Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for improved communication in a wellbore utilizing acoustic signals

US5995449A · kind A · utility

107Cited by
5References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 18, 1996
Grant dateNov 30, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 18, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE21B47/24
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for communicating a control signal in a wellbore between a transmission node and a reception node through an acoustic transmission pathway which extends between the transmission node and the reception node. A transmission apparatus is provided at the transmission node which is in communication with the acoustic transmission pathway. The transmission apparatus generates a serial acoustic transmission which includes a control signal. A reception apparatus is provided at the reception node. The reception apparatus includes a sensor assembly which detects the serial acoustic transmission. Furthermore, the reception apparatus includes a means for decoding the control signal from the series acoustic transmission. The reception apparatus also includes a clock for generating a synchronizing clock signal and a demodulator which maps a predefined plurality of available control signals to a predefined output at a particular one of a plurality of available output pins in the reception apparatus. An electrically actuable wellbore tool is electrically coupled to a particular one of the plurality of available output pins, and may be actuated by the predefined ou…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.