text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 15, 2010
|Filing date
|Jun 8, 2006
|Priority date
|Jun 24, 1994
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Gabriel K. Wong, Po S. Tsui
|Original Assignee
|Gpne Corp.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (92), Non-Patent Citations (22), Classifications (44), Legal Events (2)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/350,616 filed on Feb. 8, 2006, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/847,005 filed on May 2, 2001, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/594,662 filed on Jun. 15, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,406, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/259,417, filed on Dec. 9, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,520, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/608,629 filed on Feb. 29, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,827, which is a divisional of Ser. No. 08/264,973, filed Jun. 24, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,115, issued Jul. 30, 1996, entitled "PAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS", naming Wong, et al. as inventors, all of these applications being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
1. Technical Field
This invention pertains to communications paging, and particularly to two-way paging method and apparatus.
2. Related Art
Over the last several decades, pagers have proven to be important communication devices for contacting remotely situated personnel. Whereas primitive pagers provided primarily only a tonal and/or vibratory output, more modern pagers have enhanced output capabilities such as message-bearing alphanumeric displays.
Paging systems have historically been one-way systems. That is, the user receives a paging message from a central terminal but has no way of responding to that message with the pager. Prior art attempts to provide two-way communication capabilities for a pager have included efforts to connect the pager to a telephone (e.g., to a mobile radio telephone). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. RE 33,417 to Bhagat et al. (which combines an entire radio pager and radiotelephone linked through an automatic dialer) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,449 to Metroka, et. al. (which purports to combine paging and cellular radiotelephone functions in a single unit).
Some pagers have the capability of providing an acknowledgment or response to a paging signal. In some such "ack-back" systems, a user operates a reply input device (e.g., a toggle switch, pushbutton switch, or keyboard) when paged. Typically such ack-back systems involve a complex acknowledgement transmission scheme, involving numerous frequencies or frequency sub-bands. Hand-off of the pager, as the pager travels between differing geographic regions or "cells" served by differing central stations, becomes technically cumbersome when multitudinous frequencies are involved.
A two-way paging system utilizes four local frequencies for transmissions between pager units and a central control station. A first local frequency carries a local clock; a second local frequency carries communications packets from the central control station to paging units; a third local frequency carries communication packets from the pager units to the central control station; and a fourth local frequency carries a status or request signal from the paging units to the central control station. Transmissions on the fourth local frequency are in accordance with a time divided slot allocation among pager units accessing the central control station.
For a two-way paging system having a plurality of central control stations servicing a corresponding plurality of cells, a total of eight frequencies are utilized within any one cell. Four of the utilized frequencies are the local frequencies, (which may differ from cell to cell), and four of the utilized frequencies are lower power common frequencies or switching frequencies which are used to switch or hand-off a pager unit traveling from one cell to another.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
As shown in
Central computer 30 of central control station 20 comprises a conventional computer equipped with typical components including a CPU 50; I/O interface 52; and memory 54. Although shown only generally in
Central computer 30 of central control station 20 further includes a decoder 57 (connected between receiver 34 and I/O interface 52 for decoding in-coming communications information from one or more pager units 22), as well as encoder 58 (connected between I/O interface 52 and transmitter 32 for encoding out-going communications information).
Central control station 20 also includes a clock unit 59 which generates a local clock signal f1clk (which, in turn, is used to modulate frequency f1).
As illustrated further herein, CPU 50 of central control station 20 prepares communications packets for transmission on frequency f2. As generally illustrated in
Central control station 20 communicates with a plurality of pager units 22 1, 22 2, . . . 22 N. Only one such pager unit, generically referenced as pager unit 22, is specifically illustrated and described herein, it being understood that the construction and operation of other pager units may be similar to the one illustration.
As shown in
As also shown in
Clock unit 87 is settable by suitable inputs thereto so that clock unit 87 generates a local clock signal f1clk having a frequency corresponding to its input. It should be understood that, in other embodiments, the function of clock unit 87 can be performed at least partially by microprocessor 80 using programmed execution.
I/O interface 86 is also connected to supply an on/off signal on line 92 to pager transmitter 72, as well as to facilitate input and output with numerous input/output devices. The input/output devices connected to I/O interface 86 include keyboard 93; beeper 94; vibrator 95; and LCD (alphanumeric) display 96.
Upon manufacture, pager unit 22 is preprogrammed with an identification serial number (e.g., a 7-digit alphanumeric pre-assigned ID number) which is stored in memory 84 (ROM). Pager unit 22 is activated (e.g., at the time of purchase) by inserting a time slot assignment (explained below) both into a predetermined address in memory 84 of pager unit 22 and into pager directory file 56 (stored in memory 54 of central control station 20).
Communication between central control station 20 and pager unit 22 occurs on the four local frequencies, in particular the frequencies f1, f2, f3, and f4 mentioned above. The first frequency (f1) carries the local clock-aligning signal from central control station 20 to paging unit 22. The second frequency (f2) carries a pager command and alphanumeric data from central control station 20 to paging unit 22. The third frequency (f3) carries pager status data and alphanumeric data from. paging unit 22 to central control station 20. The fourth frequency (f4) carries a pager request signal from paging unit 22 to central control station 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the frequencies f1-f4 are preferably chosen so that f1≠f2≠f3≠f4.
As explained in more detail below and illustrated in
When central control station 20 is started up (step 100), an initialization process (step 102) is conducted. Included in the initialization process is activation of transmitter 32 (so that transmitter 32 can transmit at the two frequencies f1 and f2) and activation of receiver 34 (so that receiver 34 can receive the two frequencies f3 and f4). Moreover, frequency f1 is modulated to carry the local clock-aligning signal generated by local clock 59. Then, at step 104, the pager registration file 55 and the pager directory file 56 are loaded from hard disk into a RAM section of memory 54 (step 104).
After initialization and loading of the files 55 and 56, CPU 50 repetitively executes an instruction loop 106. Loop 106 involves checking to determine (at step 108) whether a telephone message is being received (via answering system 36 from one of the telephones in bank 48) and checking to determine (at step 110) whether a pager message is being received (via transmitter 32 from one of the pager units 22).
As used herein, a message, whether originated from a telephone or from a pager, may require a plurality of packets for transmission from a central station 20 to a pager 22 or vise versa. In the ensuing discussion, transmission and reception of messages subsumes transmission and reception one or more packets. In general, the packetization of messages will be invisible to the user, meaning that a user enters a message without regard to the number of packets which might be required to transmit the message. The message typically ends with a user-entered message termination character or message delimiter character. The transmitting device (either central station 20 or pager 22), allocates the message to one or more packets having a format similar to that of
Central computer 30 can distinguish between receipt of a telephone message (at step 108) and a pager message (at step 110) by virtue of the fact that I/O interface 52 generates different type of interrupts to CPU 50 depending on the type of message received. If it is determined at step 108 that a telephone message is being received, steps 112, 114, and 116 of
In processing a received telephone message, at step 112 central computer 30 extracts out-going communications information from the predeterminately sequenced telephone-entered data. The telephone-entered data, entered via a touchpad of a calling one of the telephones in bank 48, includes by convention an identification (e.g., telephone number) of the calling telephone; an identification of the called pager unit (e.g., the 7-digit alphanumeric pre-assigned ID number); and any character data for transmission followed by a termination character. This out-going communications information is received at central computer 30 in standard DTMF format.
At step 114, using the ID number of the called pager (obtained at step 112) central computer 30 checks the pager registration file 55 and directory file 56 to determine whether the called pager unit is registered with central control station 20. Assuming that the called pager is so registered, at step 114 the central computer 30 also obtains from pager directory file 56 the slot assignment for the called pager unit.
At step 116, central control station 30 transmits communications information to the called pager unit. In this regard, central control station 20 prepares and transmits (on frequency f2) a communications message which includes, among other things, the ID of the called pager unit and the character data received from the telephone for transmission of the pager unit 22. After step 116 is executed, processing returns to loop 106.
If it is determined at step 110 that a pager message is being received, even numbered steps 132-140 of
With the identity of the requesting pager unit 22 now known, at step 136 central control station 20 authorizes the requesting pager unit 22 to transmit its message. In particular, CPU 50 directs preparation of a communications message for transmission on frequency f2. The particular communications packet prepared at step 136 includes an identification of the requesting pager unit (the addressee of the packet), as well as an operation code ("op" code) which commands/authorizes the requesting pager unit 22 to send its message.
At step 138, central control station 20 receives a communications message on frequency f3 sent from the sending (e.g., requesting) pager unit 22. The communications message prepared and sent by the sending pager unit 22 includes packets of similar format to that shown in
