Method and System for Downhole Clock Synchronization
First Claim
1. A method for synchronization of at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprising:
- determining total signal latency between a controlling processing element comprising a synchronizing clock and at least one downhole processing element comprising at least one downhole clock;
the controlling processing element sending a request to the downhole processing element to set the downhole clock to a synchronizing time adjusted to compensate for latency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for use in synchronizing at least two clocks in a downhole network are disclosed. The method comprises determining a total signal latency between a controlling processing element and at least one downhole processing element in a downhole network and sending a synchronizing time over the downhole network to the at least one downhole processing element adjusted for the signal latency. Electronic time stamps may be used to measure latency between processing elements. A system for electrically synchronizing at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprises a controlling processing element connected to a synchronizing clock in communication over a downhole network with at least one downhole processing element comprising at least one downhole clock. Preferably, the downhole network is integrated into a downhole tool string.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for synchronization of at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprising:
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determining total signal latency between a controlling processing element comprising a synchronizing clock and at least one downhole processing element comprising at least one downhole clock;
the controlling processing element sending a request to the downhole processing element to set the downhole clock to a synchronizing time adjusted to compensate for latency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for synchronization of at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprising:
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a controlling processing element comprising a synchronizing clock sending a first request to a downhole processing element comprising at least one downhole clock to set the downhole clock to time tn;
the controlling processing element sending a second request to the downhole processing element to relay a time tz back to the controlling processing element, time tz being the time according to the downhole clock at the approximate instant the second request is received;
the controlling processing element receiving time tz from the downhole processing element and recording a time tx, time tx being the approximate instant time tz arrives from the downhole processing element, according to the synchronizing clock;
approximately determining a total signal latency between the controlling processing element and the downhole processing element by logical computations using time tz and time tz;
the controlling processing element sending a request to the downhole processing element to set the downhole clock to a synchronizing time adjusted to compensate for total signal latency. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for determining total signal latency between at least two processing elements connected to a downhole network comprising:
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a controlling processing element comprising a first clock sending a first request to a downhole processing element comprising a downhole clock to set the downhole clock to time tn;
the controlling processing element sending a second request to the downhole processing element to relay a time tz back to the controlling processing element, time tz being the time according to the downhole clock at the approximate instant the second request is received;
the controlling processing element receiving time tz from the downhole processing element and recording a time tx, time tx being the approximate instant time tz arrives from the downhole processing element, according to the first clock;
the controlling processing element approximately determining a total signal latency between itself and the downhole processing element by logical computations using time tz and time tx. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for synchronizing at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprising:
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a controlling processing element in electronic communication with a synchronizing clock in communication over a downhole network with at least one downhole processing element in electronic communication with at least one downhole clock. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification