All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A box for conveniently storing and dispensing food comprising:
a front wall having a first and a second opening and an inside surface;
a back wall;
a first and a second side wall;
a bottom flap and a first and a second top flap;
a first slide and a second slide that are in contact with the inside surface of the front wall, each of said slides having an opening;
wherein said front wall, said back wall, said first and second side walls, and said top and bottom flaps are interconnected so as to form a box, said first slide being movable between an open position in which said first slide opening substantially aligns with said first front wall opening and a closed position in which said first slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said first front wall opening; and
said second slide being independently movable from said first slide, said second slide being movable between an open position in which said second slide opening substantially aligns with said second front wall opening and a closed position in which said second slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said second front wall opening.
2. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box further comprises a supporting wall disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the inside surface of said front wall, said supporting wall having an opening that is aligned with one of said front wall openings.
3. A box as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of said slides is disposed in between said front Wall and said supporting wall.
4. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box further comprises an interior, said interior having a first compartment and a second compartment, said first compartment being opened when said first slide is in the open position, said second compartment being opened when said second slide is in the open position.
5. A box as defined in claim 4, wherein an interior wall separates said first compartment from said second compartment.
6. A box as defined in claim 4, wherein said box further comprises a front compartment wall disposed adjacent to a portion of the inside surface of said front wall, said supporting wall having an opening that is aligned with one of said front wall openings, said front compartment wall extending across the width of one of said compartments.
7. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box has a top opening and said box further comprises a top inner flap that extends across said top opening.
8. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box has a stop for defining the position of at least one of said slides in the open position of said at least one slide.
9. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box has a first stop for defining the position of said first slide in the open position of said first slide and a second stop for defining the position of said second slide in the open position of said second slide.
10. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein the openings in said slides are substantially the same shape as the openings in said front wall.
11. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said top flaps are connected to said back wall in an articulated manner, such that a user may lift said top flaps to slide said slides between said open and said closed positions.
12. A box as defined in claim 1, wherein said box is made of sulfate cellulose cardboard.
13. A box for conveniently storing and dispensing food comprising:
a front wall having a first and a second opening and an inside surface;
a back wall;
a first and a second side wall;
a bottom flap and a first and a second top flap;
a first slide and a second slide that are in contact with the inside surface of the front wall, each of said slides having an opening;
wherein said front wall, said back wall, said first and second side walls, and said top and bottom flaps are interconnected so as to form a box, said first slide being movable between an open position in which said first slide opening substantially aligns with said first front wall opening and a closed position in which said first slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said first front wall opening;
said second slide being independently movable from said first slide, said first slide being movable between an open position in which said second slide opening substantially aligns with said second front wall opening and a closed position in which said second slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said second front wall opening;
said box further comprising an interior, said interior having a first compartment and a second compartment, said first compartment being opened when said first slide is in the open position, said second compartment being opened when said second slide is in the open position, an interior wall separating said first compartment from said second compartment;
said box further having a top opening and a top inner flap that extends across said top opening; and
wherein said box has a first stop for defining the position of said first slide in the open position of said first slide and a second stop for defining the position of said second slide in the open position of said second slide.
14. A box as defined in claim 13, wherein the shapes of the openings in said slides are different than the shapes of the openings in said front wall.
15. A box as defined in claim 13, wherein said top flaps are connected to said back wall in an articulated manner, such that a user may lift said top flaps to slide said slides between said open and said closed positions.
16. A box as defined in claim 13, wherein said box is made of sulfate cellulose cardboard.
17. A box as defined in claim 13, wherein said box further comprises a front compartment wall disposed adjacent to a portion of the inside surface of said front wall, said supporting wall having an opening that is aligned with one of said front wall openings, said front compartment wall extending across the width of one of said compartments.
