Patents by Inventor Nigel A. Evans

Nigel A. Evans has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080047754
    Abstract: A drilling stabilization system includes a power section coupled to an upper end of a transmission housing, a bearing housing coupled to a lower end of the transmission housing, and a drill bit coupled to the bearing housing, wherein the transmission housing includes at least two radially outwardly extending blades disposed on the transmission housing. A method of drilling a substantially concentric wellbore includes drilling a formation with a directional drilling bottomhole assembly coupled to a drill string, changing a direction of the drilling of the formation being drilled, removing the directional drilling bottomhole assembly from the drill string, coupling a drilling stabilization system to the drill string, and drilling the formation with the drilling stabilization system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, Hugo Roberto Marquez
  • Publication number: 20080019135
    Abstract: An illumination obscurement device for controlling the obscurement of illumination from a light source which is optimized for use with a rectangular, arrayed, selective reflection device. In a preferred embodiment, a rotatable shutter with three positions is placed between a light source and a DMD. The first position of the shutter is a mask, preferably an out of focus circle. This out of focus circle creates a circular mask and changes any unwanted dim reflection to a circular shape. The second position of the shutter is completely open, allowing substantially all the light to pass. The third position of the shutter is completely closed, blocking substantially all the light from passing. By controlling the penumbra illumination surrounding the desired illumination, DMDs can be used in illumination devices without creating undesirable rectangular penumbras.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: PRODUCTION RESOURCE GROUP, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Hewlett, Nigel Evans
  • Publication number: 20080007867
    Abstract: A tape drive apparatus has a data transfer apparatus for transferring data between a loaded tape medium and the tape drive apparatus. A data processing apparatus is coupled to the data transfer apparatus for formatting the loaded tape medium. The formatting of the tape medium is performed using an identifier of the tape medium. For example, the identifier is written together with the formatting information onto the tape medium for later reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Nigel Evans
  • Publication number: 20070253088
    Abstract: A method is provided for storing data on a tape by means of data storage apparatus programmed to record the data in accordance with a format specifying a log of tape-usage information and a series of recording regions to store the data. Errors in the recorded data are detected and an error entry for each error is recorded in the log. The error entry identifies the recording region in which the error is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Andrew Clarke, Nigel Evans, John Mackelden
  • Patent number: 7228918
    Abstract: A system for drilling a substantially horizontal borehole, comprises a rotating drill string extending from a surface system to a location in the horizontal borehole, the drill string having a drill bit at a bottom end. A rotary steerable system in the drill string proximate the drill bit is adapted to direct the rotating drill string toward a desired exit point. In another aspect, a method for drilling a substantially horizontal borehole from a surface location to an offshore exit location, comprises drilling a borehole using a rotary steerable system to direct the borehole along a predetermined trajectory toward the exit location. The borehole is reamed from the surface location toward the exit location while recovering a drilling fluid at the surface location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, Marc Bruderer
  • Patent number: 7230752
    Abstract: A lighting system operating using a digital mirror as its operative device. The digital mirror is used to shape the light which is a passed through advanced optical devices in order to produce an output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Production Resource Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Hewlett, Ian Clarke, Nigel Evans, Richard Parker, Mark A. Hunt, Michael Hughes
  • Publication number: 20070097534
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of storing data on a tape medium in at least one data recording session employing a tape drive apparatus operable to record the data in accordance with a format specifying an unused area of the tape medium. The method comprises formatting the tape medium according to the format, and recording a tape medium identifier in the specified unused area of the tape medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, Andrew Clarke, John Mackelden
  • Publication number: 20070028112
    Abstract: A data transfer device for transferring data between a host device and a data storage medium. The data transfer device encrypts and/or decrypts data transferred between the host device and the data storage medium using an encryption/decryption key stored in memory. A data storage medium stores an encryption/decryption key and has at least one media recognition indicium, which identifies the data storage medium to the data transfer device as one storing an encryption/decryption key. The data transfer device copies the encryption/decryption key from the data storage medium to the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: John Mackelden, Nigel Evans
  • Publication number: 20060238911
    Abstract: A data transfer apparatus is described for transferring data between at least one transducer head of the data transfer apparatus and a data medium removably received in the data transfer apparatus. The data transfer apparatus is operable to monitor at least one data transfer performance characteristic, and to use results of the monitoring to set an indicator for access by the data transfer apparatus, for use in connection with a subsequent head-cleaning process using a designated head-cleaning medium, the indicator corresponding to an appropriate quality of head-cleaning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: John MacKelden, Nigel Evans, Andrew Clarke
