Author: claimsbot

1. A method for allowing selective audio modification of items in a video containing embedded data comprising:
identifying characteristics specific to a sound-producing element that is to appear within a video;
attaching the RFID tag to a physical item corresponding to the sound-producing element;
recording video and audio of an area, said area including said physical item;
scanning the RFID tag to automatically track the sound producing element relative to a position in the area;
embedding configurable audio associated with the sound-producing element within the video, wherein an end-user is able to adjust an audio characteristic of each sound-producing element by configuring the embedding audio associated specifically with a corresponding sound-producing element without adjusting other audio elements of the video in a corresponding manner.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio characteristics include at least one of pitch, tone, quality, and volume.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
visually presenting an interface within a display of a device; and
displaying one or more options to modify the one or more audio characteristics of sound producing elements appearing within the display responsive to input provided via an input mechanism associated with the device.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more options includes at least one of replacing an audio output of the sound-producing element and adjusting a level of intensity of an audio characteristic for the sound-producing element.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is a television, wherein the input mechanism is a remote control.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is a computer, and wherein the input mechanism is at least one of a mouse, a touchpad, a keyboard, a trackball, a pointing stick, and a touch screen.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein the video comprises a plurality of actors, wherein at least one of the actors is a sound producing element, wherein the end-user is able to select the actor and adjust a sound characteristic of the selected actor, said sound characteristic including a volume of the actor, wherein changing the volume of the actor does not change the volume of other non-selected actors and other sound-producing elements appearing in the video.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
automatically determining a location of the physical item within the area by determining a location of the RFID tag in the area; and
ascertaining a location in a viewing region of the video that corresponds to the determined location of the physical item, wherein the ascertained location is embedded within the video with the one or more audio characteristics.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the recording, scanning, determining, ascertaining, and embedding steps occur automatically for the duration of the video.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of items associated with RFID tags continuously enter and exit the area during the duration, wherein the steps of claim 1 apply to each of the plurality of items, and wherein the recording, scanning, determining, ascertaining, and embedding steps occur automatically.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the recording, scanning, determining, ascertaining, and embedding steps occur in at least one of real-time and near real-time.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of claim 1 are steps performed automatically by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the at least one machine, said at least one computer program being stored in a machine readable medium.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one of a service agent and a computing device manipulated by the service agents, the steps being performed in response to a service request.
14. A system for embedding audio data within a video that provides independent configurable audio elements comprising:
a video capture system configured to capture an area and turn that area into a viewing region of video;
an audio capture system configured to capture sounds within the area, wherein each sound-producing element within the area is captured independent of each other, and wherein the area contains a physical item that corresponds to each sound-producing element;
a RFID scanning system positioned proximate to the area, said RFID scanning system configured to scan RFID tags located within the area, wherein the RFID tags are associated with each physical item corresponding to each sound-producing element appearing in the viewing region; and
a merge server configured to automatically synchronize the one or more audio characteristics with the captured audio and video so that the one or more audio characteristics are associated with time segments of the video in which the associated element appear in the viewing region, wherein the video and the synchronized audio characteristics are conveyed to a plurality of interactive video viewing devices, which permit users to selectively modify the audio characteristics of each sound-producing element within the video using user-provided input from an input mechanism associated with the video viewing device.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein a position of the physical item in the area is automatically determined based upon information obtained from the RFID scanning system, wherein the merge server automatically and dynamically ascertains the position of the item within the viewing region based upon the determined position of the items in the area, and wherein the ascertained position within the viewing region is included as part of the synchronized audio and video information that is conveyed to the interactive video viewing devices.
16. A video playing system comprising:
a display configured to visually present video, which include a plurality of distinct sound producing elements;
an audio transducer configured to audibly present sound for the video; and
an input mechanism configured to permit a user to select sound producing elements of the video, said input mechanism also comprising an audio adjustment mechanism configured to permit a user to adjust a sound characteristic specific to the sound producing element without adjusting any other sound characteristic of the video.
17. The video playing system of claim 16, wherein the adjustable sound characteristics comprise at least one of pitch, tone, quality, and volume.
18. The video playing system of claim 16, wherein during production of a presented video, each sound producing element is tagged with an RFID tag and a sound capture device, which are used to generate a digital video stream with a plurality of tagged audio components, each tagged audio component comprising a video object that was tagged with the RFID tag.
19. The video device of claim 16, wherein the video comprises a plurality of actors, wherein each of the actors is a sound producing element, wherein the input mechanism is configured to select one of the actors appearing in a presented video, and wherein the audio adjustment mechanism is configured to permit a user to adjust a sound characteristic of the selected actor, said sound characteristic including a volume of the actor, wherein changing the volume of the actor does not change the volume of other non-selected actors appearing in the presented video.
