Patents by Inventor Robert W. Keys

Robert W. Keys 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).

  • Patent number: 11933929
    Abstract: A method of characterizing a subterranean formation using a plurality of seismic acquisitions includes obtaining a first seismic acquisition of the subterranean formation, wherein the first seismic acquisition is a baseline survey. Injecting a gas fluid into the subterranean formation, wherein the gas fluid at least partially fills a portion of a fracture network of the subterranean formation. Obtaining a second seismic acquisition of the subterranean formation. Calculating a time-lapse difference in the plurality of seismic acquisitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas J. Wheeler, Jane W. Mutoru, Robert G. Keys, Dana M. Jurick, Mark J. Fissell
  • Patent number: 8811822
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting ghost channels in an optical communication system, including components configured to examine an optical communication channel within a node of the optical communication system, examine a neighbor channel of the optical communication channel, determine whether using the neighbor channel as a ghost channel will create an undesirable level of risk of feedback within the optical communication system, if using the neighbor channel as a ghost channel will not create an undesirable level of risk of feedback, determine whether the neighbor channel is currently used as a ghost channel, and if the neighbor channel is not currently used as a ghost channel, select the neighbor channel as a ghost channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D. L. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V. E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Patent number: 8670664
    Abstract: A system and method for managing the selection of ghost channels in an optical communication system, including components configured to collect one or more first data values indicating the validity of an optical communication channel within a first degree of a node in the optical communication system, collect one or more second data values indicating the optical power level of the optical communication channel, transmit the first and second data values to a second degree of the node, receive the first and second data values at the first degree, and aggregate the first and second data values for the first degree and the second degree at the first degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D. L. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V. E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Patent number: 8542992
    Abstract: A system for mitigating the effects of polarization hole burning in an optical communication system. The system includes an optical input signal comprising one or more traffic channels, a measurement module configured to check for the existence of ghost channels around the traffic channels, and a ghost channel generation module configured to generate a ghost channel around the traffic channels from amplified spontaneous emission noise of the optical input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kevan P. Jones, Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D. L. McVeigh, Jean V. E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Patent number: 8090259
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing the selection of ghost channels to mitigate the effects of polarization hole burning in a node of an optical communication system including identifying an optical communication channel in the node for use as a ghost channel, identifying a first set of degrees carrying the optical communication channel within the node, identifying a second set of degrees within the first set of degrees, the second set containing the degrees with the optical communication channel being a valid channel, identifying a third set of degrees within the first set of degrees, the third set containing degrees with the optical communication channel being sufficiently powerful, and selecting a first degree to source the ghost channel from the first set of degrees based at least on the second set of degrees and the third set of degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D. L. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V. E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Publication number: 20110211836
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing the selection of ghost channels to mitigate the effects of polarization hole burning in a node of an optical communication system including identifying an optical communication channel in the node for use as a ghost channel, identifying a first set of degrees carrying the optical communication channel within the node, identifying a second set of degrees within the first set of degrees, the second set containing the degrees with the optical communication channel being a valid channel, identifying a third set of degrees within the first set of degrees, the third set containing degrees with the optical communication channel being sufficiently powerful, and selecting a first degree to source the ghost channel from the first set of degrees based at least on the second set of degrees and the third set of degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D.L. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V.E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Publication number: 20110211826
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting ghost channels in an optical communication system, including components configured to examine an optical communication channel within a node of the optical communication system, examine a neighbor channel of the optical communication channel, determine whether using the neighbor channel as a ghost channel will create an undesirable level of risk of feedback within the optical communication system, if using the neighbor channel as a ghost channel will not create an undesirable level of risk of feedback, determine whether the neighbor channel is currently used as a ghost channel, and if the neighbor channel is not currently used as a ghost channel, select the neighbor channel as a ghost channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D.L. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V.E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Publication number: 20110211841
    Abstract: A system and method for managing the selection of ghost channels in an optical communication system, including components configured to collect one or more first data values indicating the validity of an optical communication channel within a first degree of a node in the optical communication system, collect one or more second data values indicating the optical power level of the optical communication channel, transmit the first and second data values to a second degree of the node, receive the first and second data values at the first degree, and aggregate the first and second data values for the first degree and the second degree at the first degree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D. McVeigh, Kevan P. Jones, Jean V. E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Publication number: 20110211835
