may then be processed by a pump control system to optimize pump operations based on the operational parameters.

Abstract: Remote configuration of an industrial or remote telemetry device using sound. Acoustic energy directed from a remote programming device to a remote industrial or telemetry device has tones indicating a request to establish communication. By directing further acoustic energy from the remote programming device to the remote industrial or telemetry device, the remote programming device requests information relating to a current configuration of the remote industrial or telemetry device. The remote industrial or telemetry device processes the tones to identify the request and replies with acoustic energy that has associated tones indicating the information relating to the current configuration of the remote industrial or telemetry device.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide real-time optical monitoring and control of well operations using digital cameras and image analysis. The systems and methods deploy one or more digital cameras in place of or in addition to conventional sensors to capture images of a well pump during well operations. The images may then be analyzed using image analysis algorithms and programs to measure a height, position, shape, and other measurements for certain components of the well pump relative to previous images. These image-based measurements may then be used to determine various operational parameters, such as pump speed, pump load, and other operational parameters. The operational parameters may then be processed by a pump control system to optimize pump operations based on the operational parameters.

Abstract: Devices and methods for providing sensory feedback during an exercise are disclosed. An exertion target is set, for a user performing the exercise, based on a self-calibration that estimates the user's ability using signal amplitudes of surface electromyography (sEMG) data, wherein the exertion target includes a target signal amplitude of muscle contractions to be reached during the exercise. sEMG data are received from a measurement device attached to the user as the user performs the exercise. Upon processing the sEMG data, sensory feedback is generated at a computing device operated by the user, wherein the sensory feedback has an intensity proportional to the user's exertion level as the user performs the exercise, and wherein the sensory feedback changes over a course of the exercise in dependence on a duration that the user maintains a muscle contraction at or above the target signal amplitude, and the change in sensory feedback is configured to encourage the user to prolong the duration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing power to devices at a well site employ a linear alternator to generate power at a well site. The linear alternator is mounted on a pump at the well site and uses the up-and-down motion of the pump to generate power. The pump may be a nodding donkey head pump or other sucker rod pump mechanisms that operate based on linear vertical motion. The linear vertical motion drives a linear rotor back and forth through a linear stator to induce current in the linear alternator. This allows the linear alternator to convert a portion of the mechanical work performed by the pump into electrical energy that can be supplied to the devices. In some embodiments, the pump-mounted linear alternator can be equipped with a position sensor to directly measure a vertical position of the pump as the alternator travels up and down with the pump.

Abstract: A sleep monitoring system includes an ECG device (2) and a respiration inductance plethysmogram (3) which monitor cardiac activity and physical (ribcage) respiration respectively and feed representative signals to a digital data processor. Operations (5-9) process the beat interval data, while in a second thread, operations (20-24) independently process the amplitude modulation of the ECG data caused by the respiratory motion of the subject. The inductance plethysmogram device (3) provides an input to the processor which represents respiration as directly monitored independently of the ECG. Operations (30-34) process this direct respiration data independently and in parallel, in a third thread. All extracted features are fed to a classifier which in step (10) combines selected combinations of features to make decisions in real time.

Abstract: A flow meter system and method are provided for monitoring gas flow in a conduit. The flow meter system includes a plurality of components including: a sensor for sensing a flow rate of the gas flow; a communication device for transmitting information corresponding to the sensed flow rate to a remote device; an energy harvesting device for producing electrical energy from the gas flow to power operation of the communication device or other component of the flow meter system; and an energy storage device for storing electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting device.

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring patients with dysphagia, or swallowing impairments, that monitors muscle movement during intensive swallowing exercises to provide adjuvant visual feedback from surface electromyography.