All The Claims

1. A method for allocating computer resources, the method comprising:
monitoring a performance metric of a physical computing platform comprising one or more physical resources, the physical computing platform executing a virtualized environment;
assigning each physical resource of the one or more physical resources to one of a plurality of pools according to a type of the physical resource;
determining a projected performance metric of at least one physical resource of the one or more physical resources, the at least one physical resource of a first pool of the plurality of pools, the projected performance metric based on a rate of change of the monitored performance metric, the projected performance metric comprising an estimated future performance metric of the at least one physical resource;
determining, based on the monitored performance metric, whether the projected performance metric will meet a threshold value;
identifying one or more additional physical resources from the first pool but not of the physical computing platform when identified and that are the same type as the at least one physical resource; and
executing a remediation process to provision the one or more additional physical resources for the physical computing platform to change the projected performance metric below the threshold value.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical computing platform further comprises a computing-block-based physical infrastructure.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remediation process comprises:
determining, based on the monitored performance metric, whether the monitored performance metric exceeds the threshold value; and
activating the physical resources to improve the performance metric below the threshold value.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remediation process comprises:
pre-configuring the physical resources for the virtualized environment; and
allocating the physical resources to a standby pool.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remediation process comprises:
activating the provisioned one or more additional physical resources into the physical computing platform for executing the virtualized environment.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the performance metric comprises the threshold value and a threshold time interval.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtualized environment comprises a virtualized cluster comprising one or more virtualized machines.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the remediation process comprises:
activating a provisioned physical host for executing the virtualized environment; and
adding the provisioned physical host to the virtualized cluster.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored performance metric comprises at least one of a cluster status, a cluster CPU usage, a cluster memory usage, a cluster hosts usage, and a datastore usage.
10. A method for allocating computer resources, the method comprising:
monitoring a performance metric of a virtual machine platform comprising one or more virtual machines;
assigning each virtual machine to one of a plurality of pools according to a type of the virtual machine;
determining a projected performance metric of at least one virtual machine of a first pool based on a rate of change of the monitored performance metric, the projected performance metric comprising an estimated future performance metric of the at least one virtual machine;
determining, based on the monitored performance metric, whether the projected performance metric will meet a threshold value;
identifying one or more additional virtual machines from the first pool that are the same type as the at least one virtual machine; and
executing a remediation process to provision the one or more additional virtual machines for the virtual machine platform to change the projected performance metric below the threshold value.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remediation process comprises:
determining whether the monitored performance metric meets the threshold value based on monitoring the performance metric; and
activating a virtual machine having virtual computing resources selected to reduce the performance metric below the threshold value.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining whether the performance metric falls below another threshold value based on monitoring the performance metric; and
de-provisioning at least one of the virtual machines if the monitored performance metric falls below the other threshold value.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
triggering a remediation alert if the performance metric meets the threshold value; and
pausing the monitoring of the performance metric while the remediation process is being executed.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining whether the performance metric continues to meet the threshold value after executing the remediation process; and
executing a second remediation process comprising provisioning of further additional virtual machines for a physical computing platform if the performance metric continues to meet the threshold value.
15. A computer system, comprising:
a storage device configured to store one or more monitoring policies, and a management server configured to:
monitor a performance metric of a physical computing platform comprising one or more physical resources, the physical computing platform executing a virtualized environment;
assign each physical resource to one of a plurality of pools according to a type of the physical resource;
determine a projected performance metric of at least one physical resource of the one or more physical resources, the at least one physical resource of a first pool of the plurality of pools, the projected performance metric based on a rate of change of the monitored performance metric, the protected performance metric comprising an estimated future performance metric of the at least one physical resource;
determine, based on the monitored performance metric, whether the projected performance metric will meet a threshold value;
identify one or more additional physical resources from the first pool that are the same type as the at least one physical resource, the one or more additional physical resources not of the physical computing platform when identified; and
execute a remediation process to provision the one or more additional physical resources for the physical computing platform to change the projected performance metric below the threshold value.
16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the management server is further configured to:
determine whether the performance metric falls below another threshold value based on the monitoring policy; and
de-provision at least one of the physical resources if the monitored performance metric falls below the other threshold value.
17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the management server is further configured to:
trigger a remediation alert if the performance metric meets the threshold value; and
pause the monitoring of the performance metric while the remediation process is being executed.
