Formal error

If, upon review of the patent, the patentee discovers that the claims contain a formal error, are too narrow, or are too broad in view of the prior art, the patentee may ask the U.S. PTO to correct this error. There are four administrative vehicles for correcting errors in issued patents. The appHcation of each of these mechanisms is dependent on the nature and severity of the error, as weU as the source of its creation. 

The ability of any experimental method to produce accurate and reproducible results and provide the sensitivity needed to discern differences between transport mechanisms depends on minimizing variability intrinsic to the method. However, formal error analysis is rarely undertaken, even for commonly used methods. Fawcett and Caton [45] performed an error analysis of the capillary method for determining diffusion coefficients more than 25 years after the method was introduced. The value of the analysis is that it reveals which factors contribute the greatest variability to the dependent variable of interest. In the case of transport studies, the dependent variable of primary interest is diffusant concentration, C(t), where... 

Here, too, the spread in the level of the Spite Plateau dominates the formal errors in the means among the different data sets. To this must be added the uncertainties due to temperature scale and model atmospheres, as well as some allowance for dilution or depletion over the long lifetimes of the metal-poor halo stars. Attempting to accomodate all these sources of systematic uncertainty, I adopt the Pinsonneault et al. (2002) choice of [Li]P = 2.4 0.2. 

The possibility of more or less accurate description of a phenomenon based on hundreds of non-accurate parameters could be considered as really surprising. As follows from formal error analysis theory, the results of kinetic modeling should be regarded as completely inconsistent. Probably there exist some deep reasons, which lead to self-consistency of complex kinetic models and allow trusting the results of simulations. 

Therefore, methods like Markov chains, stochastic Petri nets or models based on a stochastic process algebra must be applied. However, these methods are usually considered to be too formal, error-prone, and work-intensive to be applicable in most industrial scenarios. 

It is important to note that most treatments using the matrix method for the lattice dynamical treatment of molecular solids adjust the parameters of the potential model to fit observed frequencies. In this case, the formal error in the treatment is minimized in its importance. It may be of importance only inasmuch as the same potential model is assumed to be useful to interpret other physical properties such as gas phase second virial coefficients. It may also be important when one attempts to determine parameters for intermolecular potentials in terms of atom-atom interactions which are general to a class of molecules rather than specific to one substance. It is also evident that the error will be very serious in every case involving low-frequency librations (as for a-Ng). The reason for the small effect of the first derivative term in many cases is as follows. Both repulsive and attractive terms of the potential usually contribute significantly to the first derivative but their contributions have opposite sign and cancel. By comparison, the contribution to the second derivative of the potential is usually much larger for the repulsive potential term than for the attractive term (Shimanouchi, 1970),... 

Syntax errors include, for instance, wrong characters or incorrect order of characters. These errors usually turn up automatically when the program is fed into the machines s memory. With automatic coding formal errors occur very seldom. 

It is noteworthy that a probabilistic approach can be applied to software errors, including errors resulting from formalization errors of the functional application and its translations. Thus, for critical computer systems, neither a probabilistic approach nor a quality assurance approach is acceptable. Therefore, it is necessary for infrastructure managers to find a methodological approach to comprehensively ensure the correction of functional applications brought about by computer systems and thus to return to the case of deterministic failmes. 

Equation 7 provides the formal error bars on estimates of the relative travel time and, through Eq. 4, velocity changes. However, in addition to formal error bars, goodness-of-fit criteria must be taken into accotmt as well (Press et al. 1986). In the implementation of CWI at Okmok, two goodness-of-fit criteria are required to be met in order to accept an estimate of relative travel time, irrespective of the error estimate in Eq. 7. It must be that either (a) the standard deviation in Eq. 6 is less than one time sample or (b) the Pearson linear correlation coefficient given by... 

