Well tool control system and method

Claim 2

A well testing system including a valve adapted to be disposed in a borehole, comprising: controller means responsive to an input stimulus for storing at least two signatures therein, the input stimulus having a particular signature, the controller means comparing said particular signature of said input stimulus with each of the stored at least two signatures and generating a first output signal when said particular signature matches one of said at least two signatures and generating a second output signal when said particular signature matches another of said at least two signatures; first means responsive to said first output signal for changing a state of said valve from a first state to a second state in responses to said first output signal; and second means responsive to said second output signal for changing the state of said valve from said second state to said first state in response to said second output signal.

Claim 3

The well testing system of claim 1, further comprising: chamber means connected to one end of said first and second means for holding a fluid therein under pressure substantially equally to a hydrostatic pressure of well fluids in said borehole; and pilot valve means interconnected between said valve and the other end of said first and second means for changing states between a first closure state and a second closure state.

Claim 4

The well testing system of claim 2, wherein said first means comprises first solenoid means responsive to said first output signal from said controller means for changing a state of said pilot valve means form said first closure state to said second closure state in response to said first output signal thereby allowing said fluid in said chamber means to change said state of said valve from said first state to said second state.

Claim 5

The well testing system of claim 3, wherein said second means comprises second solenoid means responsive to said second output signal form said controller means for changing the state of said pilot valve means from said second closure state to said first closure state in response to said second output signal thereby changing the state of said valve from said second state to said first state.

Claim 6

The well testing system of claim 4, wherein said valve in said well testing system comprises further chamber means for holding said fluid from said chamber means therein when said state of said pilot valve means changes from said first closure state to said second closure state.

Claim 7

The well testing system of claim 5, further comprising: dump chamber means for providing a further reservoir for said fluid.

Claim 8

The well testing system of claim 6, wherein said fluid in said further chamber means of said valve is allowed to drain to said dump chamber means when said state of said pilot valve means changes from said second closure state to said first closure state, the draining of said fluid from said further chamber means to said dump chamber means changing the state of said valve from said second state to said first state.

Claim 9

The well testing system of claim 5, wherein said fluid in said chamber means is transferred to said further chamber means of said valve under hydrostatic pressure when said state of said pilot valve means changes from said first closure state to said second closure state, the hydrostatic pressure of said fluid in said further chamber means changing said state of said valve from said first state to said second state.

Claim 10

The well testing system of claim 1, wherein said input stimulus is generated when said well testing tool is disposed in said borehole.

Claim 11

The well testing system of claim 9, wherein said input stimulus is transmitted into said borehole by an operator.

Claim 12

The well testing system of claim 10, wherein said input stimulus is a pressure signal having said particular signature, said pressure signal being transmitted into said bore hole by said operator.

Claim 13

The well testing system of claim 1, wherein said controller means comprises: command sensor means responsive to said input stimulus for generating an output signal representative of said input stimulus, said output signal from said command sensor means having said particular signature; processor means responsive to said output signal from said command sensor means for storing said at least two signatures therein representative, respectively, of said first means and said second means, said processor means comparing the particular signature of said output signal from said command sensor means with the stored signatures and generating an output signal when said particular signature matches a stored signature representative of said first means or a stored signature representative of said second means; and driver means responsive to said output signal from said processor means for generating said first output signal from said controller means when said particular signature matches said stored signature representative of said first means and for generating said second output signal from said controller means when said particular signature matches said stored signature representative of said second means.

Claim 14

The well testing system of claim 12 wherein said input stimulus is generated when said well testing tool is disposed in said borehole.

Claim 15

The well testing system of claim 13 wherein said input stimulus is transmitted into said borehole by an operator.

Claim 16

The well testing system of claim 14 wherein said input stimulus is a pressure signal having a predetermined signature, said pressure signal being transmitted into said borehole by said operator.

Claim 17

The well testing system of claim 12, further comprising: chamber means connected to one end of said first and second means for holding a fluid therein under pressure substantially equal to a hydrostatic pressure of well fluids in said borehole; and pilot valve means interconnected between said valve and the other end of said first and second means for changing states between a first closure state and a second closure state.

Claim 18

The well testing system of claim 16, wherein said first means comprises first solenoid means responsive to said first output signal from said driver means for changing a state of said pilot valve means from said first closure state to said second closure state in response to said first output signal thereby allowing said fluid in said chamber means to change said state of said valve from said first state to said second state.

Claim 19

The well testing system of claim 17, wherein said second means comprises second solenoid means responsive to said second output signal from said driver means for changing the state of said pilot valve means form said second closure state to said first closure state in response to said second output signal thereby changing the state of said valve from said second state to said first state.

Claim 22

The method of claim 19, comprising the further steps of: following step (c), energizing a first solenoid means when said particular signature matches said first stored signature; and energizing a second solenoid means when said particular signature matches said second stored signature, the operating step (d) being performed when said first solenoid means is energized, the operating step (e) being performed when said second solenoid means is energized.

Claim 23

The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of: transferring a fluid from a hydrostatic chamber to said valve when said first solenoid means is energized thereby operating said valve from said first state to said second state; and transferring said fluid from said valve to a damp chamber when said second solenoid means is energized thereby operating said valve from said second state to said first state.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19, wherein the generating step (a) comprises the further step of: transmitting a pressure signal into said borehole, the pressure signal having said particular signature.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19, wherein the input stimulus is generated in step (a) when said well tool is disposed in said borehole.

Claim 26

The method of claim 23, wherein the generating step (a) comprises the further step of transmitting said input stimulus into said borehole by an operator when said well tool is disposed in said borehole.

Claim 27

The method of claim 24, wherein said input stimulus transmitted into said borehole by said operator is a pressure signal having said particular signature.