18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the management server is further configured to:
determine whether the performance metric continues to meet the threshold value after executing the remediation process; and
execute a second remediation process comprising provision of additional physical resources for a physical computing platform if the performance metric continues to meet the threshold value.
19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the type of the physical resource comprises a model type of the physical resource.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a driving mechanism;
a fan;
an electronic control;
at least four sweeping brushes; and
a housing having a front side extending in a transverse direction (q), having a longitudinal direction (I) perpendicular to the transverse direction (q), and having an underside with a first suction opening that extends in the transverse direction (q);
wherein at least two of the four sweeping brushes are provided on each side of the first suction opening and at least one subregion of the first suction opening remains free from sweeping brushes, as viewed from the front side; and
wherein said at least two of the four sweeping brushes provided on side of the first suction opening are driven in an identical direction of rotation; and
wherein on both sides of the first suction opening, a connecting line (V) between axes of rotation of said at least two of the four sweeping brushes disposed there in succession points in the direction of the first suction opening.
2. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first suction opening extends in the transverse direction (q) across less than half an entire width of the housing.
3. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the axes of rotation of the at least four weeping brushes are oriented vertically or obliquely relative to a horizontal line and wherein the axes of rotation of the at least four weeping brushes are disposed in front of the first suction opening as viewed in the longitudinal direction (I).
4. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least four sweeping brushes protrudes on at least one side of the housing.
5. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the connecting lines (V) on both sides of the first suction opening are disposed at an angle (\u03b1) between 5\xb0 and 30\xb0 relative to the transverse direction (q), as viewed from above.
6. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the at least four sweeping brushes have a diameter in a plane formed by the longitudinal direction (I) and the transverse direction (q) and wherein the at least four sweeping brushes that are directly adjacent to one another have an overlap in the transverse direction (q) that is between 0.01-fold and 0.3-fold the diameter.
7. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a horizontally rotatable brush roller is disposed in the first suction opening.
8. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least one step is provided on the underside of the housing.
9. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a second suction opening is disposed on the underside of the housing.
10. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the at least four sweeping brushes are disposed in the transverse direction (q) between the first suction opening and the second suction opening.

1. A display device comprising:
a MEMS display portion comprising rows and columns of MEMS elements; and
a plurality of MEMS switches formed as one or more additional rows or columns of additional MEMS elements adjacent to the MEMS elements, wherein the MEMS switches and the MEMS elements of the display portion comprise collapsible cavities, wherein the MEMS switches each comprise:
a first terminal connected to one of the rows or one of the columns;
a second terminal configured to be connected to another circuit; and
a conductive strip, configured to move between at least first and second positions, wherein the conductive strip is electrically connected to the first and second terminals when in the first position, and the conductive strip is electrically disconnected from the first and second terminals when in the second position.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of MEMS switches forms in part row or column select circuitry.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pitch of the MEMS switches matches the pitch of the MEMS elements of the display portion.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the MEMS elements of the display portion each comprise an interferometric cavity.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the MEMS switches and the MEMS elements of the display portion are at least partially formed with the same manufacturing steps.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:
a processor that is in electrical communication with the display portion, the processor being configured to process image data; and
a memory device in electrical communication with the processor.
7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the array.
8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.
9. The device of claim 6, further comprising an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.
11. The device of claim 6, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.
12. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
forming a MEMS display portion comprising rows and columns of MEMS elements; and
forming a plurality of MEMS switches as one or more additional rows or columns of additional MEMS elements adjacent to the MEMS elements, wherein the MEMS switches and the MEMS elements of the display portion comprise collapsible cavities, wherein forming the MEMS switches comprises:
forming a first terminal connected to one of the rows or one of the columns;
forming a second terminal configured to be connected to another circuit; and
forming a conductive strip, configured to move between at least first and second positions, wherein the conductive strip is electrically connected to the first and second terminals when in the first position, and the conductive strip is electrically disconnected from the first and second terminals when in the second position.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of MEMS switches forms in part row or column select circuitry.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the pitch of the MEMS switches matches the pitch of the MEMS elements of the display portion.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the MEMS elements of the display portion each comprise an interferometric cavity.
