Patent ID: 8581740
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A method for communicating a signal to an instrument in an environment, comprising: axially accelerating the instrument in a preselected pattern of acceleration, the predetermined pattern corresponding to the signal to be communicated; detecting the axial acceleration of the instrument using an accelerometer; decoding the signal from the detected axial acceleration, wherein the decoding of the signal comprises using a digital signal processing device to measure a filtered output of the accelerometer over a selected period of time, buffering each of a plurality of measurement samples obtained during the selected period of time, and then calculating at least one of maximum acceleration, minimum acceleration, variance of acceleration, or standard deviation of acceleration for measured acceleration during a selected time period based at least partially on the buffered measurement samples; comparing statistical information comprising the at least one of maximum acceleration, minimum acceleration, variance of acceleration, or standard deviation of acceleration for measured acceleration during a selected time period to a selected threshold criteria; attributing the measured acceleration to ordinary operation of a conveyance device conveying the instrument if the statistical information is within the threshold criteria; and attributing the measured acceleration to the signal if the statistical information is outside the threshold criteria.