Abstract: A method for a first computer to request documents from a second computer inacludes steps of sending a first request for a first document to the second computer responsive to a first user action, receiving the first document sent by the second computer responsive to the first request; identifying all references to second documents in the received first document; independently of any user action, automatically sending a second request for at least one of the second documents referred to by the identified references; receiving the second document(s) requested by the second request and storing the received second document(s) in a storage that is local to the first computer, and responsive to a user request for one or more of the second documents, attempting first to service the user request from the local storage and sending a third request to the second computer for second document(s) only when the second document(s) is not stored in the local storage.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk, and a head stack assembly for reading and writing to the disk. The head stack assembly may include a body portion defining a through bore that defines a pivot axis; an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion; a head gimbal assembly coupled to the actuator arm; a coil portion cantilevered from the body portion in an opposite direction from the actuator arm and a bobbin. The coil portion may define first and second actuator fork members and may include a wound coil supported by the first and second actuator fork members. The bobbin may be configured to stiffen the coil, and may include a first surface that faces the coil and that defines the thickness of the bobbin. The first surface defines one or more cleating features configured to increase the surface area of the first surface. The largest dimension of each of the cleating features in a direction that is parallel to the pivot axis may be selected to be less than the thickness of the bobbin.

Abstract: An excisional biopsy system includes a tubular member that has a proximal end and a distal end in which one or more windows are defined. A first removable probe has a proximal portion that includes a cutting tool extender and a distal portion that includes a cutting tool. The first removable probe may be configured to fit at least partially within the tubular member to enable the cutting tool to selectively bow out of and to retract within one of the windows when the cutting tool extender is activated. A second removable probe has a proximal section that includes a tissue collection device extender and a distal section that includes a tissue collection device. The second removable probe may also be configured to fit at least partially within the tubular member to enable the tissue collection device to extend out of and to retract within one of the windows when the tissue collection device extender is activated. A third removable probe may also be provided.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of sharing an online shopping cart over a computer network includes the steps of providing an electronic address of a sharee, the sharee being a person with whom the shopping cart is shared. One of a plurality of predetermined roles may be specified for each sharee, each of the plurality of roles defining privileges granted to the sharee. A password may be assigned for the shopping cart and a unique cart number and a unique sharee number may be generated and stored in a database. An electronic message, such as an email, may then be sent to the sharees' electronic addresses, the electronic message including at least the cart number, the cart password and the sharee number. The sharee may then retrieve the saved shopping cart over the computer network by supplying the cart number, the cart password and the sharee number sent in the email. The sharee may then exercise only those privileges defined by the role specified for the sharee.

Abstract: A consolidated plan splitting methodology sends distribution orders to a distribution execution system and planned production to a manufacturing execution system. Instructions from the planning system involving only movements of inventory within the distribution s system (e.g., warehouse to warehouse transfers) are passed directly to the distribution execution system. Instructions from the planning system involving movements of inventory where either the source or destination is in the manufacturing system causes a splitter located between the planning system and the distribution and manufacturing execution systems to carry out a decisional process wherein the movement of inventory is broken down into a selected number of distinct intermediate legs. Control of inventory balances is passed between the distribution and manufacturing execution systems as appropriate as the inventory moves from one execution system to another.

Abstract: An excisional biopsy device includes a tubular member having a window near a distal tip thereof; a cutting tool, a distal end of the cutting tool being attached near the distal tip of the tubular member, at least a distal portion of the cutting tool being configured to selectively bow out of the window and to retract within the window; and a tissue collection device externally attached at least to the tubular member, the tissue collection device collecting tissue excised by the cutting tool as the biopsy device is rotated and the cutting tool is bowed.

Abstract: Every attribute or property of an element in a declarative environment such as XML may be bound to an external data source or defaulted when binding fails to resolve. The failure to resolve the binding may be caused by an incorrect key or an unavailable or incorrect data source. The default attribute may be hard coded or may point to another data source where a default value of the attribute may be found.

Abstract: The invention concerns an installation for measuring and displaying protected against risks of being frozen, comprising a fluid metering assembly (1) connected to a fluid supply pipe (2) and a fluid outlet pipe (3). Said fluid metering assembly (1) is mounted in an inspection window (4) below the frost line, said pipes extending in a trench produced in the ground (13) and connected to the inspection window (4). The metering assembly (1) is removable with or without interrupting pressurised fluid. A metering plate (8) retains flexible junction means (9, 10) connecting the intake and the outlet pipes (2, 3) to the metering assembly (1). The installation comprising the fluid metering assembly (1) is useful for maintaining protected against frost and accessible standard valves and fittings, in particular straight or coaxial meters (1).

Abstract: A method of generating a real time global sales forecast for a company includes steps of defining an hierarchical structure for a sales force of the company and defining a place within the structure for each member thereof. Original pipeline sales information may then be remotely entered by members of the sales force and tagged to the customer, to the relevant product and/or services and to that member of the sales force having entered it. Pipeline sales information included in the original pipeline sales information may then be selectively modified to generate forecast sales information that is also stored and tagged. The original pipeline sales information is maintained unchanged in the database. The stored sales forecast and/or pipeline information may then be selectively aggregated according to the hierarchical structure to generate a real time sales forecast over a selected time period.