20. The video device of claim 16, wherein the video comprises a plurality of sound producing musical objects, wherein each of the sound producing musical objects is a sound producing element, wherein the input mechanism is configured to select one of the actors appearing in a presented video, and wherein the audio adjustment mechanism is configured to permit a user to adjust a sound characteristic of the selected musical object, wherein at least one purchasing option of the musical object is also presented in the display, which a user is able to select using the input mechanism.

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. An L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate derivative having a substituent on the benzene ring, represented by the following formula (1):
9
or a salt thereof, wherein R is hydrogen, a linear or branched lower aliphatic acyl group with the acyl portion optionally substituted, an alicyclic acyl group, an aromatic acyl group with a substituent on the aromatic ring, an amino acid-derived group or a biotin derivative-derived group.
2. A compound according to claim 1, wherein R is hydrogen, an optionally thiol-substituted linear or branched lower aliphatic acyl group, an alicyclic acyl group, an aromatic acyl group optionally with a substituent on the aromatic ring, or a hydroxyl- or thiol-containing amino acid-derived group.
3. A compound according to claim 1, wherein R is acetyl, propionyl, n-butanoyl, sec-butanoyl, n-pentanoyl, pivaloyl, phenylacetyl, cyclohexylcarbonyl, benzoyl, substituted benzoyl, naphthoyl or pyridylcarbonyl.
4. A compound according to claim 1, wherein R is glycyl, alanyl, -alanyl or cysteinyl.
5. A compound according to claim 1, wherein R is biotinyl or biotinyl–alanyl.
6. A compound according to claim 3, wherein R is a benzoyl group substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, and a halogen atom.
7. A compound according to claim 6, wherein said substituent on the benzoyl group contains an isotope.
8. A method for producing a compound of formula (6):
10
wherein Boc represents t-butoxycarbonyl and TBS represents t-butyldimethylsilyl,
wherein a cyclocarbamate mixture of formula (3a) andor formula (3b):
11
wherein Bzl represents benzyl and Bz represents benzoyl,
is treated with barium hydroxide and the produced precipitate is removed, after which the filtrate is reacted with di-t-butyl-dicarbonate to give a compound of formula (4):
12
and then the hydroxyl group of the compound is protected with a t-butyldimethylsilyl group to yield a compound of formula (5):
13
and the benzyloxy group of the compound is selectively methyl esterified.
9. A method for producing an L-threo-nitrobenzylated (2S,3R) compound represented by the following formula (7):
14
wherein Boc represents t-butoxycarbonyl and TBS represents t-butyldimethylsilyl,
wherein a compound of formula (6) as defined in claim 6 is reacted with nitrobenzyl bromide in the presence of sodium hydride and tetra-n-butylammonium iodide without altering the stereospecificity.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the yield of the L-threo-nitrobenzylated (2S,3R) compound represented by formula (7) is at least 70%.
11. The method of claim 9, which further comprises a step of producing an L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate derivative having a substituent on the benzene ring, represented by the following formula (1):
15
or a salt thereof,
wherein R is hydrogen, a linear or branched lower aliphatic acyl group with the acyl portion optionally substituted, an alicyclic acyl group, an aromatic acyl group with a substituent on the aromatic ring, an amino acid-derived group or a biotin derivative-derived group,
by converting the NO2 group on the benzene ring of the compound of formula (7) to an NHR group, and removing any protecting groups.
12. A compound represented by the following formula (7):
16
wherein Boc represents t-butoxycarbonyl and TBS represents t-butyldimethylsilyl.
13. A compound represented by the following formula (6):
17
wherein Boc represents t-butoxycarbonyl and TBS represents t-butyldimethylsilyl.
14. A ligand for an affinity column, capable of binding specifically to L-glutamate transporter protein comprising:
a solid carrier having a functional group reactive with NHR group, and an L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate derivative of formula (1) as defined in claim 1, which is connected to the solid carrier by a reaction between the NHR group on the benzene ring in formula (1) and the reactive group of the carrier.
15. A ligand according to claim 14, wherein R is H, and the L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate derivative is connected to the solid carrier by a reaction between the NH2 group on the benzene ring of the L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate and a carboxyl or haloalkyl group on the solid carrier.
16. A ligand according to claim 14, wherein R is a biotinyl group, and the L-threo–benzyloxyaspartate derivative is connected to the solid carrier by a reaction between the biotinyl group and an avidin residue on the solid carrier.
