Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-9, 11-12, 15, 17-20, 22, 24, 28, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to the judicial exception of abstract ideas without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) abstract ideas as indicated by in-line comments below. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application for reasons also indicated by in-line comments below. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception for reasons also indicated by in-line comments below.
1. A method comprising: calibrating a model using pressure and flow rate data to generate a calibrated model (abstract; mathematical concepts; mathematical calculations);
receiving an upstream pressure value and a downstream pressure value that define a pressure differential across a flow device (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity); and
computing a flow rate through the flow device using the upstream pressure value, the downstream pressure value and the calibrated model (abstract; mathematical concepts; mathematical calculations).
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate is a liquid flow rate (abstract; merely further details of abstract limitations).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the upstream pressure value and the downstream pressure value correspond to multiphase flow of liquid and gas phases (abstract; merely further details of abstract limitations).
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing comprises raising the upstream pressure value to a first exponent to determine a first term, raising the pressure differential to a second exponent to determine a second term, and multiplying the first term, the second term and a square of a characteristic dimension of the flow device (abstract; mathematical concepts; mathematical calculations).
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the calibrating determines the first exponent and the second exponent (abstract; mathematical concepts; mathematical calculations).
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the model is a semi-empirical model that comprises a pressure differential as a driving force (abstract; merely further details of abstract limitations).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the model accounts for a critical flow regime and a subcritical flow regime (abstract; merely further details of abstract limitations).
8. The method of claim 7, wherein a critical pressure ratio value of downstream pressure to upstream pressure defines a boundary between the critical flow regime and the subcritical flow regime (abstract; merely further details of abstract limitations).
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow device is a choke valve in fluid communication with a well to receive well fluid (does not integrate into a practical application because generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use; not significantly more because generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use).
11. The method of claim 1, comprising, based at least in part on the flow rate, controlling injection of material into a well (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity).
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the material comprises gas, water, or a treatment chemical (abstract; merely further details of ineligible subject matter).
15. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the flow rate to a historical flow rate, wherein the historical flow rate is based on data from at least one well test (abstract; mathematical concepts; mathematical calculations).
17. The method of claim 15, comprising deciding to re-calibrate the model based at least in part on the comparing (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity).
18. The method of claim 15, comprising deciding to perform a well test based at least in part on the comparing (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity).
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating and the computing are performed locally at a site of the flow device (merely further details of ineligible subject matter).
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating is performed remote from a site of the flow device (merely further details of ineligible subject matter).
Regarding claim 22, see the foregoing rejection of claim 1, for all limitations except the following.
22. A system comprising: a controller that outputs a signal for adjustment of a valve upstream a flow device (does not integrate into a practical application because generic computer performing generic computer functions; not significantly more because generic computer performing generic computer functions); ...
24. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the valve via a local communication network (does not integrate into a practical application because generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use; not significantly more because generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use).
28. The system of claim 22, wherein the valve is a gas injection valve in fluid communication with an annulus of a well, a water injection valve, or a treatment chemical injection valve (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity).
Regarding claim 31, see the foregoing rejection of claim 1, for all limitations except the following.
31. A system comprising: one or more processors; memory accessible to at least one of the one or more processors (does not integrate into a practical application because generic computer performing generic computer functions; not significantly more because generic computer performing generic computer functions); processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable to instruct the system (does not integrate into a practical application because insignificant extra-solution activity; not significantly more because insignificant extra-solution activity) to: ...
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEOFFREY T EVANS whose telephone number is (571)272-2369. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9 AM - 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GEOFFREY T EVANS/Examiner, Art Unit 2852 /WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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