Continuous Sensor Data Streaming for Drilling Rig Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional drilling rig systems face challenges in processing multiple data streams with varying dataflow rates, leading to disjointed control and monitoring during drilling operations.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that converts heterogeneous data streams from multiple sensors into a continuous, homogeneous data stream at a constant rate using a virtual water wheel mechanism, incorporating a queue and processor to manage and synchronize data flow, ensuring uninterrupted operation by introducing new data packets when necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple data streams with different dataflow rates are processed directly, then real-time control and monitoring are disrupted, but converting to a continuous data stream requires synchronization mechanisms that increase system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time control and monitoring continuityVSAvoiddata stream synchronization system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a queue as an intermediary component between multiple data streams with different flow rates and the processing system. The queue buffers data packets from various sources, allowing them to be collected and released at a uniform rate, thereby decoupling the heterogeneous input streams from the processing requirements and ensuring continuous real-time control and monitoring without direct complex synchronization between all streams.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If data streams are synchronized to maintain continuous flow, then operational efficiency improves, but latency increases due to buffering and processing overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoiddata processing latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary buffering of data packets in the queue before they are processed. By pre-collecting data from multiple sources in the queue, the system prepares the data in advance for uniform processing, which smooths out variations in data arrival rates and reduces the need for complex real-time synchronization operations that would introduce additional latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If a queue is used to buffer data streams, then data flow continuity is maintained, but memory requirements and system resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata stream continuityVSAvoidmemory resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The queue implements a fixed-size buffer that operates with partial filling rather than attempting to store all possible incoming data. The buffer is designed to hold sufficient data to smooth out normal variations in data flow rates, but does not allocate excessive memory capacity. This approach maintains data stream continuity for typical operating conditions while limiting memory consumption to reasonable levels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3775471B1System and method for streaming data
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 CONOCOPHILLIPS CO
  • EP3775471B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3775471B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3775471B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A system and method to conform data flow are provided. The system includes a queue configured to receive at least one data stream, and a processor configured to convert the at least one data stream to a continuous data stream, and output the continuous data stream at a constant rate.