  • Publication number: 20060193136
    Abstract: An illumination obscurement device for controlling the obscurement of illumination from a light source which is optimized for use with a rectangular, arrayed, selective reflection device. In a preferred embodiment, a rotatable shutter with three positions is placed between a light source and a DMD. The first position of the shutter is a mask, preferably an out of focus circle. This out of focus circle creates a circular mask and changes any unwanted dim reflection to a circular shape. The second position of the shutter is completely open, allowing substantially all the light to pass. The third position of the shutter is completely closed, blocking substantially all the light from passing. By controlling the penumbra illumination surrounding the desired illumination, DMDs can be used in illumination devices without creating undesirable rectangular penumbras.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: William Hewlett, Nigel Evans
  • Publication number: 20060187532
    Abstract: A lighting system operating using a digital mirror as its operative device. The digital mirror is used to shape the light which is a passed through advanced optical devices in order to produce an output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: William Hewlett, Ian Clarke, Nigel Evans, Richard Parker, Mark Hunt, Michael Hughes
  • Publication number: 20060176598
    Abstract: Data stored on a tape in a plurality of data recording sessions employs tape drive apparatus programmed to record the data in accordance with a format specifying a log of tape-usage information. The log is in the form of a data structure including a plurality of log sections in which tape usage information is recorded relating respectively to corresponding ones of the plurality of data recording sessions. The log sections together constitute a cumulative record of tape usage covering the corresponding plurality of recording sessions, each log section in respect of a recording session comprising an identifier of the tape drive apparatus used for that recording session and a count of the recording session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, Andrew Malcolm Clarke, John Mackelden
  • Publication number: 20060150636
    Abstract: A super cooler device including a thermo electric cooler on a digital micro mirror device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, William Hewlett
  • Publication number: 20060114592
    Abstract: Data storage apparatus is provided for storing data on a tape in accordance with a format specifying a plurality of logs of tape-usage information and a data area for storing the said data. Control means are programmed to update one of the said logs for each usage of the tape, the logs being selected in turn for updating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, Andrew George Clarke, John Mackelden
  • Publication number: 20060087759
    Abstract: One embodiment of a tape drive apparatus has a non-volatile memory for storing an identifier. Data that is written by the tape drive apparatus to a loaded tape media is tagged using the identifier. This facilitates to identify the tape drive apparatus that has written the data onto the tape media such as for the purpose of failure analysis. Other devices and methods are included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventor: Nigel Evans
  • Publication number: 20060082912
    Abstract: A method is provided of cleaning one or more read/write heads of a magnetic tape recording system using a magnetically recordable cleaning tape in the system. The system performs a cleaning operation including pulling a portion of the cleaning tape through the system so as to clean the or each head. A log is recorded on the cleaning tape of the sequence of operations so as to provide a history of usage of the cleaning tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: John MacKelden, Nigel Evans, Stephen Deckers
  • Publication number: 20060082916
    Abstract: A tape drive apparatus has a data transfer apparatus for transferring data between a loaded tape medium and the tape drive apparatus. A data processing apparatus is coupled to the data transfer apparatus for formatting the loaded tape medium. The formatting of the tape medium is performed using an identifier of the tape medium. For example, the identifier is written together with the formatting information onto the tape medium for later reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventor: Nigel Evans
  • Patent number: 7018640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of vaccinating a domesticated bird against coccidiosis comprising administering in ovo an effective immnunizing dose of live Eimeria sporozoites or merozoites, or a mixture thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the domesticated bird that is vaccinated is a chicken or turkey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Pfizer Incorporated
    Inventors: Nigel A. Evans, Robert Craig Findly, Frederick H. Weber
  • Patent number: 7000417
    Abstract: A super cooler device including a thermo electric cooler on a digital micro mirror device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Production Resource Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, William E. Hewlett
  • Publication number: 20060023336
    Abstract: One embodiment of a method is provided of cleaning one or more read/write heads of a magnetic tape recording system using a magnetically recordable cleaning tape in the system. An initial target error rate is registered in the system. The system performs a cleaning operation including pulling a portion of the cleaning tape through the system so as to clean the or each head. Test data is recorded onto the cleaning tape by means of the or each head as the tape is being pulled through the system and a read-while-write check is performed on the test data to calculate the error rate of the test data. The system is instructed to perform another cleaning operation if the calculated error rate is above the target error rate. Other methods and systems are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Nigel Evans, John Mackelden