Abstract: A method of managing an allocation of a plurality of resources of a computer system adapted to support a plurality of processes includes a step of selecting one of a plurality of policy modules to query according to a master policy, each policy module being associated with and managing an allocation of resources required by one or more of the plurality of processes. A query may then be issued to the selected policy module. Responsive to the issued query, a request for allocation of one of the plurality of resources may be received. A resource allocation order specifying the requested one of the plurality of resources may then be issued to a dispatcher, the dispatcher being configured to bind selected resources to selected processes. The resource allocation order may then be executed, the executing step being effective to bind the requested one of the plurality of resources to the process or processes associated with the selected policy module.

Abstract: A method of marking an orientation of a cut specimen of tissue prior to excision thereof from a body includes steps of disposing a tissue-marking probe in the body adjacent the cut specimen, the tissue-marking probe including a tissue-marking tool configured to selectively mark the cut specimen. A surface of the cut specimen is then marked with the tissue-marking tool such that the orientation of the cut specimen within the body is discernable after the cut specimen is excised from the body. The tissue-marking tool may be configured to selectively bow out of and back into a window defined near a distal tip of the probe and the marking step may include a step of selectively bowing the tissue-marking tool out of the window and following the surface of the cut specimen while rotating the probe. The tissue-marking tool may include an RF cutting tool and the marking step may include a step of coagulating or cauterizing a selected portion of the surface of the cut specimen with the RF cutting tool.

Abstract: Methods and network architectures for loosely coupling object and non-object oriented applications to a network include an object broker hub, a messaging system, and a business object representation of data. Business objects are embodied by a combination of high level APIs, low level APIs and data stores in each of the applications. The messaging system implements a publish-subscribe model in which all messages conform to a logical definition common to all applications. The higher level APIs, based upon the content of the message, commit the necessary low level APIs access the application's data stores to execute the business object. The loosely coupled nature of the messaging system, coupled with the dual API and switch concepts, allows a loose coupling of object and non-object oriented applications and enhances the functionality of non-object applications by allowing them to execute functionally complete business objects.

Abstract: Methods and devices for compressing and uncompressing three color component graphics and/or digital video data for storage to and retrieval from a reduced memory space, while allocating memory space for pixel data special attribute, such as a transparency attribute. 24 bit video data, for example, may be compressed and stored along with 2 bits of transparency data in a 16-bit memory space, without undue loss of fidelity relative to the original graphics and/or video data. The stored and compressed video data may be uncompressed and a correction factor may be selectively applied to each of the three component pixel data. The resulting uncompressed pixel data matches or closely resembles the video data prior to compression and storage. The correction factor may vary depending upon the color space of the graphics and/or video pixel data.

Abstract: An excisional biopsy device includes a tubular member having a window near a distal tip thereof; a cutting tool, a distal end of the cutting tool being attached near the distal tip of the tubular member, at least a distal portion of the cutting tool being configured to selectively bow out of the window and to retract within the window; and a tissue collection device externally attached at least to the tubular member, the tissue collection device collecting tissue excised by the cutting tool as the biopsy device is rotated and the cutting tool is bowed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of managing hierarchically related and heterogeneous data structures includes the steps of separating the data structures from hierarchical information interrelating the data structures and representing and storing the hierarchical information as a nodal tree structure. The nodal tree structure includes a first node and a plurality of second nodes, each node being in a parent-child relationship with at least one other node. The data structures are stored separately from the nodal tree structure and each of the first node and the plurality of second nodes references one of the data structures. Each of the second nodes is a child node, and each child node has a respective parent node selected from among the first node and the plurality of second nodes. Each of the second nodes includes a dependency attribute indicative of a dependency relationship of the child node with its respective parent node.

Abstract: A document image scanner capable of branding thermally printed tickets using a single feed roller. The contact image sensor and the thermal print head are both configured to apply pressure directly against the single feed roller. When not in use, the thermal print head may be retracted. The document scanner may include a print head that is wider than the document to be scanned, thereby enabling the scanner to relatively insensitive to off centered and/or skewed documents inserted therein for scanning and/or branding.

Abstract: A compact transactional document-scanning terminal that provides the means to conveniently capture an electronic image of most forms of printed documents at distributed locations, to capture either automatically from the scanned document or manually by operator interactivity all necessary process parameters or codes, to perform an electronic transaction in order to forward all the information to a remote computer or alternatively for local storage within the terminal, and to produce an electronic receipt and/or a paper receipt as a proof that the scan and store transaction has been successful and for later retrieval of information associated with the scanned document. The compact transactional document-scanning terminal may be configured to respond to various customer specifications.

Abstract: An excisional biopsy device includes a tubular member having a window near a distal tip thereof; a cutting tool, a distal end of the cutting tool being attached near the distal tip of the tubular member, at least a distal portion of the cutting tool being configured to selectively bow out of the window and to retract within the window; and a tissue collection device externally attached at least to the tubular member, the tissue collection device collecting tissue excised by the cutting tool as the biopsy device is rotated and the cutting tool is bowed.