Device control employing three-dimensional imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706185-B2
Application number	US-201313863112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2013
Priority date	Apr 16, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

At least a portion of a wellsite is disposed in a control volume of three-dimensional space. At least one camera is configured to provide three-dimensional imaging of the control volume. At least one device is disposed in, or is expected to be moved into, the control volume so that the at least one device is included in the three-dimensional imaging when the at least one device is disposed in the control volume and the at least one camera provides the three-dimensional imaging. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one camera is connected to a drilling rig.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one camera disposed about a well site and configured to provide three-dimensional imaging of a control volume of three-dimensional space, the control volume disposed above ground;
at least an above ground portion of a drilling rig at the wellsite disposed in the control volume;
at least one automated mechanical device configured to perform a wellsite operation, the at least one device being disposed in, or expected to be moved into, the control volume so that the at least one device is included in the three-dimensional imaging when performing the wellsite operation in the control volume and the at least one camera provides the three-dimensional imaging;
a second device disposed in the control volume, wherein the at least one device is movable in relation to the second device and the at least one camera provides relative spatial relationship information for the devices to the controller; and wherein the controller controls the second device based on the relative spatial relationship information, such that the second device does not contact the at least one device; and
a controller configured to process the three-dimensional imaging, identify a current condition of the at least one device, and provide automated control of the at least one device to move the at least one device from a current condition to a desired condition to perform the wellsite operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera is connected to the drilling rig.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one device comprises one or more of the following: a mast; a crown block; a traveling block; a drilling line; thaw-works; a hook; a top drive; a quill; a tubular lifting device; a drill string; and a pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to stop the wellsite operation based on the relative spatial relationship information in the event of an unsafe condition.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one device comprises a tubular; wherein the second device comprises at least one of a top drive, a pipe racker, and a tubular lifting device; and wherein the controller controls the at least one of the top drive, the pipe racker, and the tubular lifting device based on the relative spatial relationship information for the tubular and the at least one of the top drive, the pipe racker, and the tubular lifting device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one other camera configured to provide three-dimensional imaging of another control volume of three-dimensional space; wherein another portion of the wellsite is disposed in the another control volume.

7. A method, comprising:
receiving three-dimensional imaging data associated with a control volume of three-dimensional space, wherein at least an above ground portion of a drilling rig at a wellsite is disposed in the control volume;
comparing the three-dimensional imaging data with another set of data comprising positional data associated with an automated mechanical device configured to perform a wellsite operation, the device being disposed in, or expected to be moved into, the control volume;
identifying a current condition of the device based on the comparison of the three-dimensional imaging data and the another set of data;
providing automated control of the device to manipulate the device from the current condition to a desired condition to perform the wellsite operation based on at least the comparison between the three-dimensional imaging data and the another set of data; and
providing automated control of the device to stop the device in the event of an unsafe condition in the control volume.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device is a tubular; and wherein providing automated control of the device based on at least the comparison between the three-dimensional imaging data and the another set of data comprises controlling at least one of a top drive, a pipe racker, a tubular lifting device, and draw-works.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing automated control of the device to stop the device if a human or an unknown object enters the control volume.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving three-dimensional imaging data associated with a control volume of three-dimensional space, wherein at least an above ground portion of a drilling rig at a wellsite is disposed in the control volume;
determining a location of a first system using the three-dimensional imaging data, wherein the first system comprises one or more of the following: a tubular on a pipe racker, a hoisting system of a drilling rig, a top drive system, a casing running tool, and an iron roughneck;
determining a location of a second system using the three-dimensional data; and
providing automated control of the second system located at the wellsite to manipulate the second system from a current condition to a desired condition to perform a wellsite operation taking into account the calculated one or more dimensions representative of the determined location of the first system and controlling the second system to avoid contacting the first system in an uncontrolled manner.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second system located at the wellsite and controlled using the one or more dimensions comprises one Or more of the following: an iron roughneck, a pipe handler, a casing running tool, a top drive system, a hoisting system, and a mud tank farm.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second system comprises the mud tank farm, the mud tank farm comprising one or more active mud tanks; and wherein the one or more dimensions comprise respective fluid levels in the one or more active mud tanks.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprises at least one of the following:
calibrating the first system located at the wellsite using the calculated one or more dimensions; identifying a first component located at the wellsite based on the calculated one or more dimensions; and
counting a plurality of second components located at the site based on the calculated one or more dimensions.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising calibrating the first system located at the wellsite using the calculated one or more dimensions.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising identifying the first component located at the wellsite based on the calculated one or more dimensions; wherein the calculated one or more dimensions comprise the length of the tubular; and wherein the first component is identified by comparing the length of the tubular with a criteria.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising counting a plurality of second components associated with the second system located at the wellsite; wherein the plurality of second components located at the wellsite is a plurality of tubulars on a pipe rack, each of the tubulars having a length; wherein the calculated one or more dimensions comprise respective lengths of the tubulars; and wherein counting the plurality of second components comprises: identifying each of the tubulars by comparing the length of the tubular with a criteria; and counting a quantity of tubulars that meet the criteria.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
a plurality of instructions stored on the computer readable medium and executable by one or more processors, the plurality of instructions comprising:
instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive three-dimensional imaging data associated with a control volume of three-dimensional space, where

Assignees

• Canrig Drilling Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Ellis Brian

Classifications

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B19/20

  Combined feeding from rack and connecting, e.g. automatically · CPC title

• H04N13/204 Primary

  using stereoscopic image cameras (stereoscopic photography G03B35/00) · CPC title

• F16P3/142

  using image capturing devices · CPC title

• E21B19/00

  Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables · CPC title