All The Claims

1. A light polarizing article comprising a light-transmitting substrate, a first functional layer (i) comprising a plurality of polarizing dye molecules, each of the polarizing dye molecules having ionic groups thereon, and a second functional layer (ii) differing from the first functional layer, a first coupling layer (iii) comprising a molecular structure that includes ionic groups having charges opposite that of the ionic groups of the polarizing dye molecules of the first functional layer, or groups capable of forming ions having charges opposite that of the ionic groups of the polarizing dye molecules of the first functional layer, the first coupling layer being disposed between the first functional layer and the second functional layer and abutting the first functional layer.
2. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the second functional layer (ii) has a structure that is essentially free of ionic groups.
3. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing dye molecules of the first functional layer include anionic groups, and wherein the first coupling layer (iii) comprises a molecular structure having a cationic group.
4. The light polarizing article according to claim 3, wherein the polarizing dye molecules of the first functional layer include anionic groups, and wherein the first coupling layer (iii) comprises a molecular structure having at least one group selected from the group consisting of: protonated primary amine groups, unprotonated primary amine groups, secondary amine groups, tertiary amine groups, and quaternary amine groups.
5. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the polarizing dye molecules of the first functional layer have sulphonic groups.
6. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling layer (iii) comprises one of a linear polysiloxane and a crosslinked polysiloxane.
7. The light polarizing article according to claim 6, wherein the polysiloxane in the first coupling layer (iii) comprises at least one of the following interconnected structural units and protonated derivatives thereof:
wherein:
R1, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 alkyl, an unsubstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl,
where R7, R8 and R10, independently and at each occurrence, are selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsusbstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsusbstituted phenyl, and
R9, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkylene, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkylene, a substituted phenylene, and an unsubstituted phenylene, and a substituted oxyalkylene, an unsubstituted oxyalkylene,

R2, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from hydrogen, a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl,
R3, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkylene,
R4 and R5, independently and at each occurrence, are selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsusbstituted phenyl, and
R6, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl.
8. The light polarizing article according to claim 7, wherein the polysiloxane in the first coupling layer (iii) is selected from the group of polymers consisting of: \u03b3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, \u03b3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-\u03b2-(aminoethyl)-\u03b3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-\u03b2-(aminoethyl)-\u03b3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, mixtures thereof, and combinations thereof.
9. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the second functional layer (ii) comprises a scratch-resistant layer, the scratch-resistant layer comprising at least one of poly(meth)acrylates and polysiloxane.
10. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the first functional layer (i) further comprises a stabilizing polymer, wherein the stabilizing polymer in the first functional layer (i) is a linear polysiloxane or a crosslinked polysiloxane.
11. The light polarizing article according to claim 10, wherein the stabilizing polymer in the first functional layer (i) is one of a linear polymer and a cross-linked polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyaminosiloxane, polyepoxysiloxane mixtures thereof, and combinations thereof.
12. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, further comprising a second coupling layer (iv) disposed between the first coupling layer (iii) and the second functional layer (ii) and abutting the first coupling layer (iii), wherein the second coupling layer comprises polyepoxysilane.
13. The light polarizing article according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing dye molecules are aligned substantially in parallel to each other.
14. A process for making a light polarizing article, the process comprising the steps of:
(A) providing a light transmitting substrate having at least one surface;
(C) forming a light polarizing layer over at least part of the surface of the substrate, said light polarizing layer comprising a plurality of polarizing dye molecules having ionic groups;
(E) forming a protective layer over the light polarizing layer;