Steps executed by a pager unit 22 in connection with its transmission mode are depicted in
In its transmission mode (see
After entry of the message awaits entry from keyboard 93 of a transmit command at step 212. Assuming that the transmit command is entered at step 212, microprocessor 80 prepares and sends a request signal on frequency f4. As indicated before, the request signal is transmitted on frequency f4 in a time slot assigned to the requesting pager unit 22. It should be kept in mind that pager unit 22 is all the while receiving the local clock-aligning signal on frequency f1, which enables microprocessor 80 to cause transmission of the request signal on frequency f4 at a time corresponding to the specific time slot allotted to the particular sending pager unit 22.
In the above regard, in accordance with time division techniques, each pager unit 22 1-22 N (e.g., pagers P1-PN in
After transmission of the request signal at step 214, pager unit 22 awaits receipt of a transmit command from central control station 20. Preparation and transmission of the transmit command/authorization from central control station 20 is described with reference to
If a transmit command is not entered at step 212, or after transmission of the message at step 220, microprocessor 80 awaits entry of at least one of several possible special function keys at step 222. For example, the user may press a function key which requires storage of the message (whether yet transmitted or not) [see step 228]. Alternatively, the user may press function keys which facilitate editing or erasure of the message (see steps 224 and 226, respectively). To complete the message and begin work on another message, a special function key for an exit operation (step 230) must be pressed.
Assuming that the received communications packet is designated for this particular receiving pager unit 22, at step 310 microprocessor 80 consults the operation code field of the communications packet (see
Assuming for the moment that the operation code does not indicate a command, at step 314 microprocessor 80 of pager unit 22 stores the alphanumeric field portion of the communications packet (which at least partially forms the message) in a RAM portion of memory 84. Since a message communicated from central processing station 20 may require several communications packets for completion of the message (with subsequent communication packets providing continuations of the message content), microprocessor 80 checks at step 316 to ensure that the entire message has been received. If not, processing continues back at step 304 for reception of a further communications packet.
Upon reception of an entire communications message, at step 318 microprocessor 80 determines whether pager unit 22 is in a beep mode or a vibrate mode. In this regard, there are numerous ways of setting paging unit 22 to the desired mode, either by a specially dedicated switch on paging unit 22 or by data entry using keyboard 93. If pager unit 22 is in a beep mode, microprocessor 80 outputs a signal which causes I/O interface 86 to issue a further signal to activate beeper 94 (step 320). Alternatively, if pager unit 22 is in a vibrate mode, microprocessor 80 outputs a signal which causes I/O interface 86 to issue a further signal to activate vibrator 95 (step 322).
At step 324, microprocessor 80 directs I/O interface 86 to send the alphanumeric message data to LCD display 96, so that the received message can be viewed by the user.
After notification to the user (either via beeper 94 and/or vibrator 95), and display (on LCD 96) of the received alphanumeric data, microprocessor 80 returns to step 304 to check whether further communications packets are being received.
The command processing routine (framed by broken lines 312 in
In connection with the error shut down sub-routine, at step 342 microprocessor 80 obtains an indication of error type from the communications packet. The error type is stored in memory 84 (step 344) and then displayed on LCD display 96 (step 346). Then microprocessor 80 issues a command (at step 348) to shut down pager unit 22, which shut-down occurs at step 349.
In connection with the time slot changing sub-routine, at step 352 microprocessor 80 extracts, from the received communications packet, information indicative of the new time slot assigned to the receiving pager unit 22. The new time slot is entered (at step 354) into memory 84 and thereafter utilized (until further change) in connection with transmission of request signals on frequency f4 (see, for example, step 214 of
The time slot changing sub-routine may also include other operations, if desired, including (for example) eliminating unused time slots (thereby increasing scanning rate); diagnosing and trouble shooting; and avoiding interruption of service from malfunctioning or ill-functioning equipment.
In connection with the transmitter shut down sub-routine, at step 362 microprocessor 80 directs I/O interface 86 to issue an OFF command to transmitter 72. In connection with the transmitter re-enable sub-routine, at step 372 microprocessor 80 directs I/O interface 86 to issue an ON command to transmitter 72.
In connection with the clock re-set sub-routine, at step 382 microprocessor 80 directs that clock 59 of pager unit 22 be set.
After execution of steps 354, 362, 372, or 382, execution continues back to step 304 for processing of potential further communications packets. Thus, unless an error shut-down is noted, each entry of the command processing routine (framed by broken lines 312 in
As also shown in
Thus, the second embodiment of the invention is suitable for a system having a plurality of central control stations 420 x where x=1, 2, . . . M. Each central control station 420 x transmits and receives a set of local frequencies fL1, fL2, fL3, fL4 in an associated geographical area or cell, as well as the set of common or switch frequencies C1, C2, C3, C4. While the values of the local frequencies fL1, fL2, fL3, fL4, vary from cell to cell (e.g., differ for differing central control stations 420 x), the values of the common or switch frequencies C1, C2, C3, C4 are uniform through the system (e.g., for all central control stations 420 x).
Although not shown in
The common or switching frequencies C1-C4 have an analogous function to the corresponding local frequencies f1-f4, respectively. In this regard, frequency C1 carries a clock frequency transmitted by central control station(s), although the clock rate on common frequency C1 preferably varies among central control stations. Frequency C2 is used to transmit information from central control station(s) to pager unit(s); frequency C3 is used to transmit information from a pager unit to a central control station; frequency C4 is used by pager units to issue a request signal. Frequency C2 carries packets having a format similar to that of
As shown in
Central control station 420 of
The central computers 30 of the central control stations 420 x are serially connected to one another by an output line 486A and an input line 486B. In particular, although not expressly shown as such in
As shown in
The operational frequencies of transmitter 72 and receiver 62 are changeable in accordance with values transmitted on "frequency control" lines from computer 70. In particular, the frequency control lines are connected to I/O interface 86 in computer 70. As described in more detail below, when a pager unit 422 migrates into a new CFRR, signals are applied on the frequency control lines in order to switch pager unit 422 from the local frequencies of an old cell to the local frequencies of a new cell associated with the new CFRR into which pager unit 422 migrates.
Pager 422 includes a clock unit 83′ which is capable of separately generating local clocking signals fLclk and the common clocking signals fc1clk for use by microprocessor 80. These clocking signals are initiated and their frequencies set by appropriate respective inputs to clock unit 83′.
As shown in
In connection with the channel switching routine and the switching enabling routine, when pager unit P1 moves into CFRR2, pager unit P1 will receive the clocking signal on frequency C1 from station S2. At such point, pager unit P1 will automatically align its clock unit with the clocking signal from station S2.
Referring now to the channel switching routine executed by pager P1 subsequent to start-up (step 500), at step 506 pager unit P1 obtains information characterizing the system centered about station S2. Such characterizing information is referred to as system identification or system ID information.
At step 508, microprocessor 80 of pager unit P1 checks to determine if there is any new system ID information acquired on frequency C2. That is, microprocessor 80 checks to determine if system ID information is received on frequency C2 (which can occur only in a CFRR) and, if so, compares the system ID information to the immediately previously-stored system ID information. If the previous and most recently-acquired system IDs are the same, pager unit P1 realizes that it is still in the jurisdiction of the same station (e.g., station S1). If not, pager unit P1 realizes that it has now wandered into a CFRR of a new station (e.g., station S2) and, at step 510, initiates a request on frequency C4 for communication with the central control station (e.g., station S2) for CELL2.
In the above regard, since pager unit P1 has not yet been assigned a time slot for CELL2, the request on frequency C4 is randomly made. However, pager unit P1 keeps track of the time slot in which it makes its request to the new central control station (e.g., station S2).
Thereafter, pager unit P1 continues to monitor (step 512) communications packets from station S2 on frequency C2, waiting for station S2 to issue a message which references the time slot at which pager unit P1 made its request of step 510. In particular, page unit P1 awaits a message from station S2 on frequency C2 that includes both a SLOT RECOGNITION COMMAND CODE and information stored in the same time slot which pager unit P1 randomly generated. Since the message including the SLOT RECOGNITION COMMAND CODE includes station S2 as the sender and mirrors the slot randomly generated by pager unit P1, pager unit P1 recognizes the message as being addressed to pager unit P1 and considers issuance of such a message by station S2 (see step 612 of
Assuming a match is eventually found at step 514, at step 516 pager unit P1 sends a communications packet on frequency C3 to station S2, with the communications packet including the identification or ID of pager unit P1. Using pager registration file 55, station S2 verifies that the ID of pager unit P1 is a valid ID, and thereafter sends (on frequency C2) to pager unit P1 a message with the command code LOCAL FREQUENCY DOWNLOAD, which message informs pager unit P1 of the values of the local frequencies handled by station S2 (e.g., frequencies f5-f8). Thereafter, as also reflected by step 518, station S2 sends (on frequency C2) to pager unit P1 a message with the command code SLOT ASSIGNMENT COMMAND CODE, which message informs pager unit P1 of its slot assignment on frequency f8. Microprocessor 80 then changes its slot allocation by steps which are similar to those discussed with the afore-mentioned change time slot routine (see steps 350, 352, and 354 of
After acquisition of all local frequencies and the slot assignment is completed (step 520), microprocessor 80 implements (at step 522) a switch to the new local frequencies (e.g., frequencies f5-f8). In this regard, microprocessor 80 instructs I/O interface 86 to change transmitter 72 from frequencies f3, f4 to frequencies f7, f8; and to change receiver 62 from frequencies f1, f2 to frequencies f5, f6. I/O interface 86 accomplishes the frequency changes by applying appropriate values on the frequency control lines connecting the I/O interface to transmitter 72 and receiver 62, respectively.
