Claims
- 1. A method of transferring data from a logging while drilling (LWD) tool to a surface computer, comprising:making measurements with the LWD tool thereby creating data; raising the LWD tool to the surface; coupling a data dump device to the LWD tool after the LWD tool is at the surface; copying the data from a LWD tool memory to a data dump device memory; and downloading the data from the data dump device memory to a surface computer.
- 2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising communicating between the surface computer and the data dump device over a radio frequency link.
- 3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the copying step further comprises verifying data in the dump device memory matches data in the LWD tool memory.
- 4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the downloading step further comprises:coupling the data dump device to a surface computer; and copying data stored in the data dump device memory to the surface computer.
- 5. A method of transferring data from multiple logging while drilling (LWD) tools to a surface computer, comprising:placing multiple LWD tools in a drill string bottom hole assembly, each LWD tool making measurements and creating data; raising the multiple LWD tools to the surface; coupling multiple data dump devices one each to the multiple LWD tools after each LWD tool is at the surface; copying data from each LWD tool memory to its respective data dump device memory; and downloading the data from the each data dump device memory to a surface computer.
- 6. A method of transferring data from a logging while drilling (LWD) tool to a surface computer, comprising:placing a plurality of LWD tools in a drill string bottom hole assembly; connecting a group of at least two of the plurality of LWD tools to a central interface module (CIM) within the drill string; drilling while the plurality of LWD tools make measurements thereby creating data; gathering data created by the group of LWD tools to a CIM memory; raising the plurality of LWD tools to the surface; coupling a data dump device to the CIM; copying data from the group of LWD tools stored in the CIM memory to the data dump device memory; and downloading the data in the data dump device memory to a surface computer.
- 7. A method of transferring data from a logging while drilling (LWD) tool to a surface computer, comprising:drilling while the LWD tool makes measurements thereby creating data; raising the LWD tool to the surface; coupling a data dump device to the LWD tool; copying the data from a LWD tool memory to a data dump device memory; downloading the data from the data dump device memory to a surface computer; communicating between the surface computer and the data dump device over a radio frequency link; and monitoring the progress of copying of data from the LWD tool memory to the dump device memory with the surface computer over said radio frequency link.
- 8. An apparatus that transfers data from a logging device to a surface computer, comprising:a memory that stores a copy of data downloaded from the logging device; a processor coupled to the memory that controls a transfer of data from the logging device to the memory; a first communication port coupled to the processor that allows the processor to communicate with and copy data from the logging device; a radio frequency communication device coupled to said processor; an antenna coupled to the communication device; wherein the combination of the antenna and communication device facilitate communication to a surface computer; and wherein the combination of the antenna and communication device are adapted to allow the surface computer to monitor and control data copying.
- 9. A data dump probe, comprising:a data dump probe memory to store a copy of data downloaded from a memory of a logging device; a processor coupled to the data dump probe memory to facilitate data transfer from the memory of the logging device; an enclosure to house the data dump probe memory and the processor; and a first connector adapted to couple the processor to the memory of the logging device and further to attach the enclosure to said logging device.
- 10. The dump probe as defined in claim 9 further comprising a second connector to couple the processor to a surface computer.
- 11. The dump probe as defined in claim 10 wherein said first connector and second connector are the same connector.
- 12. The dump probe as defined in claim 9 further comprising:a transmitter/receiver circuit coupled to said processor; said transmitter/receiver circuit adapted to allow communication between said data dump probe and a surface computer.
- 13. A data dump probe, comprising:a memory to store a copy of data downloaded from a logging device; a processor coupled to the memory to facilitate data transfer from the logging device to said memory; an input/logic coupled to the processor to transfer the data from the logging device; an enclosure to house the memory, processor and input/output logic; a first connector adapted to couple the input/output logic to a logging device memory and further to attach the enclosure to said logging device; a transmitter/receiver circuit coupled to said processor, wherein said transmitter/receiver circuit adapted to allow communication between said data dump probe and a surface computer, wherein the transmitter/receiver circuit is adapted to allow said surface computer to monitor the data transfer from the logging device.
- 14. A method of transferring data between a surface computer and a logging while drilling (LWD) tool, the method comprising:coupling a communication device to the LWD tool; and wirelessly transferring data between the surface computer and the communications device, and transferring the data between the communications device and the LWD tool; and prior to the coupling step: drilling while the LWD tool makes measurements thereby creating data; and raising the LWD tool to a surface; wherein transferring data further comprises: transferring data from the LWD tool to a memory of the communication device; and transferring the data from the memory of the communication device to the surface computer.
- 15. A method comprising:raising a logging while drilling (LWD) tool to a surface; coupling a wireless communication device to the LWD tool, the wireless communication device comprising a processor coupled to a memory and a radio-frequency link; and communicating between a surface computer and the LWD tool through the radio-frequency link of the wireless communication device.
- 16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein communicating between the surface computer and the LWD tool through the wireless communication device further comprises:communicating from the surface computer to the LWD tool; and transferring data from the LWD tool to the surface computer.
- 17. A method comprising:drilling while an LWD tool makes measurements thereby creating data; raising the LWD tool to a surface of the earth; coupling a data dump device to the LWD tool after the raising the LWD tool to the surface of the earth; copying data from the LWD tool created during the drilling step to a removable memory device within the data dump device; removing the removable memory device from the data dump device; and installing the removable memory device in a surface computer, thereby making available the data to the surface computer.
- 18. The method of transferring data between an LWD tool and a surface computer as defined in claim 17 wherein copying the data further comprises copying the data to a removable random access memory device having nonvolatile storage characteristics.
- 19. The method of transferring data between an LWD tool and a surface computer as defined in claim 18 further comprising copying the data to a PCMCIA card coupled to the data dump device.
- 20. A method comprising:drilling while a plurality of LWD tools make measurements thereby creating data, the data gathered in a central interface module (CIM) memory; raising the plurality of LWD tools to the surface; coupling a data dump device to the CIM, the data dump device having a dump device memory; copying the data in the CIM memory to the data dump device memory; and downloading the data in the data dump device memory to a surface computer.
- 21. A method comprising:drilling while an LWD tool makes measurements thereby creating data; coupling a data dump device to the LWD tool after the raising the LWD tool to the surface of the earth; copying the data to a removable memory device within the data dump device; removing the removable memory device from the data dump device; and installing the removable memory device in a surface computer, thereby making available the data to the surface computer.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application titled “Logging Device Data Dump Probe” filed Dec. 21, 1999, Ser. No. 60/172,935.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0911739 |
Apr 1999 |
EP |
0973126 |
Jan 2000 |
EP |
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GB |
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GB |
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Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/172935 |
Dec 1999 |
US |