16. The device of claim 12, wherein the MEMS switches and the MEMS elements of the display portion are at least partially formed with the same manufacturing steps.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented actual costing method for collecting and presenting an actual cost of performing a business activity, comprising the steps of:
collecting actual costs of performing at least one of a job performed, an item manufactured and an item purchased in furtherance of the business activity,
creating a unique cost source identifier for each collected actual cost and storing the collected actual cost therein;
associating each unique cost source identifier to the business activity; and
implementing a selected accounting costing method for actual cost collection and a selected accounting costing method for actual cost presentation based upon the stored cost source identifiers, the selected accounting costing method for actual cost collection being independent of the selected accounting costing method for cost presentation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accounting costing methods for actual cost collection and for actual cost presentation are selected from among a group including Last In First Out (LIFO), First In First Out (FIFO), Most Expensive First (MEF), Least Expensive First (LEF) and Average costing methods.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein a new unique cost source identifier is created upon each occurrence of a transaction that affects the actual cost of performing the business activity.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a new unique cost source identifier is created at least each time an item is manufactured or purchased and each time an item is received into inventory.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a new unique source identifier is assigned at least each time a job is performed in furtherance of the business activity, contemporaneously with a performance of the job.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique cost source identifier includes at least one of a data structure and a pointer to a data structure.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data structure includes at least one of an indication of a date at which the collected actual cost was incurred, a quantity of items corresponding to the collected actual cost, a number of unit time periods expended in performance of a job, an indication of labor time, resource time, payroll, resource rate, overhead time, overhead rate, actual cost of purchased material and actual cost of outside processing.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of organizing the stored cost source identifiers as a hierarchical structure modeled on the business activity.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical structure includes a plurality of nodes, each of the stored cost source identifier logical structures being assigned to at least one of the plurality of nodes.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the implementing step is carried out at a selected node level by rolling up all actual costs within the cost source identifiers assigned to nodes hierarchically below the selected node level.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a standard cost within the cost source identifier when an actual cost of one of a job performed and an item manufactured in furtherance of the business activity is unknown.
12. A computer system to compute an actual cost of performing a business activity from collected actual costs incurred in furtherance of the business activity, comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one data storage device;
a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for:
creating and storing, in said at least one data storage device, a unique cost source identifier for each of the collected actual job and manufacturing costs, each cost source identifier including at least a collected actual cost;
associating each unique cost source identifier to the business activity; and
processing each stored unique cost identifier to implement a selected accounting method for actual cost collection and a selected accounting method for actual cost presentation based upon the stored unique cost source identifiers, the selected accounting method for actual cost collection being independent of the selected accounting method for cost presentation.
13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising processing logic for organizing the stored cost source identifiers in a hierarchical structure modeled on the business activity.
14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the hierarchical structure includes a plurality of nodes, each of the stored cost source identifiers being assigned to at least one of the plurality of nodes.
15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said at least one processor implements the selected accounting method for actual cost presentation and the selected accounting method for actual cost collection by rolling up all actual costs within the cost source identifiers assigned to nodes hierarchically below the selected node level.
16. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising processing logic for storing said cost source identifier logical structures in one of a relational or an object-oriented database.
17. A machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a computer system, causes said computer system to perform the steps of:
collecting, in substantially real time, an actual cost of each of a plurality of constituent items or operations affecting a cost of performing a business activity;
assigning each collected actual cost to a unique logical structure associated with a corresponding one of said items or operations;
storing each unique logical structure to create an organization of unique logical structures configured to allow the actual cost of the business activity to be ascertained at any stage of a performance thereof.
18. The machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions for performing the step of creating a new unique logical structure for each constituent item or operation that affects the cost of performing the business activity.
19. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the associating step includes a step of storing each collected actual cost in a corresponding data structure associated with the unique logical structure.
20. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the unique logical structure includes the corresponding data structure.
21. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the unique logical structure points to an address of the corresponding data structure.
22. The machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions for performing the step of associating a date in which each collected actual cost is incurred with each unique logical structure.
23. The machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions for performing the step of assigning a standard cost to a unique logical structure when an actual cost of one of said items or operations cannot be ascertained.
24. The machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions for performing the step of assigning a standard cost to a unique logical structure when a transaction cost of collecting the actual cost for any one of said constituent items or operations is excessive relative to a value thereof.
25. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the organization of unique logical structures is modeled after an organization of the business activity.
26. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the storing step stores the organization of unique logical structures in one of a relational and an object-oriented database.
27. The machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions for performing the step of:
accessing the organization of unique logical structures, and
implementing a selected actual cost collection accounting method and a selected actual cost presentation accounting method based on the accessed organization of unique logical structures, the selected actual cost collection accounting method being independent of the selected actual cost presentation accounting method.