# US 2019/0169979 A1 · Continuous Trajectory Calculation for Directional Drilling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169979 A1 - Document ID: US20190169979A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/208,449 - Filed: 2018-12-03 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: HRL Laboratories, LLC - Applicants: HRL Laboratories, LLC - Inventors: Hung NGUYEN; Logan D. Sorenson; David L. Walter; Adour V. Kabakian; Raviv Perahia; Shuoqin Wang; David W. Shahan; Lian X. Huang; David T. Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169979A1 ## CPC - E21B 47/013: Devices specially adapted for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits - 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 47/022: of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism - E21B 47/024: of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) - G01C 1/00: Measuring angles - G01C 19/00: Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects - G01C 21/166: {Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems} - G01P 15/105: by magnetically sensitive devices - G01P 15/14: by making use of gyroscopes (gyroscopes per se G01C19/00) - G01P 15/18: in two or more dimensions - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract An instrument package for use during the drilling a wellbore. The instrument package includes a plurality of instruments such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers; a computer is configured to determine the current position of the plurality of instruments from a set of measurements produced by the plurality of instruments; and wherein the plurality of instruments are mechanically isolated from a drill head assembly by one or more multi-degree of freedom vibration isolators. The computer preferably has at least two modes different analytical modes of analyzing the set of measurements produced by the plurality of instruments, including a continuous mode and a survey mode, the continuous mode being operational during times that active drilling is occurring and the survey mode being operational during times that the active drilling is not occurring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A downhole instrument package for use with a well drilling apparatus, the downhole instrument package comprising: a. at least three sensors including an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope; b. the accelerometer, the magnetometer, and the gyroscope being mounted in an elongate configuration along with a signal processing device, the elongate configuration being supported by shock absorbers between a drill string associated with said well drilling apparatus and a drill face of a drill bit; c. the instrument package having at least two modes of operation including a continuous mode and a survey mode, the continuous mode being operational at least during times that the drilling apparatus is actively drilling and the survey mode being operational at least during times that the drilling apparatus is not actively drilling; d. the signal processing device applying a first set of algorithms to data collected from the at least three sensors while in said continuous mode of operation, the collected data and/or the results of applying said first set of algorithms to the data detected when in said continuous mode of operation being stored as stored data by said signal processing device; e. the signal processing device applying a second set of algorithms, different than said first set of algorithms, to data from the at least three sensors while in said survey mode of operation to determine a calculated position of the downhole instrument package (i) from data collected from the at least three sensors while in said survey mode of operation as augmented (ii) by said stored data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The downhole instrument package according to claim 1 further including a scheduler apparatus which includes a buffer for recording a stream of sensor data from said sensors, the scheduler apparatus determining whether the instrument package is in said continuous mode of operation or is in said survey mode of operation based a determination that a variance of the sensor data in the buffer is less than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The downhole instrument package according to claim 2 further including an environmental module including additional sensors which are not supported by said shock absorbers so that said additional sensors in said environmental module are more sensitive to drill string dynamics than are the at least three sensors which are supported by said shock absorbers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The downhole instrument package according to claim 3 wherein data from said additional sensors is stored in an environmental data buffer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The downhole instrument package according to claim 1 further including an environmental module including additional sensors which are not supported by said shock absorbers so that said additional sensors in said environmental module are more sensitive to drill string dynamics than are the at least three sensors which are supported by said shock absorbers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The downhole instrument package according to claim 5 wherein the environmental module identifies quiet periods corresponding to surveys or surveys of opportunity, for controlling whether the instrument package is said survey mode of operation rather than in said continuous mode of operation: ### Claim 7 A bottom hole assembly (BHA) for drilling an oilfield wellbore comprising: a plurality of instruments further comprising accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers; a computer configured to determine the current position of the plurality of instruments from a set of measurements produced by the plurality of instruments; and wherein the plurality of instruments are mechanically isolated from a drill head assembly of said BHA by one or more multi-degree of freedom vibration isolators. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 7 wherein the computer having at least two modes different analytical modes of analyzing the set of measurements produced by the plurality of instruments, including a continuous mode and a survey mode, the continuous mode being operational at least during times that the BHA is actively drilling and the survey mode being operational at least during times that the BHA is not actively drilling. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 8 wherein the computer applies a first set of algorithms to data collected from the plurality of instruments while in said continuous mode of operation, the collected data and/or the results of applying said first set of algorithms to the data detected when in said continuous mode of operation being stored as stored data by said computer; the computer applying a second set of algorithms, different than said first set of algorithms, to data from the plurality of instruments while in said survey mode of operation to determine a calculated position of the downhole instrument package (i) from data collected from the plurality of instruments while in said survey mode of operation as augmented (ii) by said stored data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 9 further including a scheduler apparatus which includes a buffer for recording a stream of sensor data from the plurality of instruments, the scheduler apparatus determining whether the computer is in said continuous mode of operation or is in said survey mode of operation based a determination that a variance of the sensor data in the buffer is less than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 10 further including an environmental module including additional sensors which are not supported by said shock absorbers so that said additional sensors in said environmental module are more sensitive to drill string dynamics than are the plurality of instruments which are mechanically isolated by said one or more multi-degree of freedom vibration isolators. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 11 wherein data from said additional sensors is stored in an environmental data buffer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 9 further including an environmental module including additional sensors which are not supported by said one or more multi-degree of freedom vibration isolators so that said additional sensors in said environmental module are more sensitive to drill string dynamics than are the plurality of instruments which are mechanically isolated by said one or more multi-degree of freedom vibration isolators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The bottom hole assembly (BHA) of claim 13 wherein the environmental module identifies quiet periods corresponding to surveys or surveys of opportunity, for controlling whether the computer is said survey mode of operation rather than in said continuous mode of operation. ### Claim 15 A method of monitoring a well drilling operation while actively drilling said well, the method comprising comprising: collecting a set of measurements from a plurality of downhole, environmental sensors vibrationally isolated within a bottom hole assembly (BHA); processing the set of measurements into a real time evaluation a current location of the environmental sensors by comparing data collected while actively drilling said well with data collected when the well drilling operation is not actively drilling the well. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the method includes at least two modes of operation, including a continuous mode and a survey mode, the continuous mode being operational while actively drilling said well and the survey mode being operational at least during times when the well drilling operation is not actively drilling the well; utilizing a signal processing device for applying a first set of algorithms to a set of measurements collected while in said continuous mode of operation, the collected data and the results of applying said first set of algorithms to the set of measurements collected while in said continuous mode of operation being stored as stored data by said signal processing device; and utilizing the signal processing device for applying a second set of algorithms, different than said first set of algorithms, to a set of measurements collected while in while in said survey mode of operation to determine a calculated position of the downhole instrument package (i) from data collected from the set of measurements while in said survey mode of operation as augmented (ii) by the stored data. ### Claim 17 A downhole instrument package for use with a well drilling apparatus, the downhole instrument package comprising: a. at least three sensors including an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope; b. the accelerometer, the magnetometer, and the gyroscope being mounted in an elongate configuration along with a signal processing device, the elongate configuration being supported by shock absorbers between a drill string associated with said well drilling apparatus and a drill face of a drill bit; c. the signal processing device applying a set of algorithms to data collected from the at least three sensors, the collected data and the results of applying said set of algorithms to the data collected being stored as stored data by said signal processing device. ### Claim 18 A downhole instrument package for use with a well drilling apparatus, the downhole instrument package comprising: a. at least three sensors including an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope; b. the accelerometer, the magnetometer, and the gyroscope being mounted in an elongate configuration along with a signal processing device, the elongate configuration being supported by shock absorbers between a drill string associated with said well drilling apparatus and a drill face of a drill bit; c. the signal processing device applying a set of algorithms to data from the at least three sensors to determine a calculated position of the downhole instrument package.