18. A box for conveniently storing and dispensing food comprising:
a front wail having a first and a second opening and an inside surface;
a back wall;
a first and a second side wall;
a bottom flap and a first and a second top flap;
a first slide and a second slide that are in contact with the inside surface of the front wall, each of said slides having an opening;
wherein said front wall, said back wall, said first and second side walls, and said top and bottom flaps are interconnected so as to form a box, said first slide being movable between an open position in which said first slide opening substantially aligns with said first front wall opening and a closed position in which said first slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said first front wall opening;
said second slide being independently movable from said first slide, said first slide being movable between an open position in which said second slide opening substantially aligns with said second front wall opening and a closed position in which said second slide opening is entirely out of alignment with said second front wall opening; and
at least one bag inside said box comprising at least one removable area, said removable area being positioned adjacent to at least one of said front wall openings.
19. A box as defined in claim 18, wherein said removable portion is defined by at least one line of weakness on said bag.
20. A box as defined in claim 18, wherein said removable portion is removably attached to said bag with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

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 method of detecting a pathogen, the method comprising:
contacting a body fluid of a person or animal suspected of having an infectious disease with a composition comprising a compound which is at least 90% pure of formula (III):
(M)x-(S)y-(M\u2032)z\u2003\u2003(III)
wherein x is from 1 to 6, y is from 1 to 12, z is from 0 to 10, each M and each M\u2032 is independently a mycolic acid residue including a \u03b2-hydroxy acid moiety and each S is a monosaccharide unit;
wherein each M and M\u2032 is independently selected from a mycolic acid residue of formula (IV):
wherein R is an optionally-substituted alkyl or alkenyl group; R1 is an optionally-substituted alkly or alkenyl group; R4 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; each of R2 and R3 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; Y is CH2; X includes a cyclopropyl moiety or an alkene; and Z includes a cyclopropyl group or the moiety C=A or C-AR5, wherein A is O, S, or NR5; and the each R5 may independently be hydrogen or an alkyl group; and
determining whether an antibody in the body fluid has bound to the compound of formula III.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein x is 1, y is 2 and z is 0 or 1.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the compound of formula III comprises a trehalose unit.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein R is an unsubstituted alkyl chain having 16 to 30 carbon atoms; R1 is an alkyl chain having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms; each of R2, R3\u2032 and R4 is an alkylene moiety having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein R2 and R3 have a combined total of from 10 to 20 carbon atoms and X includes a cyclopropyl unit.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises:
a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the antibody in the body fluid has bound to the compound of formula III includes detecting a second, marked antibody bound to the antibody in the body fluid.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the body fluid is selected from a group consisting of: blood, serum, plasma, pleural effusion, ascites fluid, and urine.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pathogen is Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
10. A method of treating a disease of the immune system in a mammal, the method comprising:
administering to the mammal an effective amount of a composition comprising a compound which is at least 90% pure of formula (III):
(M)x-(S)y-(M\u2032)z\u2003\u2003(III)
wherein x is from 1 to 6, y is from 1 to 12, z is from 0 to 10, each M and each M\u2032 is independently a mycolic acid residue including a \u03b2-hydroxy acid moiety and each S is a monosaccharide unit;
wherein each M and M\u2032 is independently selected from a mycolic acid residue of formula (IV):
wherein R is an optionally-substituted alkyl or alkenyl group; R1 is an optionally-substituted alkly or alkenyl group; R4 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; each of R2 and R3 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; Y is CH2; X includes a cyclopropyl moiety or an alkene; and Z includes a cyclopropyl group or the moiety C=A or C-AR5, wherein A is O, S, or NR5; and the each R5 may independently be hydrogen or an alkyl group.
11. A method of vaccination of a mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal a vaccine composition comprising an antigen and a compound which is at least 90% pure of formula (III):
(M)x-(S)y-(M\u2032)z\u2003\u2003(III)

wherein x is from 1 to 6, y is from 1 to 12, z is from 0 to 10, each M and each M\u2032 is independently a mycolic acid residue including a \u03b2-hydroxy acid moiety and each S is a monosaccharide unit;
wherein each M and M\u2032 is independently selected from a mycolic acid residue of formula (IV):
wherein R is an optionally-substituted alkyl or alkenyl group; R1 is an optionally-substituted alkly or alkenyl group; R4 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; each of R2 and R3 is an optionally-substituted alkylene or alkenylene group; Y is CH2; X includes a cyclopropyl moiety or an alkene; and Z includes a cyclopropyl group or the moiety C=A or C-AR5, wherein A is O, S, or NR5; and the each R5 may independently be hydrogen or an alkyl group.

1. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image.
2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the spatial filter is a function of the pixel values of the local neighborhood.
3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the spatial filter is a non-linear function of the pixel values of the local neighborhood.
4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the first signal value predominantly relates to the low spatial frequency information and the second signal value predominantly relates to the high spatial frequency information.
5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein step c) further comprises the steps of applying a spatial filter to the first signal values for pixels in the color digital image to calculate a gradient signal value from the first signal values, and using the gradient signal value to modify either the first signal value or second signal value.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the gradient signal values are modified with a single valued function.
7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said first and second signal values predominantly relates to the low spatial frequency information and the other of said first and second signal values predominantly relates to the high spatial frequency information.
8. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
wherein step b) further comprises the steps of identifying one or more color regions in the color space, calculating a pixel color coordinate in the color space for the pixel of interest, and calculating the color weighting factor as a near continuous function of the pixel color coordinate and the one or more color regions.
9. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein step b) further comprises the steps of calculating a neighborhood color value derived from the values of one or more pixels sampled from a local neighborhood of pixels including the pixel of interest, calculating color distance(s) from the neighborhood color value to the identified color region(s) and using the color distance values to calculate the color weighting factor.
10. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein the neighborhood color value is derived only from the pixel of interest.
11. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein the color weighting factor is calculated as a Gaussian function of the color distance(s).
12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the color weighting factor is calculated using a Gaussian function of the color distance values for each identified color region.
13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the Gaussian functions are combined in an additive manner to calculate the color weighting factor.
14. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the Gaussian functions are combined in a multiplicative manner to calculate the color weighting factor.
15. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the color weighting factor causes an amplification of high spatial frequency information for pixels of interest that are closer in color to one of the identified color regions.
16. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the color weighting factor causes a reduction of high spatial frequency information for pixels of interest that are closer in color to one of the identified color regions.
17. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the color weighting factor causes an amplification of high spatial frequency information for pixels of interest that are closer in color to one of the identified color regions, and causes a reduction of high spatial frequency information for pixels of interest that are closer in color to another of the identified color regions.
18. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein one of the identified color regions is the color of sky.
19. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein one of the identified color regions is the color of grass.
20. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein one of the identified color regions is the color of skin.
21. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
and further comprising the steps of using the values of pixels sampled from the local neighborhood to calculate a statistical weighting factor for the pixel of interest and using the statistical weighting factor to modify either the first signal value or second signal value.
22. The method claimed in claim 21, further comprising the steps of identifying a noise parameter relating to the expected noise level for the pixel of interest and using the statistical weighting factor and the noise parameter to modify either the first signal value or second signal value.
23. The method claimed in claim 22, wherein the step of identifying a noise parameter comprises the steps of calculating an intensity signal value for the pixel of interest and identifying a noise parameter relating to the expected noise level for the pixel of interest, the noise parameter being a function of the intensity signal value.
24. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
wherein the color digital image has red, green, and blue digital image channels, and further comprising the steps of calculating color difference values as linear combinations of the red, green, and blue digital image channels, and identifying the color regions and calculating the color weighing factors in color difference space.
25. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
and further comprising the steps of calculating color difference values as CIELAB a* and b* components, and identifying the color regions and calculating the color weighing factors in color difference space.
26. A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said method comprising the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value;
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first sigal value and the second signal value; and
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
and further comprising the steps of calculating color difference values as C* and H* components, and identifying the color regions and calculating the color weighing factors in color difference space.
27. A computer program product for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said computer program product comprising: a computer erasable storage medium having a computer program store thereon for performing the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value; and
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value;
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image.
28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the first signal value predominantly relates to the low spatial frequency information and the second signal value predominantly relates to the high spatial frequency information.