There is a long tradition and vast literature which uses the term resistant to refer to bacteria that have been shown, in susceptibility tests, to be less susceptible than other members of the group or species to which they belong. It is important to note that resistance, as defined here, is a measure of an in vitro bacterial phenotype. It is a formal error to consider that it has a necessary relationship to the clinical outcome of any proposed therapy. Defined in this way resistance is a very useful term for those whose primary interest is in bacterial phenotypes and the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie them. It is, however, less useful and can, in fact, be misleading, for those whose primary interest is in predicting the possible outcomes of a proposed antibiotic therapy. 

While many methods for parameter estimation have been proposed, experience has shown some to be more effective than others. Since most phenomenological models are nonlinear in their adjustable parameters, the best estimates of these parameters can be obtained from a formalized method which properly treats the statistical behavior of the errors associated with all experimental observations. For reliable process-design calculations, we require not only estimates of the parameters but also a measure of the errors in the parameters and an indication of the accuracy of the data. 

The errors in the present stochastic path formalism reflect short time information rather than long time information. Short time data are easier to extract from atomically detailed simulations. We set the second moment of the errors in the trajectory - [Pg.274]

If the r-value falls short of the formal significance level, this is not to be interpreted as proving the absence of a systematic error. Perhaps the data were insufficient in precision or in number to establish the presence of a constant error. Especially when the calculated value for t is only slightly short of the tabulated value, some additional data may suffice to build up the evidence for a constant error (or the lack thereof). 

A reissue may be ordered to correct any minor or major mistake which occurred during prosecution of a patent, but the mistake must be one that makes the patent partially or whoUy inoperable. Inoperable essentially means that the patent caimot be enforced. For instance, a reissue proceeding can be used to correct inventorship or even broaden claims if the patent is less than two years old. However, such a request to broaden claims in the context of reissue may not be undertaken to recover subject matter canceled during examination. Further, a reissue proceeding may be undertaken to correct formal problems or address newly discovered prior art which affects the scope of the claims. The nature of a reissue proceeding directs that this mechanism should be used only when the vaUdity of the patent is in question owing to the error or problem in question. 

You should consider obtaining internal and external quality assurance reviews of the study (to ferret out errors in modeling, data, etc.). Independent peer reviews of the QRA results can be helpful by presenting alternate viewpoints, and you should include outside experts (either consultants or personnel from another plant) on the QRA review panel. You should also set up a mechanism wherein disputes between QRA team members (e.g., technical arguments about safety issues) can be voiced and reconciled. All of these factors play an essential role in producing a defendable, high-quality QRA. Once the QRA is complete, you must formally document your response to the project team s final report and any recommendations it contains. 

If the UCKRON expression is simplified to the form recommended for reactions controlled by adsorption of reactant, and if the original true coefficients are used, it results in about a 40% error. If the coefficients are selected by a least squares approach the approximation improves significantly, and the numerical values lose their theoretical significance. In conclusion, formalities of classical kinetics are useful to retain the basic character of kinetics, but the best fitting coefficients have no theoretical significance. 

In equation (4.68), T is called the integral action time, and is formally defined as The time interval in which the part of the control signal due to integral action increases by an amount equal to the part of the control signal due to proportional action when the error is unchanging . (BS 1523). 

In addition to these formal studies of human error in the CPI, almost all the major accident investigations in recent years, for example, Texas City, Piper Alpha, Phillips 66, Feyzin, Mexico City, have shown human error as a significant causal factors in design, operations, maintenance or the management of the process. Figures 4.4-1 and 4.4-2 show the effects of human error on nuclear plant operation. 

The records required are only for formal calibrations and verification and not for instances of self-calibration or zeroing using null adjustment mechanisms. While calibration usually involves some adjustment to the device, non-adjustable devices are often verified rather than calibrated. However, as was discussed previously, it is not strictly correct to regard all calibration as involving some adjustment. Slip gages and surface tables are calibrated but not adjusted. An error record is produced to enable users to determine the uncertainty of measurement in a particular range or location and compensate for the inaccuracies when recording the results. 

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