1. A method of determining a sequence to join a set of items comprising:
(a) each item in the set being marked with identifying indicia;
(b) using a measuring apparatus to take a plurality of measurements at a plurality of points on a surface on each item, the measuring apparatus taking a measurement;
(c) storing the plurality of measurements in a database;
(d) performing a best fit analysis using the plurality of measurements stored in the database; and
(e) creating a sequencing report listing the sequence to join the items in the set.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step \u201cb\u201d the measurements are taken without contacting the points being measured but the measurement apparatus does contact the item being measured.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the items are pipes having internal and external diameters.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein in step \u201cb\u201d sixteen measurements are taken at locations equally spaced in a radial direction for both internal and external diameters.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein in step \u201cd\u201d the best fit analysis includes a sum of the squares algorithm based on the differences in measurements between individual pipes.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein in step \u201cb\u201d the measurements for a first end of a first pipe are selected and compared to the measurements for first and second ends of every other pipe in the set and a first end of a first matching pipe is selected for joining to the first selected pipe, and then the measurements for the second end of the first matching pipe are compared to the measurements for the first and second ends of every remaining pipe in the set and a first end of a second match pipe is selected.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein in step \u201cd\u201d the unmatched of each matching pipe in the set is serially matched against the remaining pipes in the set.
8. The method of claim 3, wherein in step \u201cd\u201d each possible combination of joining pipes in the set are reviewed before determining a sequencing order for the pipes.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein in step \u201cd\u201d the best fit analysis is performed on a plurality of groups of measurements, each group of measurements corresponding to a group of items from the set of items.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein in step \u201ce\u201d the sequencing report lists sequences according to each group in the plurality of groups of measurements.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing one of the items listing in the sequencing report and performing a best fit analysis on the measurements corresponding to the items sequenced before and after the removed item and a set of measurements taken from a replacement set of items.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein before the best fit analysis in step \u201cd\u201d is performed, the measurements stored in the database in step \u201cc\u201d are compared to specified tolerances and measurements not falling within the specified tolerances are removed from the best fit analysis performed in step \u201cd.\u201d
13. The method of claim 12, wherein a report is generated of items having measurements removed from the best fit analysis in step \u201cd.\u201d
14. A measurement apparatus for measuring a tubular member, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) a clamp, the clamp being rotatably attachable to the body at a point of rotation and the clamp being removably attachable to the tubular member to be measured;
(c) the body being movable in a plurality of positions around the point of rotation in relation to the clamp;
(d) the body having a first measuring device; the first measuring device being moveable to measure a plurality of distances between the point of rotation and the item to be measured when the body is moved into the plurality of positions; and
(e) the first measuring device sending its measurements to a storage device.
15. The measurement apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a second measuring device, the second measuring device being moveable around the point of rotation to measure a second plurality of distances between the point of rotation and the item to be measured.
16. The measurement apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a second measuring device, the second measuring device being moveable to measure a second plurality of distances between the body and the item to be measured.
17. The measurement apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first measuring device includes a laser measurement device.
18. The measurement apparatus of claim 14, wherein the clamp tends to center the body with respect to the tubular member to be measured.
19. The measurement apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a controller, the controller being operably connected to the first measuring device, the controller initiating the first measuring device, receiving the measurements from the first measuring device, and sending these measurements to the storage device.
20. The measuring apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller performs various calculations before sending the measurements to the storage device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
by a mobile computing device of a first user, accessing a first instance of content to be uploaded to a server, the first instance having a first file size;
by the mobile computing device, generating a second instance of the content from the first instance, the second instance having a second file size that is smaller than the first file size;
by the mobile computing device, automatically uploading to the server the second instance of the content, the upload of the second instance making the content available for access at least in part by one or more second users at an immediate point in time;
by the mobile computing device, in response to occurrence of a pre-determined upload condition, automatically uploading to the server the first instance of the content, the upload of the first instance of the content making the content available for access by the second users in an original version.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of an image, music, and video.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the content comprises an image;
the first instance of content comprises a first image file for displaying the image; and
the second instance of the content comprises a second image file for displaying the image.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the second instance of the content is automatically uploaded from the mobile computing device via a cellular communications link before the first user selects an option to upload the content;
the pre-determined upload condition comprises when the mobile computing device establishes a wireless local area network communications link; and
the first instance of the content is uploaded from the mobile computing device via the wireless local area network communications link at a time that is:
after the automatic uploading of the second instance of the content; and
after the mobile computing device establishes the wireless local area network communications link.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second instance of the content from the first instance and uploading the second instance of the content is in response to a determination that the mobile computing device is not connected to a wireless local area network.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first instance of content is selected by the first user to post to a social network; and
the second instance of the content is uploaded from the mobile computing device to the social network.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading, after uploading the second instance of the content, a third instance of the content generated from the first instance, the third instance of the content having a third file size that is smaller than the first file size but larger than the second file size.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving the second instance of the content at a social network; and
performing facial recognition on the second instance of the content by the social network.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second file size is in accordance with a minimally-acceptable resolution.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the minimally-acceptable resolution using one or more business rules.
11. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed by one or more processing units to:
access a first instance of content stored in memory of a mobile computing device of a first user, the first instance having a first file size;
generate a second instance of the content from the first instance, the second instance having a second file size that is smaller than the first file size;
generate a first upload queue comprising at least the second instance;
generate a second upload queue comprising at least the first instance;
automatically uploading to a server from the mobile computing device the second instance of the content according to the first upload queue, the upload of the second instance making the content available for access at least in part by one or more second users at an immediate point in time; and
in response to occurrence of a pre-determined upload condition, automatically uploading to the server the first instance of the content, the upload of the first instance of the content making the content available for access by the second users in an original version.
12. The logic of claim 11, the logic further operable to:
determine another instance of content selected by the first user, the selected instance of content having an original file size;
generate a reduced instance of the content from the selected instance of content, the reduced instance having a reduced file size that is smaller than the original file size of the selected instance; and
automatically upload to the server the reduced instance before the first user selects an option to upload the selected instance.
13. The logic of claim 12, wherein automatically uploading the reduced instance comprises:
suspending the first upload queue;
uploading the reduced selected instance from the mobile computing device after the suspension of the first upload queue; and
continuing the first upload queue after uploading the reduced selected instance from the mobile computing device.
14. The logic of claim 12, wherein automatically uploading the reduced instance comprises:
suspending the second upload queue;
uploading the reduced selected instance from the mobile computing device after the suspension of the second upload queue; and
continuing the second upload queue after uploading the reduced selected instance from the mobile computing device.
15. The logic of claim 11, further operable to:
generate a third instance of the content from the first instance, the third instance having a third file size that is smaller than the first file size but larger than the second file size;
generate a third upload queue comprising at least the third instance; and
upload to the server from the mobile computing device the third instance of the content according to the third upload queue.
16. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by one or more processing units to:
access an original image stored in memory of a mobile computing device of a first user, the original image having an original resolution;
determine a minimally-acceptable resolution for images to be uploaded to a server;
generate a reduced image from the original image, the reduced image having a reduced resolution that is smaller than the original resolution, the reduced resolution being substantially equal to the minimally-acceptable resolution;
automatically upload the reduced image from the mobile computing device to the server, the upload of the reduce image making the reduced image available for access at least in part by one or more second users at an immediate point in time; and
in response to occurrence of a pre-determined upload condition, automatically upload to the server the original image.
17. The software of claim 16, wherein:
accessing the original image is in response to the first user selecting one or more images on the mobile computing device to upload; and
automatically uploading the reduced image from the mobile computing device to the server comprises uploading the reduced image from the mobile computing device before the first user selects an option to upload the one or more selected images.
18. The software of claim 16, wherein:
the reduced image is automatically uploaded from the mobile computing device via a cellular communications link before the first user selects an option to upload one or more selected images;
the pre-determined upload condition comprises when the mobile computing device establishes a wireless local area network communications link; and
the original image is uploaded from the mobile computing device via the wireless local area network communications link at a time that is:
after the automatic uploading of the reduced image; and
after the mobile computing device establishes the wireless local area network communications link.
19. The software of claim 16, wherein generating the reduced image from the original image and uploading the reduced image from the mobile computing device is in response to a determination that the mobile computing device is not connected to a wireless local area network.
20. The software of claim 16, wherein determining the minimally-acceptable resolution comprises using one or more business rules.