After the switch to new local frequencies at step 522, microprocessor 80 loops back to step 506, ultimately to determine when any further switching may be required.
Steps involved in the switching enabling routine executed by a central control station (e.g., station S2) are depicted in
In particular, at step 604 CPU determines whether its central control station (e.g., S2) has been advised by any other central control station (e.g., S3) that a pager unit, formerly under the control of its central control station (e.g., S2), has come under the control of the other central control station (e.g, S3). Such advisement occurs on the serial links connecting the central control stations 420 x, and particularly input serial link 486B. If such advisement occurs, the ID for the wandered-away pager is deleted from the pager directory file 56 for station S2 (as reflected by steps 606 and 608).
At step 610, CPU 50 causes messages with a SYSTEM COMMAND CODE to be transmitted on frequency C2. As indicated before, messages transmitted on frequency C2 include a packet(s) having a format such as that shown in
At step 612, central control station 420 checks to determine if a request signal has been transmitted by any pager unit 422 on frequency C4 (as occurred, for example, in context of the discussion of
In the event that a request signal is detected at step 612, central control station 420 notes specifically the time slot on frequency C4 at which the request occurred (step 614). At this point, such time slot is the only way central control station 420 can identify the in-wandering pager unit 422. Central control station 420 desires for the in-wandering pager unit 422 to transmit its identification (ID), but cannot specifically address the in-wandering pager other than with reference to the detected time slot. Accordingly, at step 616, central control station 420 prepares and transmits a message on frequency C2 which has a SLOT RECOGNITION COMMAND CODE. The message including the SLOT RECOGNITION COMMAND CODE includes station S2 as the sender and mirrors the slot randomly generated by pager unit P1 (e.g, the time slot at which the in-wandering pager unit 422 issued its request). This transmission on frequency C2 constitutes authority for pager unit P1 to transmit its identification.
Step 618 denotes acquisition by central control station 420 of the identification (ID) of the in-wandering pager unit 422. At step 620, central control station 420 checks its pager registration file 55 to determine if the pager ID is a valid ID. If not, an error message is generated and transmitted (at step 622), followed by a command for pager unit P1 to shut down (see step 624).
Assuming that the identification of pager unit 422 was validated at step 620, CPU 50 checks (at step 630) its pager directory file 56 to locate an available time slot for the in wandering pager unit 422, and then associates the available time slot with the ID of the in-wandering pager unit 422. Then, at step 632, using a message on frequency C2 with a LOCAL FREQUENCY DOWNLOAD COMMAND CODE, central control station 420 sends the values of its local frequencies (e.g., f5, f6, f7, f8) to the in-wandering pager unit 422. The central control station then (at step 634) assigns to the in-wandering pager unit 422 a new time slot on its local frequencies using a message on frequency C2 with a SLOT ASSIGNMENT COMMAND CODE. Processing of the change time slot command by the in-wandering pager unit 422 is understood with analogous reference to
Upon completion of step 634, the in-wandering pager unit 422 is fully initiated into its new cell (e.g., CELL2), and has left the jurisdiction of its former control station (e.g, CELL1 and station S1). Accordingly, at step 636, CPU 50 requests its I/O interface to issue a command on serial line 486A which advises (using pager ID) that the in-wandering pager 422 is now under its jurisdiction, so that former jurisdictions (e.g., S1) can delete this pager unit from their pager directory files 56. Such deletion is understood with reference to steps 604-608 as above-described.
In addition to illustrating geographical location of pager P1, stations S1 and S2, and cells CELL1 and CELL2,
Although the central control stations 420 x use the same common frequencies C1-C4, there is no interference or confusion of these signals transmitted from the control stations 420 x. The common frequencies C1-C4 are broadcast at a relatively lower power than the local frequencies f1-f4 so that reception of the common frequencies C1-C4 occurs only in a limited neighborhood (CFRR) about the central control station 420 x. Accordingly, pager units 422 traveling through the system receive common frequencies C1-C4 only in the limited and non-overlapping CFRRs.
System operational characteristics, such as cell diameter, CFRR diameter, power level of the local frequencies (e.g., f1-f4), and power level of the common frequencies (C1-C4) can be field adjusted to suit numerous factors, including particularly the terrain and topography of the geographical region covered by the system. By way of non-limiting example, in one embodiment, the radius of each cell is on the order of about 20 miles; while the radius of each CFRR is on the order of about 10 miles or less. In the same example, the power for transmission of the local frequencies can be in a range of from about 3 watts to 1000 watts; while the power for transmission of the common frequencies C1-C4 is preferably less than 2 watts.
Thus, the invention provides a two-way paging system which operates independently from a telephone system for wireless data communication between users. The invention minimizes use of available frequencies allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), using only four local frequencies f1-f4 for any given cell and (for expanded, multi-cellular coverage) only four common or switching frequencies C1-C4. In order to minimize the number of frequencies (e.g, channels) utilized, techniques of time division sharing and synchronization are employed. A transmission power differential between the local frequencies and the common frequencies is also employed. These techniques allow data transmission to be kept separate from different pagers and thus eliminates merging of data.
The switching technique of the present invention provides extended geographical coverage and minimizes paging time by increasing the number of frequencies utilized in a cell from four (e.g, the four local frequencies) to eight (the four local frequencies plus the four common frequencies).
In connection with verification of pager ID, it should be understood that a single pager registration file might be stored in a memory file only one of a plurality of central control stations, and that in such case verification would constitute issuing a search command (on the serial links 486) to locate a pager ID in the one (remote) memory file, with the results of the search being reported back to the inquiring central control station.
The keyboards illustrated herein can, in some embodiments, be multi-language keyboards or writing pads which permit typing of English, Chinese, or Japanese languages, for example. The writing pad is especially useful in countries such as Japan, Thailand, the middle East or China where English-like alphabets are not used. The writing pad could also be used to sketch and transmit graphics. Moreover, data compression/de-compression techniques can be utilized in connection with data transfer.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it should be understood that repeaters may be employed within cells to facilitate transmission when a pager unit ventures far from a central control station.
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|Bertsekas, Dimitri, and Gallagher, Robert, Data Networks, pp. 312-317 (Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, 2nd ed. 1992).
|Defendant Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC's Invalidity Contentions filed Oct. 8, 2007 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas Court Case No. 6:07-cv-59.
|Draft Recommendation GSM 04.08-"Mobile Radio Interface Layer 3 Specification," Version 1.0.0, Nov. 1987.
|Draft Recommendation GSM 04.08—"Mobile Radio Interface Layer 3 Specification," Version 1.0.0, Nov. 1987.
|Draft Recommendation GSM 05.02-"European digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 1); Multiplexing and Multiple Access on the Radio Path," European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Feb. 1992.
|Draft Recommendation GSM 05.02—"European digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 1); Multiplexing and Multiple Access on the Radio Path," European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Feb. 1992.
|Draft Status Report-Draft Recommendation GSM 04.08 v.1.0.0, Dec. 7-10, 1987.
|Draft Status Report—Draft Recommendation GSM 04.08 v.1.0.0, Dec. 7-10, 1987.
|Exhibit A-Samsung Telecommunications America's First Supplemental Invalidity Contentions-Claim Chart-Mobitex Interface Specification (Mobitex) Against the Asserted Claim of the '406 Patent.
|Exhibit A—Samsung Telecommunications America's First Supplemental Invalidity Contentions—Claim Chart—Mobitex Interface Specification (Mobitex) Against the Asserted Claim of the '406 Patent.
|Exhibit B-Samsung Telecommunications America's First Supplemental Invalidity Contentions-Claim Chart-U.S. Patent No. 5,103,445 (Ostlund) Against the Asserted Claim of the '406 Patent.
|Exhibit B—Samsung Telecommunications America's First Supplemental Invalidity Contentions—Claim Chart—U.S. Patent No. 5,103,445 (Ostlund) Against the Asserted Claim of the '406 Patent.
|GSM 04.07 Version 3.3.3-"Mobile Radio Interface Signalling Layer 3-General Aspects," Technical Specification, European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Feb. 1992.
|GSM 04.07 Version 3.3.3—"Mobile Radio Interface Signalling Layer 3—General Aspects," Technical Specification, European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Feb. 1992.
|GSM doc (87) 143-"Status Report of WP3," Dec. 10, 1987, pp. 1-6.
|GSM doc (87) 143—"Status Report of WP3," Dec. 10, 1987, pp. 1-6.
|Kong, I., Lindsey, L., "CableNet: A Local Area Network Reservation System," 24th IEEE Computer Society International Conference, Feb. 22-25, 1982, pp. 182-186.
|Mouly, Michel, et al., The GSM System for Mobile Communications, Cell & Sys., 1992, pp. 46-47, 66-67, 90-91, 94-97, 192-193, 196-197, 320-323, 354-355, 366-369, 372-379, 384-385, 388-391, 424-427.
|Recommendation GSM 04.07-"Mobile Radio Interface Signalling Layer 3-General Aspects," v.3.3.2, Jan. 1990.
|Recommendation GSM 04.07—"Mobile Radio Interface Signalling Layer 3—General Aspects," v.3.3.2, Jan. 1990.
|Recommendation GSM 04.08, v.3.13.0, "European digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 1); Mobile radio interface layer 3 specification," Interim European Telecommunication Standard—2nd Final Draft, pr I-ETS 300 022, Feb. 1992.
|Recommendation GSM 04.08, v.3.13.0, "European digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 1); Mobile radio interface layer 3 specification," Interim European Telecommunication Standard-2nd Final Draft, pr I-ETS 300 022, Feb. 1992.
|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Dec 6, 2006
Owner name: GPNE CORP., HAWAII
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:DIGICOMM, LTD.;REEL/FRAME:018590/0193
Effective date: 20061204
Owner name: GPNE CORP.,HAWAII
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:DIGICOMM, LTD.;REEL/FRAME:018590/0193
Effective date: 20061204
|Dec 16, 2013
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


