The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 28, 2020

Filed:

Oct. 10, 2016
Applicant:

Rowan Companies, Inc., Houston, TX (US);

Inventor:

Richard Hopkins, Houston, TX (US);

Assignee:

Rowan Companies, Inc., Houston, TX (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G01C 21/16 (2006.01); B63H 25/42 (2006.01); B63H 25/04 (2006.01); E21B 7/128 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G05D 1/0208 (2013.01); B63H 25/42 (2013.01); G01C 21/16 (2013.01); G01C 21/165 (2013.01); B63H 2025/045 (2013.01); E21B 7/128 (2013.01);
Abstract

A system dynamically controls position of a mobile offshore drilling unit relative to a subsea operation, an offshore location, or the like. The system has navigation units, acoustic units, and inertial units. The navigation units obtain position from one or more satellite navigation systems, and the acoustic units obtains position from one or more acoustic positioning reference systems. The inertial units obtains position of the unit from one or more inertial navigation systems, and this inertial position for each unit is based at least in part on the positions obtained from respective ones of the navigation and acoustic units. A control unit in operable communication with the inertial units determines dynamic positioning information from the inertial position of at least one of the inertial units. In turn, the control unit then operates equipment on the drilling unit to control its position dynamically.


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