17. A method for purifying or identifying L-glutamate transporter protein in a biological sample comprising the steps of:
providing an affinity ligand as defined in claim 14;
allowing a biological sample suspected of containing L-glutamate transporter protein in an aqueous solution to come into contact with the affinity ligand;
washing the affinity ligand; and
eluting the L-glutamate transporter protein from the affinity ligand.
18. A method for treating L-glutamate-transporter-related neurodegenerative diseases in a mammal, comprising administering said mammal a pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of a compound or a salt thereof as defined in formula (1) in claim 1, and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission housing, a modulatable power transmission clutch mounted within said housing and including interleaved clutch plates, said clutch having a central power transmitting shaft extending axially through said clutch mounted thereon, said clutch including a fluid operated movable piston for effecting clutch operation by compression of said plates, said piston having smaller and larger piston areas thereon, the smaller piston area being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, the larger piston area being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch;
and a spring loaded normally closed sequence valve mounted on the exterior of said transmission housing and accessible from the exterior thereof;
said sequence valve for controlling fluid flow to said larger piston area in response to fluid pressure above a predetermined amount at said smaller piston area, said valve being normally closed whereby pressure fluid is directed to said smaller piston area at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, and when said valve is open by said fluid pressure over a predetermined amount permits fluid flow to said larger piston area to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for full clutch capacity.
2. A power transmission housing, a marine transmission located in said housing and for variable speed control of a boat having a propeller for providing modulatable lower speed in both forward and reverse direction for maneuvering during docking of said boat to provide enhanced docking control and boat positioning;
said transmission providing seamless transition from modulation during which speed can be increased slightly to full clutch engagement and capacity for driving said propeller;
said transmission including a modulatable power transmission clutch including interleaved clutch plates, said clutch comprising a power transmitting shaft extending axially and centrally through said clutch mounted thereon, said clutch including a fluid operated movable piston for effecting clutch operation by compression of said plates, said piston having two separate fluid application piston areas of different areas thereon, one smaller of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable for said docking, the other larger of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for driving said propeller;
and a sequence valve for controlling fluid flow to said other larger of said piston areas in response to fluid pressure at said one smaller of said piston areas, said sequence valve being mounted on said transmission housing and at the exterior of said housing, said valve being spring loaded to a normally closed position in which pressure fluid is directed to said one smaller piston area at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, and when said valve means is open it permits fluid flow to said other larger of said piston area to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for full clutch capacity available to said propeller.
3. A power transmission housing, a power transmission in said housing and including a forward modulatable power transmission clutch and a rear modulatable power transmission clutch, said forward clutch connected in power receiving connection with a prime mover and in power delivering connection with load to be driven,
said rear clutch being connected in driven engagement with said forward clutch and engageable with said load to be driven for driving the latter in a reverse direction,
said forward and rear clutches each including clutch plates, a power transmitting shaft extending axially and centrally therethrough, said clutches each including a fluid operated movable piston for effecting clutch operation by compression of said plates, said piston having two separate fluid application piston areas of different areas thereon, one smaller of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, the other larger of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch;
and sequence valve means for controlling fluid flow to said other larger of said piston areas in response to fluid pressure above a predetermined amount at said one smaller of said piston areas, said sequence valve means being mounted on the exterior of said housing and accessible therefrom, said sequence valve means being spring loaded to a normally closed position in which pressure fluid is directed to said one smaller piston area at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, and when said valve means is open it permits fluid flow to said other larger of said piston area to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for full clutch capacity.
4. A power transmission housing, a marine transmission mounted in said housing for variable speed control of a boat having a propeller for providing modulatable lower speed in both forward and reverse direction for maneuvering during docking of said boat to provide enhanced docking control and boat positioning;
said transmission providing seamless transition from modulation during which speed can be increased slightly to full clutch engagement and capacity for driving said propeller;
said transmission including a forward modulatable power transmission clutch and a rear modulatable power transmission clutch, said forward clutch connected in power receiving connection with a prime mover and in power delivering connection with load to be driven,
said rear clutch being connected in driven engagement with said forward clutch and engageable with said load to be driven for driving the latter in a reverse direction,
said forward and rear clutches each including clutch plates, a power transmitting shaft extending axially and centrally therethrough, said clutches including a fluid operated movable piston for effecting clutch operation by compression of said plates, said piston having two separate fluid application piston areas of different areas thereon, one smaller of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable for said docking, the other larger of said piston areas being adapted to have fluid flow directed thereto to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for driving said propeller;
and for each of said forward and rear clutches,
a trigger valve for controlling fluid flow to said other larger of said piston areas in response to fluid pressure above a certain valve at said one smaller of said piston areas, a pressure fluid passage in said shaft for conducting pressure fluid to said smaller area and to said larger piston area, said trigger valve being located on an outer side of said transmission housing and easily accessible from the outside of said housing, said trigger valve being spring loaded to a normally closed position in which pressure fluid is directed to said one smaller piston area at a variable fluid pressure whereby said clutch is modulatable, said trigger valve when closed acting to block flow of fluid to said larger area below a predetermined pressure, and when said trigger valve is open acting to permit fluid flow above a predetermined pressure to said larger area of said piston to effect maximum and unmodulatable engagement of said clutch for full clutch capacity,
and an electronic control circuit for said transmission including a source of pressure fluid, a proportional valve connected to said source for delivering pressure fluid to said rear clutch, said source connected to another proportional valve for delivering pressure fluid to said forward clutch,
said circuit also including a control lever operatively connected with said proportional valves for selective operation thereof to effect forward or reverse operation of said boat.