29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein one of said first and second signal values predominantly relates to the low spatial frequency information and the other of said first and second signal values predominantly relates to the high spatial frequency information.
30. A computer program product for enhancing a color digital image composed of a plurality of pixels having color values representative of the image, said computer program product comprising: a computer erasable storage medium having a computer program store thereon for performing the steps of:
a) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels including a pixel of interest;
b) using the color values of one or more of the pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, the color weighting factor being a near continuous function of the location of said one or more pixels in a color space;
c) applying a spatial filter to the values of pixels from the local neighborhood to calculate a first signal value and a second signal value for the pixel of interest;
d) using the color weighting factor to modify the first signal value; and
e) generating an enhanced pixel value for the pixel of interest from the modified first signal value and the second signal value;
f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image;
wherein step b) further comprises the steps of identifying one or more color regions in the color space, calculating a pixel color coordinate in the color space for the pixel of interest, and calculating the color weighting factor as a near continuous function of the pixel color coordinate and the one or more color regions.
31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein step b) further comprises the steps of calculating a neighborhood color value derived from the values of one or more pixels sampled from a local neighborhood of pixels including the pixel of interest, calculating color distance value(s) from the neighborhood color value to the identified color region(s) and using the color distance values to calculate the color weighting factor.
32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the neighborhood color value is derived only from the pixel of interest.
33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the color weighting factor is calculated as a Gaussian function of the color distance values.

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 printing apparatus which performs scan printing on a print medium by using a printhead having, for each color ink, a plurality of nozzle arrays in each of which a plurality of nozzles are arrayed, the apparatus comprising:
a control unit configured to execute a speed oriented mode and an image quality oriented mode as modes of the scan printing;
a print control unit configured to generate data to be transferred to the printhead, for each nozzle array, based on print data of one nozzle array, based on change data for changing data corresponding to a nozzle which does not discharge ink in the print data of the one nozzle array, and based on information relating to an inclination of a nozzle array in a reference direction; and
a memory control unit configured to read out print data held in a first buffer memory outside the print control unit, and to store, in a second buffer memory inside the print control unit in correspondence with a nozzle array, print data changed in accordance with the change data,
wherein in the image quality oriented mode, the print control unit reads out the change data from the first buffer memory and generates data to be transferred to the printhead, and
wherein in the speed oriented mode, the print control unit reads out the change data held in advance in the second buffer memory and generates data to be transferred to the printhead.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first buffer memory is a DRAM.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second buffer memory is an SRAM or a register.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit comprises:
a data changing unit configured to change, by using the change data, print data read out from the first buffer memory; and
a memory control unit configured to write, in the second buffer memory, data changed by the data changing unit.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit comprises a third buffer memory configured to hold, for each nozzle array, data generated based on the information relating to the inclination of the nozzle array in the reference direction.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second buffer memory has an area for holding data of a plurality of columns for each nozzle array.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein in the image quality oriented mode, the print control unit generates, based on print data different between nozzle arrays, data to be transferred to the printhead, and
wherein in the speed oriented mode, the print control unit generates, based on print data of one nozzle array, data to be transferred to the printhead for a plurality of nozzle arrays.
8. A printing method of performing scan printing on a print medium by using a printhead having, for each color ink, a plurality of nozzle arrays in each of which a plurality of nozzles are arrayed, the method comprising:
setting execution of a speed oriented mode or an image quality oriented mode as a mode of the scan printing;
generating, by a print control unit, data to be transferred to the printhead for each nozzle array based on print data of one nozzle array, change data for changing data corresponding to a nozzle which does not discharge ink in the print data of the one nozzle array, and information relating to an inclination of a nozzle array in a reference direction;
reading out print data held in a first buffer memory outside the print control unit; and
storing in a second buffer memory inside the print control unit print data changed in accordance with the change data,
wherein in the generating step, when executing the image quality oriented mode, the change data is read out from the first buffer memory to generate data to be transferred to the printhead, and
wherein when executing the speed oriented mode, the change data held in advance in the second buffer memory is read out to generate data to be transferred to the printhead.