Abstract: A method of producing a tool component comprising a working portion of bonded abrasive particles including a non-homogeneous region. The method includes the step of providing at least two sources of a material comprising abrasive particles in a suitable binder, the materials of the sources differing from each other. The material of one source may comprise diamond or cubic boron nitride particles, whilst the material of the other source may comprise carbide particles. Alternatively, the materials of the two sources may contain the same abrasive particle, such as diamond or cubic boron nitride particles, but in different particle sizes. The materials are delivered to a zone where mixing occurs, and the mixture is applied to a surface to produce a layer of the mixed materials on the surface, typically by spraying. By controlling the quantity of material from each source which is delivered to the mixing zone, different mixtures of the two abrasives can be created. In this way, layers, e.g.

Abstract: A file server and a data protection manager server can work in tandem to efficiently backup protected volumes, and also provide efficient access to replicas of the protected volumes. In one implementation, a file server institutes a mock replication process, in which the file server observes data associated with write operations in one or more protected volumes. Appropriate volume allocation information can then be determined, which can be used to allocate log file, spill log file, replica volume, and shadow copy volume sizes, both at the file server and at the data protection manager server. In one implementation, the file server or data protection manager server automatically determines volume allocation information and automatically provides this information to the data protection manager server. The data protection manager server can then compare the volume allocation information with identified characteristics of its storage mediums, and implements an appropriate, efficient backup policy.

Abstract: Virtual machine hard drive image files (VHDs) are stored in a virtual machine image store by a virtual machine image server. The BITS protocol with integrated Remote Differential Compression (RDC) is used to transfer one or more VHDs to a virtual machine client. The RDC may compare segments of preexisting VHDs on the virtual machine client with segments of the requested VHDs to minimize the number of segments that are transferred to the virtual machine client. The requested VHD may then be reconstructed from the received segments and the segments preexisting on the virtual machine client. In addition, the host operating system or applications of the virtual machine client may also be used as a source of segments for the RDC, for example.

Abstract: A computer system suitable for archiving data with a corresponding application program in a virtual application environment is presented. The computer system includes a processor, a memory, and a storage. The computer system also includes an operating system, data to be archived, and an application program that correspond to the data, such that the application program can operate on the data. The computer system also includes a virtual application environment generator. In response to an instruction to archive the data, the virtual application environment generator generates a virtual application environment. The virtual application environment comprises the data, the corresponding application program, and the operating system.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump 10 for use in ophthalmic surgery includes a housing 12, a pump head 14 having plurality of rollers 16, a backing plate 18 attached to the housing 12, and a length of surgical tubing 50. The rollers 16 and backing plate 18 cooperate to pinch the length of surgical tubing 50 to peristaltically pump fluids from a surgical site to a collection bag 64. At least one of the pump head 14 and the backing plate 18 is moveable, during operation of the pump 10, from a tubing pinched position to a tubing vent position. This movement allows the tubing 50 to be vented by removing the pinched closure of the tubing 50.

Abstract: Model-based virtual system provisioning includes accessing a model of a workload to be installed on a virtual machine of a system as well as a model of the system. A workload refers to some computing that is to be performed, and includes an application to be executed to perform the computing, and optionally includes the operating system on which the application is to be installed. The workload model identifies a source of the application and operating system of the workload, as well as constraints of the workload, such as resources and/or other capabilities that the virtual machine(s) on which the workload is to be installed must have. An installation specification for the application is also generated, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the workload and the model of the virtual system.

Abstract: Described herein is a technology for the presentation of digital video. One implementation, described herein, smoothly presents variable-speed scanning of a compressed digital video stream—for example, a MPEG video stream. One implementation, described herein, smooth scanning (e.g., fast-forward and fast-rewind) video is produced by selectively displaying certain types of frames of a Group-of-Pictures (GOP). The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: A detector for detecting cargo in a container has a controller block, a transmitter for transmitting light into the field of view, a receiver for receiving reflected light, and a threshold comparator for determining whether the received light meets a threshold for cargo detection. The receiver includes a DC block for removing effects of ambient light. The detector performs detection multiple times and averages the results, which can be compared with a previously stored condition of cargo presence or absence to increase the detection accuracy further.

Abstract: A light projector is provided which includes an elliptical reflector, a first spherical retro-reflector, the first retro-reflector having an first aperture formed therein, the first aperture having a first diameter and a first center-point, a second spherical retro-reflector located between the elliptical reflector and the first retro-reflector, the second retro-reflector having a second aperture formed therein, the second aperture having a second diameter and a second center-point, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter, the first and second center-points lying along a common axis, and a light source, the light source located at a foci of the elliptical reflector, the light source lying along the common axis, the elliptical reflector reflecting light emitted by the light source, the reflected light passing through the first and second apertures, the first and second retro-reflectors being positioned so as to reflect light emitted by the light source back towards the light source.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: A method and system for backing up and restoring data of production servers. A mapping that maps volumes of production servers to volumes of a data protection server is maintained on the data protection server. When volumes of the data protection server are backed up, the mapping may be stored on the archive media together with the data of the volumes. Later, during a restore, the mapping is read from the archive media. The mapping allows the data to be restored to the data protection server or directly to the production servers.

Abstract: A method and system for backing up and restoring data of virtual machines. A virtual machine may be discovered through a directory service or via an agent that is installed on the host operating system that is running the virtual machine. If the agent is installed on the virtual machine, the agent monitors changes to a set of protected volumes on the virtual machine. If the agent is installed on the host, the agent monitors changes to the protected volumes, which may contain one or more virtual servers on the host. Periodically, these changes from the host or the virtual server are sent to a data protection server. The data protection server updates its replicas of protected volumes with the sent changes. Versions of files on a data protection server corresponding to a volume of a virtual server may be restored to the virtual machine, to another machine, or may be viewed from the data protection server.

Abstract: A method for producing a cutting tool such a twist grill, end mill, or the like. The method provides an unbonded assembly including a cylindrical core having ends and an elongate side surface covered partially or completely by a coherent, unsintered layer including ultra-hard abrasive particles for producing an ultra-hard material. The unbonded assembly is subjected to elevated temperature and pressure conditions at which the ultra-hard abrasive is crystographically stable. The sintered product is then recovered that includes a cylindrical core and a layer of ultra-hard abrasive material bonded to the core, and the sintered product is worked to produce one or more cutting edges in the layer of ultra-hard abrasive material.

Abstract: A method for mapping a point (pixel) outside a halftone cell to a point inside the halftone cell by determining the size of a rectangle which is tiled exactly by the halftone cell. If the size of the rectangle permits, a threshold array is employed to render the pixel. Otherwise, the pixel is rendered by calculating four potential solutions and selecting one of the four potential solutions based on the where the four potential solutions are located with respect to the halftone cell.

Abstract: Television tuning device screen saver advertising is disclosed. The television tuning device that is connectable to the Internet. While the user has his or her device connected to the Internet, advertising information may be cached. When the device enters a screen saver mode, the previously cached information is displayed. The advertising information can be targeted to the user based on demographic and other information, and can be interactive. The advertising information may also cause the device to tune to a particular channel related to the advertising information, such that both are displayed. The advertising information is unrelated to any sponsor of the television tuning device.