text: Way back when, I rode to the Dairy with a friend. He had his new wife on the back of his Rebel and was riding my NightHawk 650. A sport bike stood straight up and after a little wobbling, the rider bailed. I watched in horror as a riderless bike careened toward my friends, somehow my buddy Bill managed to avoid getting taken out. That is just a glimpse of how out of control it eventually got.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Humphrey Funeral Service in Russellville.
A funeral will be conducted 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Batesville, Miss., at Dickens Chapel. Burial will be at Pisgah Cemetery in Courtland, Miss., under the direction of Dickens Funeral Service.
An online obituary and guestbook are available at www.humphreyfuneral.com.


text:
Orochimaru is not the strongest shinobi in history for the love of god..
1. Sasuke is in control of the whole scenario if anything he will be the one who is strongest.
2. Nine tails army > 4 hokages
3. Oro isn't going to rise as a main antagonist again, sasuke can own orochimaru now with ems if itachi could with ms. There are no control talismans on the hokages and sasuke isnt gonna let him control those hokages. Believe that.
4. Where can you find one shred of evidence that oro is definitively better than jiraiya? I say this cause there are lots of ninja better than jiraiya meaning your boy oro isn't even top 5
5. Oro < Nagato
6. The main villain is by and far Madara uchia.. He been running game and manipulatin the whole shinobi world since before orochimarus parents were even born. Madara is the real OG you know this.
7. Oro stated he could be killed by 4 tails naruto, what do you think km naruto could do?
8. Even if orochimaru controls the hokages, What do you think that GAI and Kakashi naruto with kurama chakra share and lets say sai for sealing would do to oro and the 4 hokages? Considering rock lee fodderized edo Madara team naruto would crush them with imputiny.
Orochimaru isn't the greatest shinobi of all time, face it.
Ps maybe you aren't creepy but being an oro fanboy connotates "creepy"


