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 .
Status of the Application
2. Claim 1-7 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 9/26/24 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 5-6 are also objected due to their direct/indirect dependency over the claim 3.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Regarding claim 4, the phrase "a size of the depth error " renders the claim indefinite because the filed specification does not define what is mean by “size of the depth error”.
Does it include any value or number or parameter? Hence the claimed phrase is indefinite and not clear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
4. Claims 1-2, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Hradecky (US PG Pub: 2020/0270979).
5. Regarding claim 1, Hradecky discloses:
A wireline system comprising: a line including at least one of a wire line, a slick line, or combinations thereof (e.g., The wellsite system 100 includes surface equipment 130 located at the wellsite surface 104 and a downhole intervention and/or sensor assembly, referred to as a tool string 110, conveyed within the wellbore 102 into one or more formations 106 via a conveyance line 120 operably coupled with one or more pieces of the surface equipment 130. The conveyance line 120 may be or comprise a cable, a wireline, a slickline, a multiline, an e-line, and/or other conveyance means. ) (Para. [0015], Fig. 1),
the line including a line portion (e.g., The conveyance line 120 may be operably connected with a conveyance device 132 (e.g., a wireline conveyance unit) operable to apply an adjustable tension to the tool string 110 via the conveyance line 120 to convey the tool string 110 along the wellbore 102. The conveyance device 132 may be or comprise a winch conveyance system comprising a reel or drum 134 storing thereon a wound length of the conveyance line 120. The drum 134 may be rotated by a rotary actuator 136 (e.g., an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, etc.) to selectively unwind and wind the conveyance line 120 to apply an adjustable tensile force to the tool string 110 to selectively convey the tool string 110 into and out of the wellbore 102. ) (Para. [0016]);
a spool coupled to the line (e.g., The wellbore 102 may be capped by a plurality (e.g., a stack) of fluid control devices 142, which may include a Christmas tree comprising fluid control valves, spools, and fittings individually and/or collectively operable to direct and control the flow of formation fluids out of the wellbore 102) (Para. [0018]);
a motor coupled to the spool, the motor being configured to actuate the spool to raise or lower the line portion (e.g., The conveyance line 120 may be operably connected with a conveyance device 132 (e.g., a wireline conveyance unit) operable to apply an adjustable tension to the tool string 110 via the conveyance line 120 to convey the tool string 110 along the wellbore 102. The conveyance device 132 may be or comprise a winch conveyance system comprising a reel or drum 134 storing thereon a wound length of the conveyance line 120. The drum 134 may be rotated by a rotary actuator 136 (e.g., an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, etc.) to selectively unwind and wind the conveyance line 120 to apply an adjustable tensile force to the tool string 110 to selectively convey the tool string 110 into and out of the wellbore 102. The conveyance line 120 may be supported and guided between the conveyance device 132 and the wellbore 102 by one or more sheaves or pulleys 138, one or more of which may be supported above the wellbore 102 via a mast, derrick, crane, and/or other support structure 140.) (Para. [0016], Fig. 6, also refer to Para. [0059]);
at least one controller coupled to the motor and configured to actuate the motor to automate depth positioning of the line portion based on each of: (a) a monitored depth of the line portion, (b) a monitored speed of the line portion, and (c) a monitored tension of the line (e.g., For example, the processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the rotary actuator 136 and/or other portions of the conveyance device 132, such as various sensors associated with the conveyance device 132, via an electrical conductor 133, such as may facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the conveyance device 132 (e.g., rotational speed, rotational position, line tension, etc.) and, thus, facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the tool string 110 (e.g., depth, conveyance speed, line tension, etc.). The processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the tool string 110 and/or various portions thereof, such as various sensors and actuators of the tool string 110 via the conductor 122, to facilitate monitoring and/or control of various operational parameters of the tool string 110) (Para. [0021]).
6. Regarding claim 2, Hradecky discloses:
The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to: determine at least one speed instruction based on the monitored speed of the line portion; determine at least one tension instruction based on the monitored tension of the line; communicate the at least one speed instruction and the at least one tension instruction to the motor to actuate the motor to automate depth positioning of the line portion (e.g., For example, the processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the rotary actuator 136 and/or other portions of the conveyance device 132, such as various sensors associated with the conveyance device 132, via an electrical conductor 133, such as may facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the conveyance device 132 (e.g., rotational speed, rotational position, line tension, etc.) and, thus, facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the tool string 110 (e.g., depth, conveyance speed, line tension, etc.). The processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the tool string 110 and/or various portions thereof, such as various sensors and actuators of the tool string 110 via the conductor 122, to facilitate monitoring and/or control of various operational parameters of the tool string 110) (Para. [0021], also refer to Para. [0040], [0047]).
7. Regarding claim 7, Hradecky discloses:
The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is configured to: determine a target speed for the line portion (e.g., Target (i.e., intended) values (e.g., levels, quantities) of operational parameters may also be entered into the processing device 314 by the wellsite operator 315 via the control workstation 312. For example, the processing device 314 may receive a target depth of the tool string 308, a target conveyance speed of the tool string 308, and a target flow rate of the fluid pumped into the wellbore 102 by the pump unit 306) (Para. [0055]);
determine a current speed of the line portion based on the monitored speed of the line portion (e.g., For example, the processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the rotary actuator 136 and/or other portions of the conveyance device 132, such as various sensors associated with the conveyance device 132, via an electrical conductor 133, such as may facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the conveyance device 132 (e.g., rotational speed, rotational position, line tension, etc.) and, thus, facilitate monitoring of various operational parameters of the tool string 110 (e.g., depth, conveyance speed, line tension, etc.). The processing device 154 may be communicatively connected with the tool string 110 and/or various portions thereof, such as various sensors and actuators of the tool string 110 via the conductor 122, to facilitate monitoring and/or control of various operational parameters of the tool string 110) (Para. [0021]);
determine a speed error based on both the current speed and the target speed; determine the at least one speed instruction in response to determining the speed error (e.g., The processing device 314 may then process such information and, based thereon, output control commands (e.g., control signals or information) to the fluid pump unit 306 and the conveyance device 304 to cause the fluid pump unit 306 and the conveyance device 304 to collectively convey the tool string 308 downhole at the target speed, to the target depth, and while maintaining the target line tension (e.g., as collectively measured downhole). The control commands output by the processing device 314 may be indicative of operational parameters of surface equipment 302, such as the flow rate of the fluid pumped into the wellbore 102 by the pump unit 306 and the speed at which the conveyance device 304 unwinds the conveyance line 120 to convey the tool string 308 within the wellbore 102, which collectively cause or otherwise result in the target operational parameters to be achieved downhole at the tool string 308) (Para. [0056]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Seals (Pub: 2013/0138254) disclose a system for pump down operations includes a wireline unit and a pump unit. The system also includes a controller coupled to the wireline unit and the pump unit. The controller is to automate at least one control function selected from the group consisting of: a pump rate for the pump unit based on at least one of a monitored wireline speed and a monitored wireline tension for the wireline unit; and a wireline speed for the wireline unit based on at least a monitored pump rate for the pump unit (Abstract).
Strickland (Pub: 2002/0198661) disclose apparatus and methods for determining the true tool depth corresponding to formation data measured by the tool while it is being raised or lowered inside a well bore. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for determining the true tool depth in real time from z-axis accelerometer and cable tension measurements (Para. [0004]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0698. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth M. Lo can be reached at (571)272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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