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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 23, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 25, 1998
Carey R Murphey, Bellaire, TX (US);
Georgios L Varsamis, Houston, TX (US);
Laurence T Wisniewski, Houston, TX (US);
Chen-Kang David Chen, Houston, TX (US);
Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for estimating the cross-sectional shape and orientation of an earth borehole and the motion of a tool therein. The method and apparatus involve measuring the distance from the tool to the borehole wall at a plurality of locations around the periphery of the tool and fitting those measured distances to a predetermined shape function using a nonlinear parameter estimation technique to minimize the error between the estimated shape of the borehole and the measured distances. The method and apparatus may be used to estimate elliptical and higher order borehole shapes. Additionally, the method and apparatus may be used while drilling the borehole.