What is claimed is:
1. A method for designing combinatorial arrays, comprising the steps of:
(1) determining a number of reagents to be selected from a plurality of variation sites in a combinatorial library, wherein said number of reagents is smaller than or equal to a number of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
(2) selecting said number of reagents from a plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
(3) evaluating fitness (f) of a combinatorial array resulting from the systematic combination of said number of reagents selected in step (2);
(4) independently evaluating a plurality of candidate reagents from one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library by evaluating combinatorial sub-arrays resulting from the systematic combination of each of said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library with the selected reagents from each of said variation sites other than said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
(5) ranking each of said candidate reagents in said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on results obtained in step (4);
(6) selecting a new set of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on the results of said ranking step;
(7) repeating steps (4), (5) and (6) for each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
(8) evaluating fitness (1) for a combinatorial array resulting from the systematic combination of the selected reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
(9) setting f equal to f and repeating steps (4) through (8), if f is a better fitness than f; and
(10) outputting said combinatorial array from step (8), if f is not a better fitness than f.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (3), (4), and (8) are evaluated based on one or more objective functions.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (3), (4), and (8) are evaluated based on the similarity of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) to at least one given reference compound.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (3), (4), and (8) are evaluated based on the degree of matching of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) against at least one query or probe.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (3), (4), and (8) are evaluated based on at least one property of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s).
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one property of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) is a computed property.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises the step of selecting said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library at random.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises the step of selecting said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library systematically or semi-systematically.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (2)-(10) are repeated at least two times.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises the step of selecting said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library so that the selected reagents from at least one of said variation sites contain at least one given reagent.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (6) comprises the step of selecting said new set of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on rankings determined in step (5) so that said new set of selected reagents at said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library contains at least one given reagent.
12. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a computer to design combinatorial arrays, said computer program logic comprising:
determining means for enabling a processor to determine a number of reagents to be selected from a plurality of variation sites in a combinatorial library, wherein said number of reagents is smaller than or equal to a number of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
selecting means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from a plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
first evaluating means for enabling a processor to evaluate fitness (f) of a combinatorial array resulting from the systematic combination of said number of reagents resulting from said selecting means;
independently evaluating means for enabling a processor to independently evaluate a plurality of candidate reagents from one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library by evaluating combinatorial sub-arrays resulting from the systematic combination of each of said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library with the selected reagents from each of said variation sites other than said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
ranking means for enabling a processor to rank each of said candidate reagents in said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on results obtained in said independently evaluating means;
selecting means for enabling a processor to select a new set of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on the results of said ranking means;
ranking and selecting means for enabling a processor to rank and select reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library in turn;
second evaluating means for enabling a processor to evaluate fitness (f) for the combinatorial array resulting from the systematic combination of the selected reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library;
means for enabling a processor to determine if f is a better fitness than f;
means for enabling a processor to redesign said combinatorial array until f is not a better fitness than f;
setting means for enabling a processor to set f equal to f, if f is a better fitness than f; and
outputting means for enabling a processor to output said combinatorial array.
13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first evaluating means, said independently evaluating means, and said second evaluating means are evaluated based on one or more objective functions.
14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first evaluating means, said independently evaluating means, and said second evaluating means are evaluated based on the similarity of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) to at least one given reference compound.
15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first evaluating means, said independently evaluating means, and said second evaluating means are evaluated based on the degree of matching of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) against at least one query or probe.
16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first evaluating means, said independently evaluating means, and said second evaluating means are evaluated based on at least one property of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s).
17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said at least one property of compounds comprising said combinatorial array andor said combinatorial sub-array(s) is a computed property.
18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said selecting means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from a plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library further comprises means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library at random.
19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said selecting means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from a plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library further comprises means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library systematically or semi-systematically.
20. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said selecting means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from a plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library further comprises means for enabling a processor to select said number of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library so that the selected reagents from at least one of said variation sites contain at least one given reagent.
21. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said selecting means for enabling a processor to select a new set of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents from said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on the results of said ranking means further comprises means for enabling a processor to select said new set of reagents from said plurality of candidate reagents at each of said variation sites in said combinatorial library based on said ranking means so that said new set of selected reagents at said one of said variation sites in said combinatorial library contains at least one given reagent.
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 cartridge-information detecting device comprising:
an optical sensor for detecting information about a cartridge which stores ink and is removably mounted on a cartridge mount, the information including specific information indicating that the cartridge is in a state of being mounted on or removed from the cartridge mount; and
a controller including a timer which measures time and configured to execute a control for changing an operational mode of the optical sensor,
wherein the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in a constant operational mode in which the information about the cartridge is constantly detected through the optical sensor until the timer has measured a predetermined time from a timing at which the detection of the information about the cartridge becomes to be allowed, and
wherein the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in an intermittent operational mode in which only the specific information is intermittently detected through the optical sensor, after the predetermined time has passed.
2. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 1,
wherein in a certain case, the controller permits the optical sensor operating in the intermittent operational mode to operate in the constant operational mode by changing the operational mode of the optical sensor from the intermittent operational mode to the constant operational mode.
3. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 2,
wherein in a case where information that the cartridge is removed from the cartridge mount has been detected through the optical sensor operating in the intermittent operational mode, the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in the constant operational mode by changing the operational mode of the optical sensor from the intermittent operational mode to the constant operational mode.
4. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 2,
wherein in a case where information that the cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mount has been detected through the optical sensor operating in the intermittent operational mode, the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in the constant operational mode by changing the operational mode of the optical sensor from the intermittent operational mode to the constant operational mode.
5. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 2, further comprising an information outputting portion configured to output information to a user on the basis of a command from the controller,
wherein when information that the cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mount has been detected through the optical sensor operating in the intermittent operational mode, the controller controls the information outputting portion to output the information for prompting the user to remount the cartridge on the cartridge mount, and
wherein in a case where information that the cartridge is removed from the cartridge mount has been detected through the optical sensor after the information outputting portion has outputted the information for prompting the user to remount the cartridge on the cartridge mount, the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in the constant operational mode by changing the operational mode of the optical sensor from the intermittent operational mode to the constant operational mode.
6. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 2,
wherein when the controller permits the optical sensor to operate in the constant operational mode by changing the operational mode of the optical sensor from the intermittent operational mode to the constant operational mode, the controller resets the timer.
7. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising an information outputting portion configured to output information to a user on the basis of a command from the controller,
wherein when information that the cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mount has been detected through the optical sensor operating in the intermittent operational mode, the controller controls the information outputting portion to output the information for prompting the user to remount the cartridge on the cartridge mount.
8. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting permission detecting sensor for detecting whether the mounting of the cartridge on the cartridge mount is permitted or inhibited,
wherein the controller is further configured to judge whether the detection of the information about the cartridge is allowed or not, and
wherein the controller judges that the detection of the information about the cartridge is allowed, on the basis of a signal from the mounting permission detecting sensor, which signal indicates that the mounting of the cartridge on the cartridge mount is permitted.
9. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 1,
wherein the optical sensor includes (a) a first sensor for detecting the specific information, and (b) a second sensor for detecting another information about the cartridge in a mounting process in which the cartridge is being mounted on the cartridge mount.
10. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 9,
wherein the controller permits both of the first sensor and the second sensor to operate in the constant operational mode until the timer has measured a specific time from a timing at which the specific information is detected through the first sensor, and
wherein the controller permits at least the first sensor to operate in the intermittent operational mode after the specific time has passed.
11. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 10,
wherein the controller permits only the first sensor to operate in the intermittent operational mode after the specific time has passed.
12. The cartridge-information detecting device according to claim 10,
wherein the controller permits the first sensor to operate in the intermittent operational mode and permits the second sensor to be in a state in which the detection of the information about the cartridge is not allowed, after the specific time has passed.