text:
Four Points Concerning The Problem of Evil, Christian Apologetics & The Bible
Point 1) Theistic philosophers who discuss the problem of pain/evil without acquainting themselves with specific cases in detail from nature are like Kant who apparently avoided the museum of art that he walked past each day on his way to write a book on the "philosophy of art/aesthetics." (A philosophy professor even shared with me that Kant boasted something to the effect that it wasn't even necessary to look at art in order to write his treatise).
Unlike Kant I prefer to begin all investigations, philosophical or otherwise, by pondering specific instances. And since the topic is suffering (including suffering unto madness) please see the collection of instances found HERE. The effect of reading and pondering those examples is a bit different from reading a philosophical treatise on "suffering" that spends the majority of its time juggling-stretching-and-playing with huge generalizations such as "good," "evil," "pain," "suffering," "God," "perfection," "omnipotence," and "freewill," etc.)
Point 2) Has any philosopher yet explained (except via verbal alchemy) how something can start out perfectly good and yet evil can come out of it? If God is defined as the perfectly good and only source of everything, then whence comes evil? Endless ages of verbal alchemy attached to this question explain nothing, the question remains.
Note that if God is perfectly good and has freewill then a freewilled being can exist in a state of perfect goodness. But if God has freewill then wouldn't it be possible for God Himself to commit evil, or become evil? (Or do Christian apologists employ a different definition of "freewill" when it comes to "God?") Conversely, if God does not have freewill then doesn't that imply that freewill is not necessarily of ultimate value and that humanity has something even God lacks?
Point 3) Is there something, ANYTHING, that a Christian apologist might consider to be "unjustifiable suffering?"
For instance, what types of horrendous suffering (or chronic forms of soul-grinding suffering, or physically or psychologically crippling forms of suffering, even mentally maddening forms of suffering) have NOT happened to someone somewhere on this planet, or may not happen say, to someone throughout eternity? And is not ALL of that suffering "justifiable" according to Christian apologists? Judaism claims that even the righteous suffer like Job. While Christianity claims that an infinite eternal and guiltless Being (AKA Jesus-God) has "suffered" and even spent time in "hell," though everyone still continues to suffer here on earth, including for the past two thousand years since that Being suffered. So there does not appear to be any form of suffering that's not justifiable to the Christian apologist, is there, including Jews suffering in concentration camps simply for being Jewish in some way--and then they die in such a camp and may will awaken on judgment day to find their new bodies (and old souls) in eternal hell, right? (For centuries both devout Calvinists and Catholics even spoke about seeing the damned suffer for eternity and not only finding the eternal suffering of the damned something justifiable, but also something worth REJOICING over.) I ask again, is there any form of suffering that a Christian apologist might consider to be "unjustifiable suffering?"
And why must people believe that the only way God can "accept" a person is if that person believes God has wrath (or a need to punish), and cannot simply forgive, nor punch a super pillow till His wrath abates, nor calmly instruct with minimal pain, and give people more than one chance, but instead God must take the sum total of His wrath out on the most unworthy recipient, a wholly guiltless individual, who also happens to be Himself? Why is such a belief necessary? And why do Christian creeds insist on the necessity of such a belief, when it obviously does not appeal to all, nor even make sense to all? All people don't even find the same stories (whether they involve "God" or not) as equally appealing or believable.
At present about a third of the world is nominally speaking, "Christian." No doubt the Bible is constantly being published and republished, even Uber-published if I may coin the phrase, and passed out round the world, making it the "world's biggest best seller," though a more truthful accolade might be the "world's most handed out book," or the "world's most common gift book," or the "most commonly suggested book that Christian men and women and pastors tell others that they should or must get a copy of and read."
Point 4) I wonder whether Christian apologists have ever come to grips in a truly convincing fashion with the ways their God is portrayed (either in reality or metaphorically) in the book that they claim "reveals" the truth of their beliefs to humanity? For instance does the DEVIL threaten to cast people body and soul into hell? No. That type of imposed suffering is God's design. Does the Devil get portrayed as wiping out every breathing thing on the planet except some ark survivors? Nope. That's God again. Does the Devil command the destruction of everything that breathes in certain cities? Does the Devil send plagues, famines, poisonous snakes, and opposing armies to teach people lessons like the God of the Bible is portrayed as doing? Does the Devil strike husband and wife both dead if they lie about giving all of their earthly possessions to the church?
Have Christian philosophers really dealt with questions like those above and below, or do they tend to flee them till they reach a nice quiet corner of huge generalizations resembling nothing so much as pious platitudes? But think for just a moment longer about this...
God is portrayed as acting thusly toward the "apple of His eye," the "children of Israel": The God of Israel tried to kill Moses (and failed); struck dead two sons of Aaron; commanded "brother to kill brother" leading to the deaths of 3,000 Israelites (right after He gave them the commandment, "Do not kill"); opened up the earth and buried alive "wives, sons and little children;" sent a fire that consumed 148 Levite princes; cursed his people to wander in the desert for forty years and eat 40,000 meals of quail and "manna" (talk about a monotonously torturous diet--and when they complained about it, God killed 3,000 Israelites with a plague); had a man put to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath; denied Moses and Aaron entrance into the "promised land" because Moses struck a rock twice with his staff instead of talking to the rock; delivered to his people a "promised land" that was parched, bordered by desert, and a corridor for passing conquering armies; sent fiery serpents among Israel, killing many; wanted to kill every Israelite and start over with Moses and his family (but Moses talked God out of that plan); drove the first king of Israel to suicide; killed someone who tried to steady a teetering ark of the covenant; murdered king David's innocent child; sent plagues and famines upon his people that killed men, women and children; ordered the execution of 42 children of the king of Judah; "smote all Israel" killing half a million men of Israel in a civil war between Israel and Judah; "delivered into the hand of the king of Israel" 120,000 Judeans massacred in one day along with 200,000 Jewish women and children; gave Satan the power to kill Job's children and servants (in order to win a bet); let the Babylonians conquer the holy city of Jerusalem, and then the Greek forces of Alexander the Great, followed by the Romans; and finally left the Jews homeless and persecuted by Christians and Moslems for nearly 2000 years. Furthermore, the large number of laws in the Hebrew Bible concerning the treatment of lepers and those with sores demonstrates that the Israelites were far from being blessed with unparalleled good health. And archeological evidence indicates that in ancient Israel the infant mortality rate was as high as fifty percent.
Edward T. Babinski [See the Bible for all of the cases mentioned above, except for the archeological evidence concerning ancient Israel's infant mortality rate. For the latter see, Drorah O'Donnell Setel, "Abortion," The Oxford Guide to Ideas & Issues of the Bible, ed. by Bruce Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (Oxford University Press, 2001)]


text:
Frequent Links
Quantitative trait locus
Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are stretches of DNA linked to, or containing, the genes that underlie a quantitative trait. Mapping regions of the genome that contain genes involved in specifying a quantitative trait is done using molecular tags such as AFLP or, more commonly, SNPs. This is an early step in identifying and sequencing the actual genes underlying trait variation. Quantitative traits refer to phenotypes (characteristics) that vary in degree and can be attributed to polygenic effects, i.e., product of two or more genes, and their environment.
- 1 History
- 2 Quantitative traits
- 3 QTL mapping
- 4 Analysis of variance
- 5 Interval mapping
- 6 Composite interval mapping (CIM)
- 7 Family-pedigree based mapping
- 8 See also
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Mendelian inheritance was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century, and as Mendel'sTemplate:Disambiguation needed ideas spread geneticists began to connect Mendel's rules of inheritance of single factors to Darwinian evolution. For early geneticists, it was not immediately clear that the smooth variation in traits like body size was caused by the inheritance of single genetic factors. Although Darwin himself observed that inbred features of fancy pigeons were inherited in accordance with Mendel's laws (although Darwin didn't actually know about Mendel's ideas when he made the observation), it was not obvious that these features selected by fancy pigeon breeders can similarly explain quantitative variation in nature.[1]
An early attempt by William Ernest Castle to unify the laws of mendelian inheritance with Darwin's theory of speciation invoked the idea that species become distinct from one another as one species or the other acquires a novel mendelian factor.[2] Castle's conclusion was based on the observation that novel traits that could be studied in the lab and that show mendelian inheritance patterns reflect a large deviation from the wild type, and Castle believed that acquisition of such features is the basis of "discontinuous variation" that characterizes speciation.[2] Interestingly, Darwin discussed the inheritance of similar mutant features but did not invoke them as a requirement of speciation.[1] Instead Darwin used the emergence of such features in breeding populations as evidence that mutation can occur at random within breeding populations, which is a central premise of his model of selection in nature.[1] Later in his career, Castle would refine his model for speciation to allow for small variation to contribute to speciation over time. He also was able to demonstrate this point by selectively breeding laboratory populations of rats to obtain a hooded phenotype over several generations.[3]
Castle's was perhaps the first attempt made in the scientific literature to direct evolution by artificial selection of a trait with continuous underlying variation, however the practice had previously been widely employed in the development of agriculture to obtain livestock or plants with favorable features from populations that show quantitative variation in traits like body size or grain yield.
Castle's work was among the first to attempt to unify the recently rediscovered laws of mendelian inheritance with Darwin's theory of evolution. Still, it would be almost thirty years until the theoretical framework for evolution of complex traits would be widely formalized.[4] In an early summary of the theory of evolution of continuous variation, Sewall Wright, a graduate student who trained under Castle, summarized contemporary thinking about the genetic basis of quantitative natural variation: "As genetic studies continued, ever smaller differences were found to mendelize, and any character, sufficiently investigated, turned out to be affected by many factors."[4] Wright and others formalized population genetics theory that had been worked out over the preceding 30 years explaining how such traits can be inherited and create stably breeding populations with unique characteristics. Quantitative trait genetics today leverages Wright's observations about the statistical relationship between genotype and phenotype in families and populations to understand how certain genetic features can affect variation in natural and derived populations.
|This section requires expansion. (April 2014)
Quantitative traits
Polygenic inheritance refers to inheritance of a phenotypic characteristic (trait) that is attributable to two or more genes and can be measured quantitatively. Multifactorial inheritance refers to polygenic inheritance that also includes interactions with the environment. Unlike monogenic traits, polygenic traits do not follow patterns of Mendelian inheritance (discrete categories). Instead, their phenotypes typically vary along a continuous gradient depicted by a bell curve.[5]
An example of a polygenic trait is human skin color variation. Several genes factor into determining a person's natural skin color, so modifying only one of those genes can change skin color slightly or in some cases, such as for SLC24A5, moderately. Many disorders with genetic components are polygenic, including autism, cancer, diabetes and numerous others. Most phenotypic characteristics are the result of the interaction of multiple genes.
Examples of disease processes generally considered to be results of multifactorial etiology:
Congenital malformation
- Cleft palate[6][7]
- Congenital dislocation of the hip[8]
- Congenital heart defects
- Neural tube defects
- Pyloric stenosis
- Talipes
Adult onset diseases
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Cancer[7]
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hypertension
- Ischaemic heart disease
- Manic depression
- Schizophrenia
- Psoriasis
- Thyroid diseases
- Alzheimer's Disease
Multifactorially inherited diseases are said to constitute the majority of genetic disorders affecting humans which will result in hospitalization or special care of some kind.[9][10]
Multifactorial traits in general
Usually, multifactorial traits outside of illness result in what we see as continuous characteristics in organisms, specially human organisms such as: height,[9] skin color, and body mass.[11] All of these phenotypes are complicated by a great deal of give-and-take between genes and environmental effects.[9] The continuous distribution of traits such as height and skin color described above, reflects the action of genes that do not manifest typical patterns of dominance and recessiveness. Instead the contributions of each involved locus are thought to be additive. Writers have distinguished this kind of inheritance as polygenic, or quantitative inheritance.[12]
Thus, due to the nature of polygenic traits, inheritance will not follow the same pattern as a simple monohybrid or dihybrid cross.[10] Polygenic inheritance can be explained as Mendelian inheritance at many loci,[9] resulting in a trait which is normally-distributed. If n is the number of involved loci, then the coefficients of the binomial expansion of (a + b)2n will give the frequency of distribution of all n allele combinations. For a sufficiently high n, this binomial distribution will begin to resemble a normal distribution. From this viewpoint, a disease state will become apparent at one of the tails of the distribution, past some threshold value. Disease states of increasing severity will be expected the further one goes past the threshold and away from the mean.[12]
Heritable disease and multifactorial inheritance
A mutation resulting in a disease state is often recessive, so both alleles must be mutant in order for the disease to be expressed phenotypically. A disease or syndrome may also be the result of the expression of mutant alleles at more than one locus. When more than one gene is involved, with or without the presence of environmental triggers, we say that the disease is the result of multifactorial inheritance.
The more genes involved in the cross, the more the distribution of the genotypes will resemble a normal, or Gaussian distribution.[9] This shows that multifactorial inheritance is polygenic, and genetic frequencies can be predicted by way of a polyhybrid Mendelian cross. Phenotypic frequencies are a different matter, especially if they are complicated by environmental factors.
The paradigm of polygenic inheritance as being used to define multifactorial disease has encountered much disagreement. Turnpenny (2004) discusses how simple polygenic inheritance cannot explain some diseases such as the onset of Type I diabetes mellitus, and that in cases such as these, not all genes are thought to make an equal contribution.[12]
The assumption of polygenic inheritance is that all involved loci make an equal contribution to the symptoms of the disease. This should result in a normal curve distribution of genotypes. When it does not, the idea of polygenetic inheritance cannot be supported for that illness.
A cursory look at some examples
Examples of such diseases are not new to medicine. The above examples are well-known examples of diseases having both genetic and environmental components. Other examples involve atopic diseases such as eczema or dermatitis;[9]spina bifida (open spine), and anencephaly (open skull).[6]
While schizophrenia is widely believed to be multifactorially genetic by biopsychiatrists, no characteristic genetic markers have been determined with any certainty.
If it is shown that the brothers and sisters of the patient have the disease, then there is a strong chance that the disease is genetic and that the patient will also be a genetic carrier. This is not quite enough as it also needs to be proven that the pattern of inheritance is non-Mendelian. This would require studying dozens, even hundreds of different family pedigrees before a conclusion of multifactorial inheritance is drawn. This often takes several years.
If multifactorial inheritance is indeed the case, then the chance of the patient contracting the disease is reduced only if cousins and more distant relatives have the disease.[6] It must be stated that while multifactorially-inherited diseases tend to run in families, inheritance will not follow the same pattern as a simple monohybrid or dihybrid cross.[10]
If a genetic cause is suspected and little else is known about the illness, then it remains to be seen exactly how many genes are involved in the phenotypic expression of the disease. Once that is determined, the question must be answered: if two people have the required genes, why are there differences in expression between them? Generally, what makes the two individuals different are likely to be environmental factors. Due to the involved nature of genetic investigations needed to determine such inheritance patterns, this is not usually the first avenue of investigation one would choose to determine etiology.
Typically, QTLs underlie continuous traits (those traits that vary continuously, e.g. height) as opposed to discrete traits (traits that have two or several character values, e.g. red hair in humans, a recessive trait, or smooth vs. wrinkled peas used by Mendel in his experiments).
Moreover, a single phenotypic trait is usually determined by many genes. Consequently, many QTLs are associated with a single trait.
A quantitative trait locus (QTL) is a region of DNA that is associated with a particular phenotypic trait. These QTLs are often found on different chromosomes. Knowing the number of QTLs that explains variation in the phenotypic trait tells us about the genetic architecture of a trait. It may tell us that plant height is controlled by many genes of small effect, or by a few genes of large effect.
Another use of QTLs is to identify candidate genes underlying a trait. Once a region of DNA is identified as contributing to a phenotype, it can be sequenced. The DNA sequence of any genes in this region can then be compared to a database of DNA for genes whose function is already known.
In a recent development, classical QTL analyses are combined with gene expression profiling i.e. by DNA microarrays. Such expression QTLs (eQTLs) describe cis- and trans-controlling elements for the expression of often disease-associated genes.[13] Observed epistatic effects have been found beneficial to identify the gene responsible by a cross-validation of genes within the interacting loci with metabolic pathway- and scientific literature databases.
QTL mapping
For organisms whose genomes are known, one might now try to exclude genes in the identified region whose function is known with some certainty not to be connected with the trait in question. If the genome is not available, it may be an option to sequence the identified region and determine the putative functions of genes by their similarity to genes with known function, usually in other genomes. This can be done using BLAST, an online tool that allows users to enter a primary sequence and search for similar sequences within the BLAST database of genes from various organisms. It is often not the actual gene underlying the phenotypic trait, but rather a region of DNA that is closely linked with the gene.
Another interest of statistical geneticists using QTL mapping is to determine the complexity of the genetic architecture underlying a phenotypic trait. For example, they may be interested in knowing whether a phenotype is shaped by many independent loci, or by a few loci, and do those loci interact. This can provide information on how the phenotype may be evolving.
Analysis of variance
The simplest method for QTL mapping is analysis of variance (ANOVA, sometimes called "marker regression") at the marker loci. In this method, in a backcross, one may calculate a t-statistic to compare the averages of the two marker genotype groups. For other types of crosses (such as the intercross), where there are more than two possible genotypes, one uses a more general form of ANOVA, which provides a so-called F-statistic. The ANOVA approach for QTL mapping has three important weaknesses. First, we do not receive separate estimates of QTL location and QTL effect. QTL location is indicated only by looking at which markers give the greatest differences between genotype group averages, and the apparent QTL effect at a marker will be smaller than the true QTL effect as a result of recombination between the marker and the QTL. Second, we must discard individuals whose genotypes are missing at the marker. Third, when the markers are widely spaced, the QTL may be quite far from all markers, and so the power for QTL detection will decrease.
Interval mapping
|This section requires expansion. (November 2010)
Lander and Botstein developed interval mapping, which overcomes the three disadvantages of analysis of variance at marker loci. Interval mapping is currently the most popular approach for QTL mapping in experimental crosses. The method makes use of a genetic map of the typed markers, and, like analysis of variance, assumes the presence of a single QTL. In interval mapping, each locus is considered one at a time and the logarithm of the odds ratio (LOD score) is calculated for the model that the given locus is a true QTL. The odds ratio is related to the Pearson correlation coefficient between the phenotype and the marker genotype for each individual in the experimental cross.[14]
The term 'interval mapping' is used for estimating the position of a QTL within two markers (often indicated as 'marker-bracket'). Interval mapping is originally based on the maximum likelihood but there are also very good approximations possible with simple regression.
The principle for QTL mapping is: 1) The Likelihood can be calculated for a given set of parameters (particularly QTL effect and QTL position) given the observed data on phenotypes and marker genotypes. 2) The estimates for the parameters are those where the likelihood are highest. 3) A significance threshold can be established by permutation testing.[15]
CONVENTIONAL methods for the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are based on a comparison of single QTL models with a model assuming no QTL. For instance in the "interval mapping" method [16] the likelihood for a single putative QTL is assessed at each location on the genome. However, QTLs located elsewhere on the genome can have an interfering effect. As a consequence, the power of detection may be compromised, and the estimates of locations and effects of QTLs may be biased (LANDER and BOTSTEIN 1989; KNAPP 1991). Even nonexisting so-called "ghost" QTLs may appear (HALEY and KNOTT 1992; MARTINEZ and CURNOW 1992). Therefore, it is obvious that multiple QTLs could be mapped more efficiently and more accurately by using multiple QTL models.[17] One popular approach to handle QTL mapping where multiple QTL contribute to a trait is to iteratively scan the genome and add known QTL to the regression model as QTLs are identified. This method, termed composite interval mapping determine both the location and effects size of QTL more accurately than single-QTL approaches, especially in small mapping populations where the effect of correlation between genotypes in the mapping population may be problematic.
Composite interval mapping (CIM)
In this method, one performs interval mapping using a subset of marker loci as covariates. These markers serve as proxies for other QTLs to increase the resolution of interval mapping, by accounting for linked QTLs and reducing the residual variation. The key problem with CIM concerns the choice of suitable marker loci to serve as covariates; once these have been chosen, CIM turns the model selection problem into a single-dimensional scan. The choice of marker covariates has not been solved, however. Not surprisingly, the appropriate markers are those closest to the true QTLs, and so if one could find these, the QTL mapping problem would be complete anyway.
Family-pedigree based mapping
Family based QTL mapping, or Family-pedigree based mapping (Linkage and association mapping), involves multiple families instead of a single family. Family based QTL mapping has been the only way for mapping of genes where experimental crosses are difficult to make. However, due to some advantages, now plant geneticists are attempting to incorporate some of the methods pioneered in human genetics.[18] Using family-pedigree based approach has been discussed (Bink et al. 2008). Family-based linkage and association has been successfully implemented (Rosyara et al. 2009)[19]
See also
- Family based QTL mapping
- Epistasis
- Dominance (genetics)
- Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL)
- Association Mapping
- Nested Association Mapping
- Oncogene
- Genetic predisposition
- Genetic susceptibility
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17752783
- ↑ http://www.genetics.org/content/36/3/254.long
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.genetics.org/content/16/2/97.long
- ↑ Ricki Lewis (2003), Multifactorial Traits, McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Proud, Virginia & Roberts, Helen (31 December 2005). "Medical Genetics: Multifactorial Inheritance". Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Multifactorial Inheritance". Pregnancy and Newborn Health Education Centre. The March of Dimes. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Tissot, Robert. "Human Genetics for 1st Year Students: Multifactorial Inheritance". Retrieved 6 January 2007.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Birth Defects Genetics Centre, University of South Dakota School of Medicine. "Multifactorial Inheritance". Clinical Genetics: A Self-Study Guide for Health Care Providers. University of South Dakota School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
- ↑ "Definition of Multifactorial inheritance". MedicineNet.com MedTerms Dictionary. MedicineNet.com. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2
Turnpenny, Peter (2004). "Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics" (PDF) (12th ed.). Elsevier. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
|chapter=ignored (help)
- ↑ Westra HJ et al. (2013). "Systematic identification of trans eQTLs as putative drivers of known disease associations". Nat Genet 45 (10): 1238–1243. doi:10.1038/ng.2756.
- ↑ Lynch, M. & Walsh, B. Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits edn 1 (Sinauer Associates, 1998).
- ↑ Bloom J. S., Ehrenreich I. M., Loo W. T., Lite T.-L. V., Kruglyak L. (2013). "Finding the sources of missing heritability in a yeast cross". Nature 494 (7436): 234–237. doi:10.1038/nature11867.
- ↑ Mapping mendelian factors underlying quantitative traits using RFLP linkage maps. ES Lander and D Botstein. Genetics. 1989
- ↑ http://www.genetics.org/content/135/1/205.full.pdf
- ↑ Jannink, J; Bink, Mc; Jansen, Rc (Aug 2001). "Using complex plant pedigrees to map valuable genes". Trends in Plant Science 6 (8): 337–42. ISSN 1360-1385. PMID 11495765. doi:10.1016/S1360-1385(01)02017-9.
- ↑ Rosyara, U. R.; Maxson-stein, K.L.; Glover, K.D.; Stein, J.M.; Gonzalez-hernandez, J.L. (2007). "Family-based mapping of FHB resistance QTLs in hexaploid wheat". Proceedings of National Fusarium head blight forum.
- Bink MCAM, Boer MP, ter Braak CJF, Jansen J, Voorrips RE, van de Weg WE: Bayesian analysis of complex traits in pedigreed plant populations.
Euphytica 2008, 161:85-96.
- Rosyara U.R., J.L. Gonzalez-Hernandez, K.D. Glover, K.R. Gedye and J.M. Stein. 2009. Family-based mapping of quantitative trait loci in plant breeding populations with resistance to Fusarium head blight in wheat as an illustration Theoretical Applied Genetics 118:1617-1631
- Garnier, Sophie, Truong, Vinh, Genome-Wide Haplotype Analysis of Cis Expression Quantitative Trait Loci in Monocytes [1]
External links
- Plant Breeding and Genomics on eXtension.org
- INTERSNP - a software for genome-wide interaction analysis (GWIA) of case-control SNP data and analysis of quantitative traits
- Precision Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci
- QTL Cartographer
- Complex Trait Consortium
- A Statistical Framework for Quantitative Trait Mapping
- GeneNetwork
- GridQTL
- QTL discussion forum
- A list of computer programs for genetic analysis including QTL analysis
- Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) Analysis @ Scitable
- Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci
- What are Quantitative Trait Loci? - University of Warwick


