International Business Machines Corporation

John M Salvadore

Gerald W Baumann

Paul Anthony Smith

Richard A Leavitt

Kirk A Tatusko

David H Goldstein

David B Schroeder

Grant Douglas Miller

Marc Lawrence Steinbrecher

Michael L Sendelweck

Harry P Heibein

Richard G Millington

Dean J Scott

Under the present invention, componentized costs for providing/producing an item are collected from a plurality of suppliers. The componentized costs include the fixed and variable costs associated with raw materials and production for providing the item according to various specifications and order quantities. When a buyer wishes to obtain the item, a particular order specification and a demand forecast for the item will be provided. Based on the particular specification, the demand forecast and the componentized costs, an optimal order quantity for the item will be calculated. Then, a total (lifetime) cost for providing the item will be calculated for each supplier. The supplier having the lowest total cost for the projected lifetime of the item will be identified to the buyer.

System and program product for selecting a lower cost supplier based on total cost and forecasted demand

System, method, and program product for selecting a lower cost supplier based on total cost and forecasted demand

Automated computerized methods, computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, and apparatus are disclosed for viewing an information set originated from a distribution media and updating using remote server. Initially, an information set is viewed from a standalone distribution media. A user can select all, or one or more components to be updated from a remote server. The local computer system is then updated with a modified index from the local computer referencing the original distribution media and received files kept in local storage. This update process is efficiently performed, and provides for resumption of downloads in the middle of sets of files, or even within a single file. Additionally, when the viewing system includes a standard browser, a proxy agent is used to provide access portions of the file system not normally accessible to the browser. The updated information set is then able to be viewed when the computer system is not connected with the remote server.

Viewing an information set originated from a distribution media and updating using a remote server

The ink jet head assembly disclosed herein has modular subassemblies with predetermined relationships between the subassemblies to minimize realignment of the ink stream when a subassembly is replaced in the field. The head assembly is modularized into nozzle, charge electrode, deflection electrode and gutter subassemblies. The charge electrode module is mounted on the nozzle module in a manner such that no field adjustment is necessary to center the charge electrode horizontally to the ink stream. The deflection electrode module is mounted on the gutter module in a manner such that no field adjustment is necessary to center the deflection electrode horizontally to the ink stream. The nozzle and charge electrode subassembly have a preset adjustment, and the gutter and deflection electrode assembly have a preset adjustment such that no field adjustment between these two subassemblies is necessary to maintain a constant flight distance for the ink drops. Finally, the nozzle module is adjustable to reposition the ink stream about the pitch axis (vertical adjustment) and the yaw axis (horizontal adjustment). The yaw axis adjustment may be preset. The pitch axis adjustment is the only mechanical adjustment necessary in the field when replacing the nozzle module.

Field replaceable modules for ink jet head assembly

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

John M Salvadore