I claim:
1. A method for pre-disposing the expansion profile in an expandable, elastomeric component of a downhole tool, comprising the steps of:
(a) surrounding at least a portion of the length of an elastomeric component with a vessel having an inner diameter that defines a profiled limit for pre-disposing the expansion profile in the component;
(b) applying fluid under pressure to the elastomeric component for expanding it into contact with the inner diameter of the vessel and creating a pre-disposed expansion profile in the component; and
(c) reducing the pressure of the fluid for allowing the elastomeric component to return generally to its original shape.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises a bladder formed of an elastomeric material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises a cover section for an expansion element.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises a bladder formed of an elastomeric material, a sheath formed of expandable ribs extending lengthwise along the bladder and overlapping each other, and at least one cover section formed of an elastomeric material covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the ribs.
5. The method of claim 4, and further including the step of combining the ribs and cover with the bladder after the bladder is pre-disposed.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the vessel includes a pair of truncated conical tapers that expand outwardly extending toward the middle of the vessel.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the vessel comprises a single truncated conical taper extending from one end of the vessel to the other.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the inner diameter has a cylindrical section located between the truncated conical tapers.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the inner diameter includes a pair of truncated conical tapers abutting each other.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool comprises a cylindrical sleeve arranged concentrically over the expandable, elastomeric component, and the inner diameter is formed of at least one end cap with a tapered inner surface located between the expandable, elastomeric element and the sleeve.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein the inner diameter is formed of two end caps abutting each other.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of surrounding at least a portion of the expandable, elastomeric element comprises the steps of:
(a) placing the sleeve in a concentric position over the elastomeric element; and
(b) placing a pair of end caps between the sleeve and elastomeric element for defining the inner diameter of the vessel.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying fluid under pressure comprises supplying fluid under pressure continuously.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying fluid under pressure comprises supplying fluid under pressure intermittently.
15. The method of claim 1, and further including the step of calendering the elastomeric material before the elastomeric component is formed.
16. A downhole tool having an improved expandable, elastomeric component, comprising, an expandable, elastomeric component having a pre-disposed expansion profile.
17. The tool of claim 16, wherein the component having a pre-disposed expansion profile includes a bladder for an inflation element.
18. The tool of claim 16, wherein the component having a pre-disposed expansion profile includes a cover section for an inflation element that includes a bladder and a plurality of ribs extending axially over the ribs, and the cover section covering at least a portion of the ribs.
19. The tool of claim 16, and further including:
(a) a pair of end collars:
(b) an inflation element connected between the end collars;
(c) the inflation element having at least one expandable, elastomeric component with a pre-disposed expansion profile.
20. The tool of claim 19, wherein the inflation element includes a bladder, a plurality of expandable ribs extending axially over the surface of the bladder, and a cover section formed of an expandable, elastomeric material covering at least a portion of the ribs, with at least the bladder having a pre-disposed expansion profile.
21. The tool of claim 19, wherein the inflation element includes a bladder, a plurality of expandable ribs extending axially over the surface of the bladder, and a cover section formed of an expandable, elastomeric material covering at least a portion of the ribs, with at least the cover section having a pre-disposed expansion profile.
22. The tool of claim 21, wherein the inflation element includes a plurality of cover sections having pre-disposed expansion profiles.
23. The tool of claim 19, wherein the inflation element has a pre-disposed expansion profile formed by the steps of (a) surrounding the inflation element with a vessel having an inner diameter that defines a profiled limit for pre-disposing the element, and (b) applying fluid under pressure to the inflation element for expanding it into contact with the inner diameter of the vessel and creating a pre-disposed expansion profile in the element before running the inflation element downhole.
24. A vessel for providing a pre-disposed expansion profile in an expandable, elastomeric component of a downhole tool, comprising:
(a) a vessel body shaped and dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the expandable, elastomeric component;
(b) the vessel body including an inner diameter that defines a profiled limit in which the component can be expanded for forming a pre-disposed expansion profile in the component.
25. The vessel of claim 24, wherein the vessel body includes a sleeve for surrounding the component and a pair of end caps for insertion between the sleeve and component.
26. The vessel of claim 25, wherein the inner surface of the end caps define a pair of truncated conical surfaces separated by a cylindrical section.
27. The vessel of claim 25, wherein the inner surface of the end caps defines a pair of truncated conical surfaces abutting each other.
28. The vessel of claim 24, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises a bladder formed of an elastomeric material.
29. The vessel of claim 24, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises expandable ribs covered at least in part by one or more elastomeric cover sections.
30. The vessel of claim 24, wherein the expandable, elastomeric component comprises a bladder formed of an elastomeric material, a sheath formed of expandable ribs extending lengthwise along the bladder and overlapping each other, and at least one elastomeric cover section covering at least a portion of the ribs.
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. An apparatus for commissioning a target device onto a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:
a smart wireless device, comprising:
commissioning logic, configured to format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets that convey WLAN configuration data; and
a transducer, coupled to said commissioning logic, configured to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said transmission path to the target device, wherein said transducer is an existing component of said smart wireless device.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning logic comprises a sequence of program instructions in a application directed towards commissioning the target device onto the WLAN.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said camera flash is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to an optical sensor on the target device.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said backlit display is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to an optical sensor on the target device.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein said transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein said audio speaker is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said audio transmission path to an audio sensor on the target device.
8. An apparatus for wireless local area network (WLAN) device commissioning, comprising:
a smart wireless device, comprising:
first commissioning logic, configured to format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets; and
a first transducer, coupled to said first commissioning logic, configured to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said transmission path, wherein said first transducer is an existing component of said smart wireless device; and
a target device, comprising:
a second transducer, configured to receive said one or more WLAN configuration packets;
second commissioning logic, coupled to said second transducer, configured to decode and process said one or more WLAN configuration packets to recover WLAN configuration data; and
a wireless radio, operatively coupled to said commissioning logic, configured to employ said WLAN configuration data to enable said target device to join a WLAN.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.
11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said first and second commissioning logics comprise a sequence of program instructions in one or more applications directed towards commissioning said target device onto said WLAN.
12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein said second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said camera flash is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to said optical sensor.
13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein said second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said backlit display is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to said optical sensor.
14. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein said second transducer comprises an audio sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein said audio speaker is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said audio transmission path to said audio sensor.
15. A method for wireless local area network (WLAN) device commissioning, comprising:
executing a first application on a smart wireless device to format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN packets;
via a first transducer of the smart wireless device, transmitting the one or more WLAN configuration packets over a transmission path, wherein the first transducer is an existing component of the smart wireless device;
via a second transducer disposed within a target device, receiving the one or more WLAN configuration packets;
executing a second application on the target device to decode and process the one or more WLAN configuration packets to recover WLAN configuration data; and
via a wireless radio disposed within the target device, employing the WLAN configuration data to enable the target device to join a WLAN.
16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.
17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.
18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second applications comprise first and second sequences of program instructions directed towards commissioning the target device onto the WLAN.
19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein the second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein the camera flash is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the optical transmission path to the optical sensor.
20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein the second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein the backlit display is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the optical transmission path to the optical sensor.
21. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein the second transducer comprises an audio sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein the audio speaker is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the audio transmission path to the audio sensor.