# US 12,000,243 B2 · Counter object, method and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,243 B2 - Document ID: US12000243B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/518,964 - Filed: 2021-11-04 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-04 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC - Applicants: YingQing Xu; Todd C. Jackson; Eugene Stolboushkin; Matthew D. Solfronk - Inventors: YingQing Xu; Todd C. Jackson; Eugene Stolboushkin; Matthew D. Solfronk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000243B2 ## CPC - E21B 34/06: in wells - E21B 34/14: operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} - E21B 47/09: Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes - E21B 2200/06: Sleeve valves - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract An object including a housing, a cone movably received in the housing, a piston body attached to the cone, a valve disposed as a part of the object and separating hydrostatic pressure from pressure at an interface between the housing and the piston body, and a trigger configured to open the valve at a selected circumstance. A method for moving a selected downhole tool including running an object into a borehole, counting features in the borehole using a sensor in the object, opening the valve at a selected count, flooding the interface with hydrostatic pressure, driving the piston body away from the housing, and moving a radially expandable shoulder member toward a larger diameter end of the cone. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string disposed in the borehole, and an object disposed within or as a part of the string. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An object comprising: a housing; a cone movably received in the housing; a piston body fixedly attached to the cone such that movement of the piston body causes the same movement of the cone relative to the housing; a valve disposed as a part of the object and separating hydrostatic pressure from pressure at an interface between the housing and the piston body; and a trigger configured to open the valve at a selected circumstance, the trigger including a proximity sensor configured to sense a feature in a downhole environment and register a count. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 further including a radially expandable shoulder member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The object as claimed in claim 2 wherein the member is a helically split ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trigger further comprises: a controller assembled in one or more units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The object as claimed in claim 4 wherein the valve is restrained to a closed position by a stop releasable by the controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proximity sensor is a plurality of proximity sensors distributed about the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The object as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality is greater than 3 sensors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The object as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality is four proximity sensors located 90 degrees apart from one another. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the valve comprises a piston. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected circumstance is a selected number of proximity sensor signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object maintains a build environment pressure within the object against which hydrostatic pressure acts when triggered during use. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The object as claimed in claim 11 wherein the build environment pressure is atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 13 A method for moving a selected downhole tool comprising: running an object having a housing, a cone movably received in the housing; a piston body fixedly attached to the cone such that the movement of the piston body causes the same movement of the cone relative to the housing; a valve disposed as a part of the object and separating hydrostatic pressure from pressure at an interface between the housing and the piston body; and a trigger configured to open the valve at a selected circumstance into a borehole; counting features in the borehole using a sensor in the object; opening the valve at a selected count; flooding the interface with hydrostatic pressure; driving the piston body away from the housing; and moving a radially expandable shoulder member toward a larger diameter end of the cone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the counting includes sensing proximity to the features with a plurality of sensors at the same time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the sensing is noncontact. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising: landing the expandable shoulder member on a feature subsequent to obtaining a selected count of features. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as claimed in claim 16 further including pressuring on the object to move the feature. sleeve. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the feature is a frac sleeve. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A borehole system comprising: a borehole in a subsurface formation; a string disposed in the borehole; and an object as claimed in claim 1 disposed within or as a part of the string.