System and method for transmitting information through a fluid medium
OwnerBrent Hallinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A preferred method for transmitting digital information through a fluid medium includes generating a first and a second pressure pulse in the fluid medium, and encoding the digital information in the second pressure pulse by generating the second pressure pulse a predetermined amount of time after generating the first pressure pulse. The preferred method also includes sensing the first and the second pressure pulses, and decoding the digital information by determining the elapsed time between the first pressure pulse and the second pressure pulse.
Claims47
A method for transmitting information using mud-pulse telemetry, comprising:
- generating a time base comprising a plurality of time increments;
- generating a first and a second pressure pulse at a first location in a column of drilling mud;
- counting the number of the time increments;
- detecting the first and the second pressure pulses at a second location in the column of drilling mud;
- and
- correlating the second pressure pulse with a numerical value based on the number of the time increments that elapse between the detection of the first and the second pressure pulses.
A method for transmitting digital information through a fluid medium, comprising:
- generating a first and a second pressure pulse in the fluid medium;
- encoding the digital information in the second pressure pulse by generating the second pressure pulse a predetermined amount of time after generating the first pressure pulse;
- sensing the first and the second pressure pulses;
- and
- decoding the digital information by determining the elapsed time between the first pressure pulse and the second pressure pulse.
A method for sending information through a fluid medium, comprising:
- generating a succession of pressure pulses in the fluid medium;
- timing the pressure pulses so that successive ones of the pressure pulses are spaced apart by respective predetermined time intervals;
- detecting the pressure pulses;
- and
- determining a digital value corresponding to each of the pressure pulses based on the predetermined time interval between the pressure pulse and the previous pressure pulse, and the digital value of the previous pulse.
A system for transmitting information using mud-pulse telemetry, comprising:
- an encoder comprising a processor, a memory-storage device communicatively coupled to the processor, and a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the memory-storage device, the encoder generating a time base comprising a plurality of time increments;
- a pulser communicatively coupled to the encoder for generating a first and a second pressure pulse at a first location in a column of drilling mud in response to inputs from the encoder;
- a sensor for detecting the first and the second pressure pulses at a second location in the column of drilling mud;
- and
- a decoder communicatively coupled to the sensor and comprising a processor, a memory-storage device communicatively coupled to the processor, and a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the memory-storage device, the decoder counting the number of the time increments and correlating the second pressure pulse with a numerical value based on the number of the time increments that elapse between the detection of the first and the second pressure pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.