    Abstract: A system for mitigating the effects of polarization hole burning in an optical communication system. The system includes an optical input signal comprising one or more traffic channels, a measurement module configured to check for the existence of ghost channels around the traffic channels, and a ghost channel generation module configured to generate a ghost channel around the traffic channels from amplified spontaneous emission noise of the optical input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Kevan P. Jones, Denis Daniel Leclair, Sean D.L. McVeigh, Jean V.E. Ouellet, Douglas J. Greenwood, John B. Mills, Robert W. Keys
  • Patent number: 6757098
    Abstract: A modular bidirectional optical amplification system includes a multiwavelength dual amplifier building block, a multiwavelength unidirectional booster amplifier BB, a unidirectional and a bidirectional Optical Service Channel (OSC) BB, an Intelligent Optical Terminal Accessway (IOTA) module, and an interleaved filter BB. The dual amplifier BB is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and a hybrid version, and provides unidirectional or bidirectional multichannel amplification. The booster amplifier is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and in a booster plus variant; one for the C-band and one for E-band. The unidirectional and bidirectional OSC BBs provide a means for OAM&P functionality to the optical network. The IOTA BB provides multiplexing and demultiplexing, and the filter BB provides separation of the signal into grid-1 and grid-2 channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Network Limited
    Inventors: Loren Berg, Mark R. Hinds, Robert W. Keys, Gregory D. May, Alan G. Solheim, Stephane St-Laurent
  • Publication number: 20030151802
    Abstract: A modular bidirectional optical amplification system includes a multiwavelength dual amplifier building block, a multiwavelength unidirectional booster amplifier BB, a unidirectional and a bidirectional Optical Service Channel (OSC) BB, an Intelligent Optical Terminal Accessway (IOTA) module, and an interleaved filter BB. The dual amplifier BB is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and a hybrid version, and provides unidirectional or bidirectional multichannel amplification. The booster amplifier is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and in a booster plus variant; one for the C-band and one for E-band. The unidirectional and bidirectional OSC BBs provide a means for OAM&P functionality to the optical network. The IOTA BB provides multiplexing and demultiplexing, and the filter BB provides separation of the signal into grid-1 and grid-2 channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Loren Berg, Mark R. Hinds, Robert W. Keys, Gregory D. May, Alan G. Solheim, Stephane St-Laurent
  • Patent number: 6542233
    Abstract: An inexpensive broadband source such as an ASE source, used for erbium amplifier measurements, compares well with the use of a prior art ITU grid. Deltas are less than 0.4 and 0.3 dB for gain and noise figure respectively. The spectral loading used to test erbium amplifiers needs to closely resemble conditions seen in the field. Use of an ITU grid is a good way of achieving this, however it is a costly solution and may restrict the spectral resolution. Use of a high power amplified spontaneous emission source gives a cost-effective alternative, which compares well with ITU grid measurements. In addition the spectral resolution of the measurement is then only limited by the spectral resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Mark E Bray, Ross T Elliott, Kevan P Jones, Robert W Keys
  • Publication number: 20020196430
    Abstract: An optical system includes an optical medium which carries wavelengths of light, an optical tap which siphons the wavelengths from the optical medium, and a wavelength select switch having output ports. The wavelength select switch receives the wavelengths from the tap and selectively passes at least one of the wavelengths to one of the output ports. A power meter receives the at least one wavelength from the output port and measures power in the at least one wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Gregory D. May, Robert W. Keys, David W. Park, Douglas Eccleston
  • Patent number: 6275331
    Abstract: In a WDM optical transmission system employing optical amplifiers in its transmission path, a supervisory signal channel, used for monitoring and controlling the operation of the amplifiers and spectrally separated from the data transmission, may be multiplexed with the data. A construction of amplifier is disclosed which is capable of being upgraded with an upgrade of the transmission system to include additional data handling capacity, for instance data transmission in an additional waveband and/or in the opposite direction, without interruption of the pre-upgrade data transmission path through the amplifiers. This is accomplished by the use of channel dropping and insertion filters disposed so that the amplifying data transmission path extends via the drop/insertion channel of those filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Kevan P Jones, Roger M Gibb, Robert A Baker, Martin P Poettcker, Mark E Bray, Barrie Flintham, James Regan, Toby J Reid, Alan A Solheim, Robert W Keys, Mark R Hinds, Joseph Mun, Nigel E Jolley, Alan Robinson, Jonathan P King, Simon P Parry
  • Patent number: 6236499
    Abstract: A modular bidirectional optical amplification system includes a multiwavelength dual amplifier building block, a multiwavelength unidirectional booster amplifier BB, a unidirectional and a bidirectional Optical Service Channel (OSC) BB, an Intelligent Optical Terminal Accessway (IOTA) module, and an interleaved filter BB. The dual amplifier BB is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and a hybrid version, and provides unidirectional or bidirectional multichannel amplification. The booster amplifier is available in a C-band version, an E-band version and in a booster plus variant;. one for the C-band and one for E-band. The unidirectional and bidirectional OSC BBs provide a means for OAM&P functionality to the optical network. The IOTA BB provides multiplexing and demultiplexing, and the filter BB provides separation of the signal into grid-1 and grid-2 channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Loren S. Berg, Mark R. Hinds, Robert W. Keys, Gregory D. May, Alan G. Solheim, Stephane St-Laurent
  • Patent number: 6144486
    Abstract: The variables and parameters previously understood to affect the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier 13 were: (1) the wavelengths to be amplified; (2) the input power levels at those wavelengths; (3) the characteristics of the amplifying medium 20; (4) the insertion loss spectra of the amplifier's components, including any filter(s) used for gain flattening; (5) the pump band chosen to pump the amplifying medium 20; and (6) the total amount of pump power supplied in the chosen pump band. An additional fundamental variable has been identified which can be used to control the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier 13, namely, the center wavelength of the spectrum of the pump's output power within the chosen pump band. Methods and apparatus for using this variable for this purpose are disclosed.For example a, transmission system is disclosed having a transmitter 11 and a receiver 10 connected by an optical fiber 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignees: Corning Incorporated, Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventors: Kevin W. Bennett, Fiona Davis, Richard A. Habel, Paul A. Jakobson, Nigel E. Jolley, Robert W. Keys, Kim Byron Roberts, Mark A. Newhouse, Michael J. Yadlowsky