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Ask the Experts
Positive Elisa, Indeterminate Western Blot, Negative Rapid Test HIV test was indeterminate?(INDETERMINATE HIV TESTS, 2009) (PREGNANCY, 2009)Hi, Doctor - Around 2 weeks ago during my annual OBGYN appointment, I received a HIV test. The Elisa came back repeatedly positive and the Western Blot was indeterminate with traces of P24. Freaking out, I then went to my local health clinic 4 days...
Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.
The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation...Hi,You are most likely HIV negative. See below.Dr. BobHIV test was indeterminate?(INDETERMINATE HIV TESTS, 2009) (PREGNANCY, 2009)Feb 21, 2009 Hi, I have been sexually active for over two Read more »
If VL isundetectable and I take an HIV test, do I test HIV positive?Hello, I was wondering if the HIV positive diagnosis can only be made if the VL is present in... Read more »
HIV Test / HIV MedicationHi -My partner, we have been together over a year, is HIV positive. I had symptoms back in... Read more »
Get Tested on HIV Testing Day... In the run-up to National HIV Testing Day June 27, CDC has released new statistics indicating that more than 1.1 million Americans are HIV positive, with 21 percent Read more »
CDC Recommendations on HIV Testing Not Followed "Comprehensively," Too Few People Tested, HIV Specialist Says in Washington Post... CDC guidelines that recommend HIV testing be a part of routine care for people ages 13 to 64 -- as well as annual testing for people at high risk of the virus, such Read more »
Factors Associated With HIV Testing Among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative High-Risk Adolescents: The REACH Study...A recent issue of Pediatrics featured a study focusing on the HIV testing patterns of HIV-positive and HIV-negative high-risk adolescents to determine why, where, and when young people use such testing Read more »
AIDS Action leader, Rep. Coburn get tested for HIV, underscore importance of voluntary HIV testing...Opponents on most HIV prevention issues, Rep. Coburn and AIDS Action's Zingale agree to public HIV test to promote importance ofanonymous, voluntary HIV testing WHAT: AIDS Action Executive Director Daniel Zingale and Rep. Tom Coburn(R-Okla.), Read more »
Connect With Others
Do all newborns in us get tested for Hiv?
Posted by Anonymous, 3 RepliesDo they automatically test newborns for hiv in the us? Read more »
legitimate hiv test
Posted by Anonymous, 1 Replyhello all. i tested neg. at 7 month's after a high risk exposure. condom slipped off with a poz. female. went to my local clinic for the test. my question is, the test they gave me was the hiv-1 ab screen with reflex. is this a legitimate test? i am... Read more »
HIV Tests/Undetectable
Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies..."undetectable" status?? If someone's condition is made "undetectable" through drug therapy will they still test hiv-pos on a routine hiv test or will the test hiv-neg because of their "undetectable" condition???? Comments??? Read more »
HIV testing in the army
Posted by Anonymous, 5 Replies...Can anyone tell me what the Army's policy is on HIV testing? I know that new recruits are tested, but what about once you are enlisted? Thanks! Read more »


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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A veteran Kansas Department of Corrections employee has been named director of the agency's community corrections services.
The appointment of Marie McNeal was announced Wednesday. She will be responsible for administering grants awarded to community corrections agencies. She will also oversee a partnership with agencies that provide community-based supervision to felony offenders.
McNeal joined the Corrections Department in 1998. She worked in community corrections and at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility before being named administrator of the Prisoner Review Board — formerly called the Parole Board — in 2008.


text: I don't think that loss bothered Fed that terribly. Maybe for a few weeks afterwards but that's it. Fed still won USO that year and would win 2 slams the year after (including Wimbledon). The loss that bothered him the most was AO 2009 but even that turned out to be mostly an overreaction in the heat of the moment (he would win AO the next year). I don't think he enjoys being 2-8 overall against Rafa in slams and losing to Rafa in 3 out of the 4 slams when he has only beaten Rafa in 1 out of the 4 but that's another story :twisted:


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Area churches consolidate for parishioners in 3 states
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. -- Two former area churches are now united as one.
Emmanuel Baptist Church, of Keene, and Pioneer Baptist Church, formerly of Brattleboro, joined forces in last month to become the Tri-State Baptist Bible Church at 754 Route 63 in the village of Spofford and serve parishioners from New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
Pioneer Baptist Church once had a home on Birge Street in Brattleboro but moved to Chesterfield in 2007. Emmanuel Baptist Church consolidated with Pioneer at its Route 63 location on Sunday, Jan. 13, after the pastors (Fred Laughman from Pioneer and Roger Maxwell from Emmanuel) announced they were moving on. Talks of consolidation started in November.
"Both churches are very similar. It's a nice building here and it's near Spofford Lake," said the Rev. Peter Laitres, Tri-State's interim pastor. "It's been excellent. There's a good spirit here, people are excited."
He said his parishioners stretch from Peterborough to West Brattleboro, Vt., to Northfield, Mass.
Laitres, who graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1978 and most recently served as a pastor in Maine, said everyone is looking forward to some interesting changes to the building, as plans for expansion are in their primary stages.
Deacon Wayne Nickerson, who served at Emmanuel Baptist Church, said the perfect time to unify the churches' parishioners came when Laughman and Maxwell announced their resignations within about a week of one another. He said the two deacon boards merged into one and he was named its chairman.
"We're looking forward to doing more of an outreach into the neighborhood," he said, adding that the church will put an emphasis on worshipful music. He said the church has an organ on loan from the Estey Organ Museum on Birge Street, as its curator is a brother to Tri-State's musical director.
Nickerson, who grew up in the area and first became a deacon in 1995, said he and Laitres also are making an effort to bring the church into technological age. He said weekly services will be put up on the website (www.pbcjoyful.org) and there will soon be efforts to live-stream the services over the Internet.
Tri-State also has a Twitter account (@TSBBCNH) and a Facebook profile.
The service times are 9:30 a.m. on Sunday for the Sunday School Hour, 10:45 a.m. for the morning worship and a 6 p.m. Sunday evening service. There also is a prayer meeting and bible study, along with a children's program, at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.
A week of vacation bible school is planned for this summer.
Domenic Poli can be reached at email@example.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 277. You can follow him on Twitter @dpoli_reformer.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a measure that keeps flat the salaries of elected officials across all three branches of state government.
The House approved the measure Tuesday.
The bill covers the salaries of a range of officials, including the governor, attorney general, lawmakers, judges and prosecutors.
A legislative committee last week decided against providing prosecutors and judges with a 2-percent cost-of-living adjustment.
Legislative leaders say they may revisit those salary increases later in the session. They say they want to look at the budget as a whole before deciding on any cost-of-living adjustments.
Lawmakers are also weighing a proposed 2-percent raise for all state employees.


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Personal computing discussed
bigjohn888jb wrote:The printer in question is a high volume black/white laser. I have stuck with oem toner down through the years. I never paid that close attention, but I started recording the page count and noticed on a 10K cart. I was only getting a little under 5K. When that happened twice in a row I contacted the manufacturer and they said I should contact support. The laser is clean, and prints fine, but I would expect a little closer to 10K than 5K. It's at a legal office and they are almost exclusively printing text. That's why I started looking at alternatives, if I'm not going to get the volumn promised, I'd at least like to get a better price. The laser is a Samsung ML-4050.


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During his last year at Texas A&M, Billy Gillispie signed DeAndre Jordan to a letter of intent to play basketball for the Aggies.
... Read more
Billy Gillispie has high praise for assistant coach Chris Beard, who is so far the only hire he's brought into the men's basketball office.... Read more
Billy Gillispie's first recruiting class just rolled to an easy eight. Read more


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|International Space Station Imagery
high res (1.3 M) low res (83 K)
|JSC2012-E-220363 (9 Oct. 2012) --- NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano (foreground), both Expedition 36/37 flight engineers, participate in a space station EVA planning and preparation session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Crew instructor Regan Cheney assisted the crew members. Photo credit: NASA
Curator: JSC PAO Web Team | Responsible NASA Official: Amiko Kauderer | Updated: 10/30/2012


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NEFCU Donates $15,000 to Haiyan Relief
The $2 billion NEFCU in Westbury, N.Y., has donated $15,000 to the World Council of Credit Unions to help the global credit union outreach to victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
"Typhoon Haiyan is one of the worst natural disasters in recent history," said Dr. Esmeralda Lyn, the Long Island credit union's board second vice chair. "In keeping with our credit union philosophy of helping people, we are pleased to contribute to relief efforts that will help Philippine citizens rebuild their lives."
WOCCU began its relief effort shortly after the storm roared over the Philippines. The early November storm killed at least 5,000 people there, injured another 20,000 and displaced nearly a million people, according to recent estimates.
"Our thoughts go out to the Philippine citizens as they begin to rebuild their communities. We understand that this will not be an easy recovery, but we hope the support of the worldwide community will make a difference," Lyn said.


text: I was visiting my friends school where he teaches and entered the storage closet where they keep their sporting goods. On a shelf were something like 50 new unopened METAL cans of Penn tennis balls. They've got to be from the 1980s. On the can, it says you can send in $6.95 with 2-proof-of-purchases and receive a Head Tennis Bag ($27 value). I'm tempted to open a can to read the details of the offer but I can't bring myself to do it. I haven't seen a new metal can since I was young and just started playing. The last time I saw a metal can was just a few years ago when a lady and her young daughter came to the courts I was at and she pulled some used balls out of the can. I walked over to take a look then. I've seen them on that auction site too.


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$3 million donation will go to build Catholic school in Okatie
Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone, Bishop of Charleston, announced on Thursday that a $3 million donation has been made to support the construction of Pope John Paul II Catholic School, which will be located in Okatie.
According to Guglielmone, this donation will significantly enhance the efforts to build a Catholic school in the Lowcountry; the gift could allow the first phase of Pope John Paul II Catholic School to open its doors within the next two to three years.
"This is exciting news for Lowcountry parishes and the diocese," said Guglielmone. "This tremendous contribution will give high school and middle school students in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina the opportunity to receive a quality, Catholic education."
The $3 million dollars is a gift from the Richard D. Ennen Charitable Remainder Trust. The Ennen trust bestowed the money specifically to assist with the construction of the high school facility; however, it must be utilized within 5 years or be returned to the trust. The donation will be added to the existing $2 million dollars already pledged and will provide the necessary funding to begin Phase I of the construction project.
"We are committed to building Pope John Paul II Catholic School; however, we cannot undertake this tremendous effort alone. In the coming year, the Catholic faithful of the Lowcountry will be asked to financially commit to the school to bring the dream of a Catholic Middle and High School to fruition within the 5 year timeframe," said Guglielmone.
Richard D. Ennen, the man who the trust is named after, died on Jan. 18. He was the founder of NN Ball & Roller Company, a business that produces the steel balls that are used in ball bearings.
Since opening its doors in 1980, the company has grown into a multi-million dollar corporation; it went public in 1994. Before his death, Ennen dedicated his time to charity work, especially food-for-the-poor projects and a high school in Tanzania. Over the years Ennen was a member of St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church on Hilton Head Island and most recently a member of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Bluffton.
The school will be built at a location central to the Diocese's Lowcountry Deanery on Highway 170 near Okatie. A construction timeline will be announced at the completion of the current capital campaign.


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(Ok, hang on a second.
(Please don't take this post offensively- but it's ~7am and I just read what I missed since last night, and... (begin rant mode)
(I've been pretty tolerant of characters here thus far. But aren't we going a bit overboard now? How can we call ourselves the Twilight Mafia when we continue to distance ourselves from Twilight canon?
(When I was asked to join, I was under the impression that the Mafia existed under the same rules that Twilight characters lived by. That's obviously not the case. But I didn't say anything- after all, this wasn't my Mafia, I'd just been invited to join, right?
(Now, looking at these last few posts... Seriously. There's going to be a point where Giovanni will refuse to interact with people because they can't exist in his world. You think Bella had a hard time understanding what Edward is? Even a centuries-old vampire will eventually raise a hand and say "Okay, enough."
(And what's with the antagonism? You don't even exist in the same fictional universe. How dare you tell someone else what they (or their character) can or cannot do. That's tantamount to Bleach's Ichigo telling Dragon Ball's Goku to go to hell. You can debate all day as to who'd win- but you'd never know for sure because it would never happen. Not to mention it is quite beyond rude to tell someone else "Your character can't do this because I said so."
(I'm sorry, but this is getting to be way over my head. (end rant mode))


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More than 60,000 Oregonians have Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in older adults, or a related disorder. These conditions become more common with increasing age. Up to half of Americans over 85 develop cognitive (thinking) impairment or dementia (memory loss).
10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease
- Changes in memory that disrupt daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking and writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawing from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
Learn more about getting an evaluation from the Layton Center Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Assessment Clinic.


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