US 9,285,503 B2Granted

Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, recording, and transmitting fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control data

AssigneeEnovation Controls, LLC

InventorsKennon Guglielmo, Frank W Murphy

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, transmitting, and acting on information collected from instruments monitoring and controlling equipment used for natural gas well production collection and pipeline insertion platforms (skids). Said instruments may include handheld computing devices like the Apple iPhone, iPad, or other PDAs; said devices using short or long range, wired or wireless communication. The systems and methods reduce costs, errors, inefficiencies, and increase safety by giving the user simple GUI interfaces for data collection and for action items. The said handheld devices can guide the data collector to the skid location using GPS or other location based services, collect data via wired of wireless methods, guide the data collector through manual data input methods or safety action items, compare current readings to past history and evaluate current safety or out-of-tolerance conditions or entries, among other items.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A system for collecting and transmitting information from fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment comprising:

(a) a handheld computing device with a data processor in communication with a data input device, a text and graphics display device, a short-range wired communication system, a short-range wireless communication system, a long-range wireless communication system, and a geographical position fixing system;
(b) said handheld computing device executing an operating system, graphical user interface, and software that enable a person to monitor instruments and control equipment associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment;
(c) said software detecting said handheld computing device's geographical position using said geographical position fixing system;
(d) said software providing said handheld computing device's user with information relating to said instruments based on said handheld computing device's proximity to said instruments;
(e) said software prompting said user to enter readings relating to at least one of said instruments;
(f) said short-range wireless communication system being in wireless communication with at least one of said instruments;
(g) said handheld computing device being in communication with a centralized data collection computer system via said handheld computing device's said short-range wired communication system, said short-range wireless communication system, or said long-range wireless communication system;
and
(h) whereby an objective is enabled relative to said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment, said objective including one or more of the following:
(i)time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;
(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;
(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;
(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;
(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced;
and
(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

13 more elements

A system for collecting and processing information relative to fluid hydrocarbon handling installations, comprising:

(a) a fluid hydrocarbon handling installation comprising an instrument panel and a plurality of sensor modules distributed around the installation, said instrument panel comprising a data processor and a wireless data transmission system;
(b) a portable computing device of a type that is suitable to be carried by a pedestrian user while walking in human accessible spaces around a fluid hydrocarbon handling installation, said portable computing device comprising a data processor and an assembly of subsystems in communication with said data processor, said subsystems including a data input device, a data display device, a wireless communication subsystem, and a geographical position fixing subsystem;
(c) said wireless communication subsystem being operatively connected in a manner to communicate with the wireless transmitter of said instrument panel in a manner that allows said wireless communication subsystem to receive wireless signals that are representative of sensor data from said wireless transmitter;
(d) said data display device being operatively integrated with said portable computing device to display user readable representations of said sensor data for viewing by said pedestrian user;
(e) said data processor being adapted to execute software;
(f) said software being adapted to acquire data from said geographical position fixing subsystem to detect said portable computing device's geographical position;
(g) said software being further adapted to cause said data display device to display information relating to one of said multiple data sets based on said portable computing device's proximity to the one of said multiple locations that corresponds to said one of said multiple data sets;
and
(h) whereby an objective is enabled relative to said fluid hydrocarbon handling installations or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon handling installations, said objective including one or more of the following:
(i) time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;
(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;
(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;
(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;
(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced;
and
(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

13 more elements

A method for collecting and transmitting information from fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment comprising:

(a) using a handheld computing device wherein said handheld computing device comprises:
(1) a handheld computing device with a data processor in wired communication with a manual data input device, a text and graphics display device, a short-range wired communication system, a short-range wireless communication system, a long-range wireless communication system, and a geographical position fixing system;
(2) said handheld computing device executing an operating system, graphical user interface, and software that enable a person to monitor instruments and control equipment associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment using said handheld computing device;
(3) said geographical position fixing system to detect said handheld computing device's geographical position;
(4) said software providing said handheld computing device's user with information relating to said instruments based on said handheld computing device's proximity to said instruments;
(5) said software prompting said user to enter readings relating to at least one of said instruments;
(6) said short-range wireless communication system in wireless communication with at least one said instruments;
and
(7) said handheld computing device in communication with a centralized data collection computer system via said handheld computing device's short-range wired communication system, said short-range wireless communication system, or said long-range wireless communication system;
(b) using said handheld computing device to manually, automatically, or manually and automatically collect data from instruments, such as gas production monitoring and controlling instruments;
(c) transmitting said data to a centralized data collection computer system;
and
(d) enabling an objective relative to said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment, said objective including one or more of the following:
(i) reducing time spent collecting or entering said data;
(ii) reducing cost of collecting or recording said data;
(iii) increasing accuracy or completeness of said data;
(iv) decreasing time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data;
(v) reducing resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data;
and
(vi) reducing risk of harm to the environment or personnel.

17 more elements

A system for processing information from instruments associated with hydrocarbon processing equipment, the system comprising:

(a) a communication system;
and
(b) a computing system, said computing system comprising:
(1) a computing device with a data processor;
(2) an operating system;
(3) software including executable code written for performing tasks of the computing system;
(4) said data processor adapted for executing said software;
(5) a display device;
and
(6) a geographical position fixing system;
(c) said computing system being in communication with said communication system, said computing system adapted for monitoring the instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment and for communicating data from said instruments;
(d) said computing system being adapted for detecting the proximity of said computing device to nearby instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment and for obtaining data from detected nearby instruments;
and
(e) whereby an objective results relative to said hydrocarbon processing equipment or data associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment, said objective including one or more of the following:
(i) time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;
(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;
(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;
(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;
(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced;
and
(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

18 more elements

A method for processing information from instruments associated with hydrocarbon processing equipment, said method comprising:

(a) employing a primary system for processing information, said primary system comprising a communication system and a computing system adapted for monitoring said instruments, said computing system being in communication with said instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment;
(b) said computing system further comprising:
(1) a computing device with a data processor;
(2) an operating system;
(3) software with executable code written for completing tasks of said computing system, said data processor being adapted for executing said software;
and
(4) a geographical position fixing system;
(c) detecting with said computing system the proximity of said computing device to nearby instruments of the instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment;
(d) obtaining with said computing system data from detected nearby instruments;
and
(e) enabling an objective relative to said hydrocarbon processing equipment or data associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment, said objective including one or more of the following:
(i) reducing time spent obtaining said data;
(ii) reducing cost of obtaining said data;
(iii) increasing accuracy or completeness of said data;
(iv) decreasing time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data;
(v) reducing resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data;
and
(vi) reducing risk of harm to the environment or personnel.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/091,323Filed 26 Nov 2013 · continuation
Priority: 1 Apr 2010
Published: US 2014/0156195 A15 Jun 2014
Granted: 15 Mar 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G01V 11/002
Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00: details, e.g. power supply…
G05B 19/042
Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: using digital processors
G05B 2219/1146
Plc I-O input output: scanning sequence as function of previous logic expression
G05B 2219/23161
Pc programming: hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine

Family

Application61/320,210Us provisional application · filed 1 Apr 2010
Application13/078,755Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Apr 2011
US 8,594,938 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Nov 2013
US 2014/0156195 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Jun 2014
US 2012/0059591 A1Published application
US 9,285,503 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.