Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for determining viscoelastic characteristics of at least a portion of an object. The apparatus comprises a fluidly sealable housing, comprising at least one aperture and at least one fluid inlet port and at least one resilient membrane that is operatively coupled to the housing so as to sealingly engage with the at least one aperture. The apparatus further comprises at least one actuator that is operatively coupled to the at least one inlet port and adapted to actuate the at least one resilient membrane via a working fluid that is contained within the housing, so that the at least one resilient membrane is moved towards and into engagement with at least a portion of an object at a predetermined pressure. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises at least one first sensor that is operably coupled to the membrane and that is adapted to determine at least a deformation of the at least one resilient membrane during actuation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for determining viscoelastic characteristics of at least a portion of an object. The apparatus comprises a fluidly sealable housing, comprising at least one aperture and at least one fluid inlet port and at least one resilient membrane that is operatively coupled to the housing so as to sealingly engage with the at least one aperture. The apparatus further comprises at least one actuator that is operatively coupled to the at least one inlet port and adapted to actuate the at least one resilient membrane via a working fluid that is contained within the housing, so that the at least one resilient membrane is moved towards and into engagement with at least a portion of an object at a predetermined pressure. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises at least one first sensor that is operably coupled to the membrane and that is adapted to determine at least a deformation of the at least one resilient membrane during actuation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for determining viscoelastic characteristics of at least a portion of an object. The apparatus comprises a fluidly sealable housing, comprising at least one aperture and at least one fluid inlet port and at least one resilient membrane that is operatively coupled to the housing so as to sealingly engage with the at least one aperture. The apparatus further comprises at least one actuator that is operatively coupled to the at least one inlet port and adapted to actuate the at least one resilient membrane via a working fluid that is contained within the housing, so that the at least one resilient membrane is moved towards and into engagement with at least a portion of an object at a predetermined pressure. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises at least one first sensor that is operably coupled to the membrane and that is adapted to determine at least a deformation of the at least one resilient membrane during actuation.

Abstract: A user at computer A submits material from an application APPN A onto the clipboard at that machine. A routine CLIP SEND, part of conferencing software P2P-A at computer A obtains a list of available formats for the material on the clipboard, and transmits this list to a second machine, computer B. This list is received by conferencing software P2P-B at computer B, and a routine CLIP RECEIVE, part of P2P-B, submits the list to the clipboard at that machine. The user at machine B can then embed an object originally from APPN A by OLE pasting into an application at computer B, APPN B. in the normal manner.

Abstract: A technique for converting a software program into an object oriented class for sending across a network. A software program is loaded as instance data into a single object oriented class which is self-extracting. Preferably, each program file from the software program is compressed prior to being loaded as instance data into the class. The class may be a Java class which is sent over the Internet to a Java enabled computer system, where the class is unpackaged and the original software program recreated.

Abstract: There is described a method and system for installing a JAVA application on to a computer system. The method comprises the steps of: determining the particular operating system of the computer system; selecting installation commands (such as editing registry files, creating program groups and folders) corresponding to the determined operating system from a plurality of operating system dependent installation commands; and executing the selected installation commands corresponding to the particular operating system to fully integrate the application onto the operating system.

Abstract: In system and method for data compression and decompression, runs of the same bit value are identified within the data to be compressed and decompressed into a series of groups of bits wherein the number of bits in each group progressively increases as compared to the preceding groups until all of the bits of the run can be represented.