Claims
- 1. A controller for a downhole apparatus, comprising:
- means for providing signals representing values of a downhole parameter changing over time;
- means, responsive to said signals, for comparing a later one of said values with an earlier one of said values and for providing a plurality of output signals indicating when said later value is within different predetermined ranges of said earlier value; and
- means for providing a control signal to the downhole apparatus in response to a selected one of said output signals.
- 2. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:
- means for providing a second control signal in response to a different selected one of said output signals.
- 3. The controller of claim 1, wherein said means for providing a control signal includes means for determining that said selected one of said output signals indicates a predetermined number of respective later values have been within the respective predetermined range of respective earlier values for said selected one of said output signals.
- 4. The controller of claim 3, further comprising:
- means for providing a second control signal in response to said means for determining that said selected one of said output signals indicates a second predetermined number of respective later values have been within the respective predetermined range of respective earlier values for said selected one of said output signals.
- 5. The controller of claim 4, wherein said second predetermined number is less than said first predetermined number.
- 6. The controller of claim 4, wherein said means for providing signals includes:
- means for sensing downhole pressure;
- an analog-to-digital converter; and
- means for connecting said analog-to-digital converter to said means for sensing downhole pressure.
- 7. The controller of claim 6, wherein said means for comparing and providing includes combinational logic gates having inputs connected to said analog-to-digital converter and having outputs through which said output signals are provided.
- 8. The controller of claim 7, wherein:
- said means for comparing and providing further includes memory means for temporarily storing a previous state from said analog-to-digital converter as said earlier value; and
- said combinational logic gates have other inputs connected to said memory means so that said combinational logic gates receive both a present state from said analog-to-digital converter as said later value and said previous state of said analog-to-digital converter as said earlier value.
- 9. The controller of claim 8, wherein said means for providing a control signal includes a counter having an input connected to a selected one of said outputs of said combinational logic gates and having a plurality of outputs.
- 10. The controller of claim 9, wherein said means for providing a control signal further includes switch means for selecting one of said outputs of said counter for generating said control signal.
- 11. The controller of claim 10, further comprising means for generating a second control signal in response to a selected one of said outputs of said counter.
- 12. The controller of claim 10, further comprising means for generating a second control signal in response to a selected one of said outputs of said combinational logic gates.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of copending U.S. application(s) Ser. No. 07/868,832 filed on Apr. 14, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,057, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/730,211 filed on Jul. 15, 1991 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (26)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0370606A2 |
May 1990 |
EPX |
0466472A2 |
Jan 1992 |
EPX |
0482748A1 |
Apr 1992 |
EPX |
WO9219842 |
Nov 1992 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Exhibit A-"Otis Products and Services" catalog, published by Otis Engineering Corporation of Dallas, Tex., pp. 92-103, Sep. 1989. |
Exhibit B-Brochure entitled "The Omega Shut In Tool" of Omega Developing & Engineering, Ltd. (Undated and not admitted to be prior art). |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
868832 |
Apr 1992 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
730211 |
Jul 1991 |
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