wherein between steps (C) and (E), there is an additional step (D) as follows:
(D) forming a first coupling layer on the light polarizing layer, the first coupling layer comprising a molecular structure having ionic groups, the ionic groups having charges opposite that of the ionic groups of the polarizing dye molecules of the light polarizing layer, or groups capable of forming ions having charges opposite to the polarizing dye molecules of the light polarizing layer.
15. The process according to claim 14, wherein the polarizing dye molecules of the light polarizing layer include anionic groups, and the first coupling layer comprises a molecular structure having at least one of cationic groups and groups capable of forming cationic groups.
16. The process according to claim 14, wherein the polarizing dye molecules of the light polarizing layer include anionic groups, and wherein the first coupling layer comprises a molecular structure having at least one of a protonated primary amine group, an unprotonated primary amine group, a secondary amine group, a tertiary amine group, and a quaternary amine group.
17. The process according to claim 14, wherein at least part of the polarizing dye molecules of the light polarizing layer has a sulphonic group.
18. The process according to claim 14, wherein the first coupling layer comprises one of a linear polysiloxane and a crosslinked polysiloxane.
19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the polysiloxane in the first coupling layer comprises at least one of the following interconnected structures and protonated derivatives thereof:
wherein:
R1, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from hydrogen, a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsusbstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, and a substituted phenyl, an unsusbstituted phenyl,
where R7, R8 and R10, independently and at each occurrence, are selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsusbstituted phenyl, and
is R9, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkylene, an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkylene, a substituted phenylene, and an unsubstituted phenylene, a substituted oxyalkylene, and an unsubstituted oxyalkylene,

R2, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from hydrogen, a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsusbstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C3-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl,
R3, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkylene and an unsubstituted C1-C6 alkylene,
R4 and R5 independently and at each occurrence, are selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsusbstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl, and
R6, independently and at each occurrence, is selected from a substituted C1-C6 alkyl, an unsusbstituted C1-C6 alkyl, a substituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C7 cycloalkyl, a substituted phenyl, and an unsubstituted phenyl.
20. The process according to claim 18, wherein the polysiloxane is selected from polymers of: \u03b3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, \u03b3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-\u03b2-(aminoethyl)-\u03b3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-\u03b2-(aminoethyl)-\u03b3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, mixtures thereof, and combinations thereof.
21. The process according to claim 14, further comprising a step (B) between steps
(A) and (C), as follows:
(B) depositing an inorganic intermediate adhesion layer on the surface of the substrate, said inorganic intermediate adhesion layer abutting the polarizing layer after step (C);
and wherein step (C) comprises the following steps (C1) and (C2):
(C1) forming a plurality of substantially parallel micro-grooves on a surface of the inorganic adhesion layer deposited in step (B) that is farther from the substrate; and
(C2) depositing a light polarizing layer comprising polarizing dye molecules over and abutting the micro-grooves formed in step (C1).
22. The process according to claim 21, wherein step (C2) comprises the steps of:
(C2.1) depositing a layer of polarizing dye molecules over and abutting the micro-grooves formed in step (C1); and
(C2.2) stabilizing the layer of polarizing dye molecules.
23. The process according to claim 22, wherein step (C2.2) comprises the following steps:
(C2.2.1) impregnating the layer of polarizing dye molecules deposited in step (C2.1) with a dispersion of siloxane andor polysiloxane; and optionally
(C2.2.2) at least partially curing the impregnating siloxane andor polysiloxane.
24. A process according to claim 14, wherein the light polarizing layer and the first coupling layer are allowed to undergo chemical reactions that form covalent bonds therebetween in at least one of step (D) and steps subsequent to step (D).
25. The process according to claim 14, further comprising step (DA) between steps (D) and (E), as follows:
(DA) forming a second coupling layer on the first coupling layer, the second coupling layer comprising a structure essentially free of ions.
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 semiconductor device, comprising:
a plurality of arranged semiconductor modules;
a control device disposed along said plurality of arranged semiconductor modules and driving said plurality of semiconductor modules;
a plurality of signal lines having one end connected to said plurality of semiconductor modules and another end connected to said control device; and
a plurality of connecting members connecting said plurality of signal lines to either of said control device and said plurality of semiconductor modules, respectively, wherein
each of said plurality of connecting members includes:
a fitting portion formed to be fitted to the corresponding signal line, and
a leading portion formed to lead a tip portion of said corresponding signal line to said fitting portion.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said leading portion has a tapered shape formed in a periphery of said fitting portion and tilted from a peripheral portion of the leading portion to said fitting portion in a direction along which said corresponding signal line is inserted.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said leading portion has a magnetized portion formed adjacently to a periphery of said fitting portion and generating attractive force toward the tip portion of said corresponding signal line.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the tip portion of each of said plurality of signal lines is magnetized to generate attractive force toward said magnetized portion.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the tip portion of each of said plurality of signal lines has a tapered shape.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide portion formed to lead the tip portion of said corresponding signal line along a direction along which said corresponding signal line is inserted, said corresponding signal line penetrating said fitting portion.
7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of signal lines has at least two bent portions.
8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a direction along which said plurality of signal lines are made to extend is different from a direction along which said plurality of arranged semiconductor modules are stacked.
9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the direction along which said plurality of signal lines are made to extend is approximately perpendicular to the direction along which said plurality of arranged semiconductor modules are stacked.
10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor modules are co-planar with and spaced apart from the control device.

1. A communications headset comprising:
a first earpiece comprising:
a first casing; and
a first acoustic driver disposed therein;

a first talk-through microphone carried by structure of the communications headset and acoustically coupled to an environment external to the communications headset;
an audio circuit coupled to the first acoustic driver and the first talk-through microphone, the audio circuit comprising a first talk-through circuit receiving a signal representing sounds detected by the first talk-through microphone and providing its output to the first acoustic driver;
a communications microphone positioned relative to the first casing of the earpiece towards the vicinity of a mouth of a user of the communications headset, wherein the communications microphone is noise-canceling microphone; and
wherein a gain of the signal representing sounds detected by the first talk-through microphone is reduced by a component of the first talk-through circuit in response to an instance of speech by a user of the communications headset being detected by the communications microphone.
2. The communications headset of claim 1, wherein:
the first talk-through circuit further comprises:
a first audio amplifier to drive the acoustic driver with the output of the first talk-through circuit;
a first envelope detector coupled to the output of the first audio amplifier to integrate peaks in a signal output by the first audio amplifier in driving the acoustic driver; and
a first controllable attenuator interposed between the first talk-through microphone and an input of the first audio amplifier; and

the first envelope detector and the first controllable attenuator cooperate to form a first closed-loop compressor to limit an amplitude of the signal output by the first audio amplifier in response to the signal output by the first audio amplifier exceeding a predetermined threshold.
3. The communications headset of claim 1, wherein:
the audio circuit further comprises a first ANR circuit receiving a signal representing noise sounds detected in the environment external to the communications headset, deriving anti-noise sounds, and providing the anti-noise sounds to the first acoustic driver; and
a gain of the signal representing noise sounds is reduced by a component of the first ANR circuit in response to an instance of speech by a user of the communications headset being detected by the communications microphone.
4. The communications headset of claim 3, wherein the noise sounds are detected by the first talk-through microphone.
5. The communications headset of claim 3, further comprising a first ANR microphone coupled to the audio circuit, and wherein the noise sounds are detected by the first ANR microphone.
6. The communications headset of claim 1, further comprising:
a second earpiece comprising:
a second casing; and
a second acoustic driver disposed therein;

a second talk-through microphone carried by structure of the communications headset and acoustically coupled to an environment external to the communications headset; and
wherein:
the audio circuit is further coupled to the second acoustic driver and the second talk-through microphone;
the audio circuit further comprises a second talk-through circuit receiving a signal representing sounds detected by the second talk-through microphone and providing its output to the second acoustic driver; and
a gain of the signal representing sounds detected by the second talk-through microphone is reduced by a component of the second talk-through circuit in response to an instance of speech by a user of the communications headset being detected by the communications microphone.
7. The communications headset of claim 1, wherein:
the first talk-through circuit further comprises:
a first audio amplifier to drive the acoustic driver with the output of the first talk-through circuit; and
a first voltage-controlled attenuator interposed between the first talk-through microphone and an input of the first audio amplifier;

the audio circuit further comprises:
an amplifier coupled to the communications microphone; and
an envelope detector coupled to an output of the amplifier and coupled to a gain control input of the first voltage-controlled attenuator; and

the first voltage-controlled attenuator is the component of the first talk-through circuit reducing the gain of the signal representing sounds detected by the first talk-through microphone.
8. The communications headset of claim 1, wherein:
the first talk-through circuit further comprises a first audio amplifier to drive the acoustic driver with the output of the first talk-through circuit;
the audio circuit further comprises:
an amplifier coupled to the communications microphone; and
an envelope detector coupled to an output of the amplifier and coupled to a gain control input of the first audio amplifier; and

the first audio amplifier is the component of the first talk-through circuit reducing the gain of the signal representing sounds detected by the first talk-through microphone.
9. A method of controlling sounds acoustically output by an acoustic driver of a communications headset to an ear of a user of the communications headset comprising reducing a gain of a signal representing sounds detected by a talk-through microphone of the communications headset in response to detecting speech sounds of a user of the communications headset detected by a noise-canceling communications microphone of the communications headset such that an amplitude of sounds detected by the talk-through microphone that are acoustically output by the acoustic driver is reduced.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
integrating peaks of a signal output by the communications microphone; and
controlling the reducing of the gain with the results of the integrating of the peaks.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein
an envelope detector coupled to the communications microphone is employed to perform the integrating of the peaks; and
a component of a talk-through circuit to which the talk-through microphone and the acoustic driver are coupled is employed to reduce the gain of the signal representing sounds detected by the talk-through microphone in a manner in which the combination of the envelope detector and the component of the talk-through circuit form an open-loop compressor.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the component of the talk-through circuit is a voltage-controlled attenuator comprising a gain control input coupled to the envelope detector.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the component of the talk-through circuit is an audio amplifier comprising a gain control input coupled to the envelope detector.

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 for forecasting production from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir, the method comprising: (a) defining an objective function, characteristics of a history-matched model of a reservoir and acceptable error E; (b) creating at least one geological realization of the reservoir representing a probable geological setting using the characteristics of the history-matched model of the reservoir; (c) for each geological realization, using a global optimization technique associated with the objective function to perform history matching by determining the difference between observed data obtained from the reservoir and simulated data in a series of iterative steps to obtain back propagated artificial neural networks acceptable models that are within acceptable error E, the global optimization technique comprising: (i) creating an initial population of parent models having discrete sets of parameters; and (ii) running simulations on, and calculating errors E for, the parent models; and (d) forecasting production of the reservoir based upon simulation runs of the acceptable models.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of collecting all acceptable models and applying clustering techniques to select representative models prior to step (d).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the global optimization technique of step (c) further comprises: (iii) creating a plurality of proxy surfaces based on the discrete sets of parameters and errors E associated with the parent models; and (iv) utilizing the plurality of proxy surfaces for at least one of: (1) selecting parent models from minimums of the proxy surfaces; and (2) utilizing the proxy surfaces as filters for selecting offspring models prepared from the parent models and selecting acceptable reservoir models from the offspring models.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the global optimization technique of step (c) further comprises: (vii) determining whether the parent models have converged to a predetermined acceptability criteria.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accepting the parent models as acceptable models when the parent models have converged to meet the predetermined acceptability criteria.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein when the parent models have not converged to meet the predetermined acceptability criteria, step (c) further comprises: creating a proxy surface based upon the parameters and errors E associated with the parent models; preparing a set of offspring models from the parent models; and determining whether the proxy surface passes a test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein when the proxy surface fails to pass the test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria, step (c) further comprises repeating steps (ii)-(iii) while substituting the offspring models for the parent models.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein when the proxy surface passes the test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria, step (c) further comprises:
determining an offspring error E associated with the offspring models and retaining offspring models which satisfy a predetermined error criteria Ec; and
repeating steps (ii)-(iii) while substituting the retained offspring models for the parent models.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the proxy surface passes the test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria, further comprises: creating a test proxy surface using a proper subset of the parent models and omitting missing parent models and calculating proxy error Ep values associated with the proxy surface; and checking for a difference between the calculated error E values during simulation run of step (ii) and the proxy error Ep values; wherein the proxy surface fails the proxy goodness test when the difference is greater than a predetermined value, and the proxy surface passes the proxy goodness test when the difference is less than the predetermined value.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the global optimization technique of step (c) further comprises: (iii) creating a proxy surface based upon the discrete set sets of parameters and the calculated errors E; (iv) selecting a new parent model based upon the proxy surface; (v) running simulations on the new parent model and calculating a parent model error EPM; (vi) if the new parent model is within a predetermined error E, then updating the initial population of parent models with the new parent model for use in step (vii), if the new parent model is not within the predetermined error E, then retaining the initial population of parent models for use in step (vii); and (vii) determining whether the initial population of parent models or the updated population of parent models with the new parent model from step (vi) converge to meet a predetermined acceptability criteria.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using a Kriging algorithm.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using splines.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using back propagated artificial neural networks.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein:
in step (iii), a plurality of proxy surfaces are created, wherein a first proxy surface is created using a Kriging algorithm, a second proxy surface is created using splines, and a third proxy surface is created using back propagated artificial neural networks; and
in step (iv), a plurality of new parent models are selected based upon a local minimum from each of the proxy surfaces.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(e) producing a display responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(e) optimizing hydrocarbon production from the reservoir by modifying a surface facility operation associated with the reservoir responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed with a fluid flow simulator.
18. A method for forecasting production from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir, the method comprising:
(a) defining an objective function, characteristics of a history-matched model of a reservoir and acceptable error E;
(b) creating at least one geological realization of the reservoir representing a probable geological setting using the characteristics of the history-matched model of the reservoir;
(c) for each geological realization, using a global optimization technique associated with the objective function to perform history matching by determining the difference between observed data obtained from the reservoir and simulated data in a series of iterative steps to obtain acceptable models that are within acceptable error E, the global optimization technique employing:
(i) creating an initial population of parent models having discrete sets of parameters;
(ii) running simulations on, and calculating errors E for, the parent models;
(iii) creating a plurality of proxy surfaces based on the discrete sets of parameters and errors E associated with the parent models; and
(iv) utilizing the plurality of proxy surfaces to at least one of:
(1) selecting parent models from minimums of the proxy surfaces; and
(2) utilizing the proxy surfaces as filters for selecting offspring models prepared from the parent models and selecting acceptable reservoir models from the offspring models; and
(d) forecasting production of the reservoir based upon simulation runs of the acceptable models.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein in step (iii), each proxy surface is created using one of a Kriging algorithm, splines, and back propagated artificial neural networks.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein:
in step (iii), a first proxy surface is created using a Kriging algorithm, a second proxy surface is created using splines, and a third proxy surface is created using back propagated artificial neural networks; and
in step (iv), a plurality of new parent models are selected based upon a local minimum from each of the proxy surfaces.
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
(e) producing a display responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
(e) optimizing hydrocarbon production from the reservoir by modifying a surface facility operation associated with the reservoir responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
23. The method of claim 18, wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed with a fluid flow simulator.
24. A method for forecasting production from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir, the method, comprising:
(a) defining an objective function, characteristics of a history-matched model of a reservoir and acceptable error E;
(b) creating at least one geological realization of the reservoir representing a probable geological setting using the characteristics of the history-matched model of the reservoir;
(c) for each geological realization, using a global optimization technique associated with the objective function to perform history matching by determining the difference between observed data obtained from the reservoir and simulated data in a series of iterative steps to obtain acceptable models that are within acceptable error E, the optimization technique employing:
(i) creating an initial population of parent models having discrete sets of parameters;
(ii) running simulations on, and calculating errors E for, the parent models; and
(iii) determining whether the parent models have converged to a predetermined acceptability criteria, accepting the parent models as acceptable models when the parent models have converged to meet the predetermined acceptability criteria and proceeding to step (d), when the parent models have not converged to meet the predetermined acceptability criteria proceeding to step (iv);
(iv) creating a proxy surface based upon the parameters and errors E associated with the parent models;
(v) preparing a set of offspring models from the parent models; and
(vi) determining whether the proxy surface passes a test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria; and

(d) forecasting production of the reservoir based upon simulation runs of the acceptable models.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein:
when the proxy surface fails to pass the test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria in step (vi), step (c) further comprises repeating steps (ii)-(iii) while substituting the offspring models for the parent models; and
when the proxy surface passes the test for proxy goodness according to predetermined criteria in step (vi), step (c) further comprises: determining an offspring error E associated with the offspring models and retaining offspring models which satisfy a predetermined error criteria Ec; and repeating steps (ii)-(iii) while substituting the retained offspring models for the parent models.
26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
(e) producing a display responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
(e) optimizing hydrocarbon production from the reservoir by modifying a surface facility operation associated with the reservoir responsive to the forecasted production of the reservoir.
28. The method of claim 24, wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed with a fluid flow simulator.
29. A method for forecasting production from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir, the method comprising:
(a) creating at least one geological realization of the reservoir representing a probable geological setting;
(b) using a global optimization technique for the at least one geological realization to perform history matching and obtain at least one acceptable model, the global optimization technique comprising:
(i) creating an initial population of parent models having discrete sets of parameters;
(ii) running simulations on, and calculating errors E for, the parent models; and
(iii) determining whether the parent models have converged to a predetermined acceptability criteria, if the parent models have converged to the predetermined acceptability criteria then proceeding to step (c), if the parent models have not converged to the predetermined acceptability criteria then performing the following:
creating a proxy surface based upon the discrete sets of parameters and errors E associated with the parent models; and
determining whether the proxy surface passes a test for proxy goodness by:
calculating proxy error Ep values associated with the proxy surface for a subset of the parent models; and
checking for a difference between the proxy error Ep values and the error E values calculated during the simulation runs of step (ii) for one or more missing parent models omitted from the subset of the parent models used to calculate the proxy error Ep values;
wherein the proxy surface fails the proxy goodness test when the difference is greater than a predetermined value, and the proxy surface passes the proxy goodness test when the difference is less than the predetermined value; and
(c) forecasting production of the reservoir based upon a simulation run of the at least one acceptable model.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein when the proxy surface passes the proxy goodness test performing the following:
preparing a set of offspring models from the parent models;
determining an offspring error E value associated with each of the offspring models;
updating the parent models with the offspring models associated with an offspring error E value less than a predetermined error criteria Ec; and
repeating steps (ii)-(iii).
31. The method of claim 29, wherein when the proxy surface fails the proxy goodness test performing the following:
preparing a set of offspring models from the parent models;
updating the parent models with the set of offspring models; and
repeating steps (ii)-(iii).
32. A method for forecasting production from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir, the method comprising:
(a) creating at least one geological realization of the reservoir representing a probable geological setting;
(b) using a global optimization technique for the at least one geological realization to perform history matching and obtain at least one acceptable model, the global optimization technique comprising:
(i) creating an initial population of parent models having discrete sets of parameters;
(ii) running simulations on, and calculating errors E for, the parent models;
(iii) creating a proxy surface based upon the discrete sets of parameters and the calculated errors E;
(iv) selecting a new parent model based upon the proxy surface;
(v) running simulations on the new parent model and calculating a parent model error EPM;
(vi) if the new parent model is not within a predetermined error E, retaining the initial population of parent models for use in step (vii), if the new parent model is within the predetermined error E, then updating the initial population of parent models with the new parent model for use in step (vii), and
(vii) repeating steps (iv)-(vi) until the initial population of parent models or the updated population of parent models with the new parent model from step (vi) converge to meet a predetermined acceptability criteria; and

(c) forecasting production of the reservoir based upon a simulation run of the at least one acceptable model.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using a Kriging algorithm.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using splines.
35. The method of claim 32, wherein in step (iii), the proxy surface is created using back propagated artificial neural networks.
36. The method of claim 32, wherein:
in step (iii), a plurality of proxy surfaces are created, the plurality of proxy surfaces comprising a first proxy surface created using a Kriging algorithm, a second proxy surface created using splines, and a third proxy surface created using back propagated artificial neural networks; and
in step (iv), a plurality of new parent models are selected based upon local minimums from the plurality of proxy surfaces.