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 compound represented by the following formula IA:
wherein R1, R2, and R3, are independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, a haloalkoxy group, a hydroxyalkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group, an alkoxyalkoxy group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cycloalkylidenemethyl group, a phenyl group, a phenylalkoxy group, a cyano group, a nitro group, an amino group, a mono- or di-alkylamino group, an alkanoylamino group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, a mono- or di-alkylcarbamoyl group, an alkanoyl group, an alkylsulfonylamino group, a phenylsulfonylamino group, an alkylsulfinyl group, an alkylsulfonyl group or a phenylsulfonyl group;
R4 and R5 are independently a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a hydroxyl group; an alkoxy group; an alkyl group; a haloalkyl group; a haloalkoxy group; a hydroxyalkyl group; an alkoxyalkyl group; a phenylalkyl group; an alkoxyalkoxy group; a hydroxyalkoxy group; an alkenyl group; an alkynyl group; a cycloalkyl group; a cycloalkylidenemethyl group; a phenyloxy group; a phenylalkoxy group; a cyano group; a nitro group; an amino group; a mono- or di-alkylamino group; an alkanoylamino group; a carboxyl group; an alkoxycarbonyl group; a carbamoyl group; a mono- or di-alkylcarbamoyl group; an alkanoyl group; an alkylsulfonylamino group; a phenylsulfonylamino group; an alkylsulfinyl group; an alkylsulfonyl group; a phenylsulfonyl group; a phenyl group optionally substituted by a halogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, an alkylenedioxy group, an alkyleneoxy group, or a mono- or di-alkylamino group; or a heterocyclyl group optionally substituted by a halogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, or a haloalkoxy group, or R4 and R5 are combined with each other at the terminals thereof to form an alkylene group; and
R is a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkanoyl group or a lower alkoxycarbonyl group,
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
2. The compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, wherein R1, R2 and R3 are independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a hydroxy-lower alkyl group, a halo-lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy-lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a halo-lower alkoxy group, or a lower alkoxy-lower alkoxy group;
R4 and R5 are independently a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a lower alkyl group; a halo-lower alkyl group; a phenyl-lower alkyl group; a phenyl group optionally substituted by a halogen atom, a cyano group, a lower alkyl group, a halo-lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a methylenedioxy group, an ethyleneoxy group, or a mono- or di-lower alkylamino group; or a heterocyclyl group optionally substituted by a halogen atom, or a lower alkyl group, or R4 and R5 are combined with each other at the terminals thereof to form an alkylene group.
3. The compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, wherein R1 is a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a lower alkoxy group, R2 and R3 are a hydrogen atom, R4 is a halogen atom; a lower alkyl group; a lower alkoxy group; a phenyl group optionally substituted by a substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a cyano group, a lower alkyl group, a halo-lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, and a mono- or di-lower alkylamino group; or a heterocyclyl group optionally substituted by a halogen atom or a lower alkyl group, and R5 is a hydrogen atom.
4. The compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, wherein the heterocyclyl group is a thienyl group, a pyridyl group, a pyrimidyl group, a pyrazinyl group, a pyrazolyl group, a thiazolyl group, a quinolyl group, or a tetrazolyl group.
5. A pharmaceutical composition which comprises the compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as set forth in claim 1, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
6. A method for treating or delaying the progression or onset of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, delayed wound healing, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, elevated blood levels of fatty acids, elevated blood levels of glycerol, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, Syndrome X, diabetic complications, atherosclerosis or hypertension, which comprises administering to a mammalian species in need of treatment a therapeutically effective amount of the compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as set forth in claim 1.
7. A process for preparing a compound of formula IA:
wherein the symbols are the same as defined in claim 1,
which comprises condensing a compound of formula:
wherein the symbols are the same as defined above, and a compound of formula II: