Improved Probability Method for Estimating Signal in the Presence of   Background
  A suggestion is made for improving the Feldman Cousins method of estimating signal counts in the presence of background. The method concentrates on finding essential information about the signal and ignoring extraneous information about background. An appropriate method is found which uses the condition that the number of background events obtained does not exceed the total number of events obtained. Several alternative approaches are explored. 
Byron P. Roe (University of Michigan) and Michael B. Woodroofe   (University of Michigan)