1. A downhole tool for circulating fluid within a well bore comprising:
a tubular housing configured with a conductor for passage of a signal between communication elements disposed at the ends thereof;
wherein the communication elements are configured to link the housing to a downhole communication network;
the housing having an outer port;
a piston slidably disposed in the housing and having one or more piston ports;
an inner flow bore extending through the housing and the piston including a primary fluid flow path; and
an obturating member defining a through tool bypass from the primary fluid flow path around the obturating member and back to the primary fluid flow path;
wherein the piston includes a first position isolating the outer port from the primary fluid flow path and a second position exposing the outer port to the primary fluid flow path to provide a bypass flow path between the inner flow bore and a well bore annulus;
wherein the piston is moveable between the first and second positions in response to a pressure differential across the obturating member while the signal is passable along the conductor in the tubular housing.
2. The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock the piston into either the first position or the second position in response to receiving a signal from the downhole communication network.
3. The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a piston mechanism disposed on the housing.
4. The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one pin disposed on the housing to prevent movement of the piston in the housing.
5. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to alter fluid flow along the inner flow bore based on a signal passed along the downhole communication network.
6. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the communication elements comprise inductive couplers.
7. The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising at least one transducer disposed on the housing to make a downhole measurement and convey measurement parameter data along the communication network.
8. The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising at least one transducer disposed on the housing to detect a pressure parameter downhole and convey parameter data along the communication network.
9. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is configured so as to divert all or part of the fluid flow to the well bore annulus when the outer port of the housing is exposed.
10. The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising an indexing mechanism coupled between the housing and the piston to guide the piston between the first and second positions.
11. The downhole tool of claim 10, wherein the indexing mechanism further includes a fixed spline sleeve and a rotatable index ring.
12. The downhole tool of claim 11, wherein the spline sleeve is fixed to the housing.
13. The downhole tool of claim 12, wherein the fixed spline sleeve includes angled tabs and inner splines slidable into alternating long slots and short slots on the rotatable index ring.
14. A system for circulating fluid within a well bore comprising:
a tubular string having an inner flow bore;
a housing coupled into the tubular string;
the housing providing an inner fluid flow bore and configured with a port, the inner flow bore including a primary fluid flow path;
the housing configured with a conductor for passage of a signal between communication elements disposed at the ends thereof;
wherein the communication elements are configured to link the housing to a downhole communication network; and
a piston disposed in the housing, the piston selectively moveable to isolate the port from the inner fluid flow bore in a first position and expose the port to the inner fluid flow bore in a second position;
a valve mechanism disposed in the housing and configured to actuate the piston between the first position and the second position in response to receiving a signal from the downhole communication network;
wherein an entire fluid flow is directed from the inner fluid flow bore to the exposed port when the piston is in the second position.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the tubular string is configured so as to divert all or part of the fluid flow to the well bore annulus when the housing port is exposed.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the housing is configured for movement of the piston in the housing based on the signal passed along the downhole communication network.
17. The system of claim 14, wherein the valve mechanism is disposed at the upstream end of the piston.
18. The system of claim 14, wherein the valve mechanism is disposed at the downstream end of the piston.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication elements comprise inductive couplers.
20. The system of claim 14, further comprising at least one transducer disposed on the housing to make a downhole measurement and convey measurement parameter data along the communication network.
21. The system of claim 14, further comprising at least one transducer disposed on the housing to detect a pressure parameter downhole and convey parameter data along the communication network.
22. A method for circulating fluid within a well bore comprising:
disposing a circulation sub having an inner flow bore and an outer port in the well bore, the sub configured with a conductor for passage of a signal between communication elements disposed at the ends thereof;
flowing a fluid along a primary fluid flow path extending through a piston disposed within the circulation sub;
wherein the communication elements are configured to link the sub to a downhole communication network; and
transmitting the signal along the communication network and through the sub along the conductor; and
deploying an obturating member into the primary fluid flow path to move the piston from a first position isolating the outer port from the primary fluid flow path to a second position exposing the outer port to the primary fluid flow path to provide a bypass flow path between the inner flow bore and a well bore annulus.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising locking the piston into either the first position or the second position by transmitting a signal from the downhole communication network to a locking mechanism in the circulation sub.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein locking the piston into either the first or second position comprises actuating a piston mechanism.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein locking the piston into either the first or second position comprises actuating at least one shear pins.
26. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication elements comprise inductive couplers.
27. The method of claim 22, further comprising isolating or exposing the outer port on the sub to the fluid flow path based on signal data attained with at least one transducer disposed on the sub.
28. The method of claim 22, further comprising isolating or exposing the outer port on the sub to the inner fluid flow path based on downhole pressure parameter data transmitted along the communication network.
29. The method of claim 22, wherein exposing the outer port of the sub to the primary fluid flow path comprises exposing the port to all or part of the fluid flow.
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:
allowing selection of data from a data browse using the common share area;
receiving the selected data in the common share area;
transmitting the selected data from the common share area to a contact; and
displaying previously and currently transmitted data associated with the contact in the common share area.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching the data to be displayed in the data browse.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a connection.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the connection is at least one of the following: a voice call, an instant message, a voice over Internet protocol call, a short message service, or a multimedia messaging service.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data relates to at least one of the following: an audio file, a live audio feed, a document, a text message, a video file, or a live video feed, a single character, a musical note.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving data from an electronic device, server, or service.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying the received data in at least one of the following views: a chronological view, a data view, or a chat view.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the common share area is capable of receiving at least one of the following: an audio file, a live audio feed, a document, a text message, a video file, or a live video feed.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a data browse configured to display data;
a common share area configured to receive data;
a processor configured to:
allow selection of data from the data browse using the common share area;
the common share area configured to receive the selected data;
the processor configured to transmit the selected data from the common share area to a contact; and
the common share area configured to display previously and currently transmitted data associated with the contact.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the data browse is further configured to switch the data to be displayed.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to establish a connection.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the connection is at least one of the following: a voice call, an instant message, a voice over Internet protocol call, a short message service, or a multimedia messaging service.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an existing connection with the contact.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the data relates to at least one of the following: an audio file, a live audio feed, a document, a text message, a video file, or a live video feed.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to receive data from an electronic device, server, or service.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a user interface configured to display the received data in at least one of the following views: a chronological view, a data view, or a chat view.
17. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the common share area is further configured to receive at least one of the following: an audio file, a live audio feed, a document, a text message, a video file, or a live video feed.
18. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor comprises at least one memory that contains executable instructions that if executed by the processor cause the apparatus to: allow selection of data using a common share area, the data having one or more types of data; and transmit the selected data.
19. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:
code for allowing selection of data from a data browse using the common share area;
code for receiving the selected data in the common share area;
code for transmitting the selected data from the common share area to a contact; and
code for displaying previously and currently transmitted data associated with the contact in the common share area.
20-26. (canceled)