Sparkes
Andrew Sparkes, Bristol GB
Patent application number | Description | Published |
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20120185444 | Clock Monitoring in a Data-Retention Storage System - A clustered storage system includes a machine arranged to check, using its own clock as a current time reference, for expiry of a retention period set for a dataset stored in the system. In order to monitor for any interference with its clock, the expiry-checking machine obtains from other machines of the system, the current times of their clocks, and then derives a value from these times which it compares with a current time value from its own clock; where the difference between these values exceeds a predetermined amount, the expiry-checking machine generates an alert. This monitoring process is carried out repeatedly. | 07-19-2012 |
20120221811 | RETENTION MANAGEMENT IN A WORM STORAGE SYSTEM - A write-once-read-many, WORM, storage system is arranged to store datasets each with associated attributes including a WORM attribute indicating the dataset's WORM status, and to protect from change or deletion WORM datasets, and at least certain of their attributes including those relevant to WORM status. Retention management capabilities are provided for such a storage system, including the ability to set a given dataset for retention for a particular retention period by storing a corresponding retention date in an attribute of the dataset, and setting the WORM attribute to indicate that the dataset is a WORM dataset. Also provided is the ability to determine expiry of the retention period for the given dataset, and then to remove the stored retention date and change the WORM attribute of the dataset to indicate that it is no longer a WORM dataset. | 08-30-2012 |
Andrew M. Sparkes, Bristol GB
Patent application number | Description | Published |
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20140317157 | AUTOMATIC WORM-RETENTION STATE TRANSITIONS - Example embodiments relate to automatic WORM-retention state transitions. In example embodiments, a storage computing device may detect a request to access, via a file system, a file that is associated with a first retention state. The first retention state may indicate either a first type of WORM-retention protection for the file or no WORM-retention protection for the file. The storage computing device may determine, in response to the request, that the file should be designated with a second retention state. The second retention state may indicate a second type of WORM-retention protection for the file. The determination may be based on a retention policy file that is tightly integrated with the file system and metadata of the file. The storage computing device may transition the file (e.g., by communicating with the file system) to be associated with the second retention state instead of the first retention state. | 10-23-2014 |
Martin Sparkes, Shingay Cum Wendy GB
Patent application number | Description | Published |
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20140234551 | Deposition of Coatings on Substrates - A process and apparatus are disclosed for the deposition of a layer of a first material onto a substrate of a second material. Powder particles of the first material are entrained into a carrier gas flow to form a powder beam directed to impinge on the substrate. This defines a powder beam footprint region at the substrate. The powder beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other to move the powder beam footprint relative to the substrate, thereby to deposit the layer of the first material. A laser is operated to cause direct, local heating of at least one of a forward substrate region and a powder beam footprint region. The laser beam direction is defined with reference to a plane coincident with or tangential to a surface of the substrate at the centre of the laser beam footprint in terms of an elevation angle from the plane to the laser beam direction and in terms of an acute azimuthal angle from the movement direction to the laser beam direction. The elevation angle is 80° or less and the azimuthal angle is ±60° or less. In the apparatus, there are provided at least three laser sources arrayed around the powder beam footprint, the angular spacing between the laser sources being 120° or less. | 08-21-2014 |
20140295103 | Deposition of Coatings on Substrates - A process and apparatus are disclosed for the deposition of a layer of a first material onto a substrate of a second material. Powder particles of the first material are entrained into a carrier gas flow to form a powder beam directed to impinge on the substrate. This defines a powder beam footprint region at the substrate. The powder beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other to move the powder beam footprint relative to the substrate, thereby to deposit the layer of the first material. A laser is operated to cause direct, local heating of at least one of a forward substrate region and a powder beam footprint region. The laser is controlled to provide a spatial temperature distribution at the powder footprint region of the substrate in which the local temperature of the substrate is in the range 0.5Ts to less than Ts in a volume from the surface of the substrate at least up to a depth of 0.2 mm from the surface of the substrate and not more than 0.25Ts at a depth of 1 mm from the surface of the substrate, wherein Ts is the solidus temperature (in K) of the second material. | 10-02-2014 |
Steve Sparkes, Harrison Twp., MI US
Patent application number | Description | Published |
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20150316323 | MULTIPURPOSE RACK FOR PROCESSING PARTS THROUGH MULTIPLE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES - A rack for simultaneously processing a plurality of parts includes a frame, a plurality of defined locations on the frame for receiving and holding individual parts for processing and a latching assembly for locking the parts to the frame in the defined locations. The rack further includes a security feature for indicating if the latching assembly is opened after the parts have been loaded and locked into the defined locations on the frame. | 11-05-2015 |