Abstract: A method for storing data, comprising the steps of (A) receiving a stream of data, (B) storing the stream of data in a series of data clusters each comprising (i) a predecessor link, (ii) a data portion, and (iii) a successor link, where the predecessor links and successor links are configured to minimize seek time between the clusters during contiguous stream operations.

Abstract: An apparatus including a transformation circuit and a scaling/quantization circuit. The transformation circuit may be configured to generate one or more transform coefficients in response to a video stream and one or more first control signals. The transformation circuit may be further configured to limit transform coefficients for residual 4×4 blocks to a 16-bit value when the video stream comprises 8-bit video data. The scaling/quantization circuit may be configured to generate one or more quantization coefficients in response to the one or more transform coefficients and one or more second control signals.

Abstract: A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product currently in a partially fabricated state is disclosed. The partially fabricated state having a plurality of layers up to and including a first conductive layer. The method generally includes the steps of (A) adding a second conductive layer from a user specification to an application set, the application set having a plurality of resources that define the semiconductor product, (B) validating a new resource in the user specification against the resources in the application set, (C) adding the new resource to the application set upon passing the validating and (D) propagating the new resource throughout a description of the semiconductor product, the description being stored in a computer-readable medium.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting the effect of patient self-care actions on a disease control parameter. A future disease control parameter value X(tj) at time tj is determined from a prior disease control parameter value X(ti) at time ti based on an optimal control parameter value R(tj) at time tj, the difference between the prior disease control parameter value X(ti) and an optimal control parameter value R(ti) at time ti, and a set of differentials between patient self-care parameters having patient self-care values SM(ti) at time ti and optimal self-care parameters having optimal self-care values OM(ti) at time ti. The differentials are multiplied by corresponding scaling factors KM. The system includes an input device for entering the patient self-care values SM(ti). A memory stores the optimal control parameter values R(ti) and R(tj), the prior disease control parameter value X(ti), the optimal self-care values OM(ti), and the scaling factors KM.

Abstract: A method and apparatus demodulate pre-formatted information embedded in an optical recording medium. The demodulation includes (a) receiving a wobble signal representing data symbols frequency-modulated on a carrier frequency, (b) generating a phase delta signal representing a phase difference between the wobble signal and a corresponding locked signal having the carrier frequency, (c) first sampling the phase delta signal at a data sampling interval to produce first values, (d) second sampling the phase delta signal at each halfway of the data sampling interval to generate second values, (e) determining, based on a difference between two successive second values, if the first sampling is performed at timing corresponding to an end of each data symbol, and (e) adjusting sampling timing of the first sampling towards the timing corresponding to each end of the data symbols, if the sampling timing does not corresponds to the end of each data symbol.

Abstract: A system and method is described that enables a health care provider to monitor and manage a health condition of a patient. The system includes a health care provider apparatus operated by a health care provider and a remotely programmable patient apparatus that is operated by a patient. The health care provider develops a script program using the health care provider apparatus and then sends the script program to a remotely programmable patient apparatus through a communication network such as the World Wide Web. The script program is a computer-executable patient protocol that provides information to the patient about the patient's health condition and that interactively monitors the patient health condition by asking the patient questions and by receiving answers to those questions. The answers to these health related questions are then forwarded as patient data from the remotely programmable patient apparatus to the health care provider apparatus through the communication network.

Abstract: A modular interactive system and method for customizing health education to an individual at a remote terminal to induce a modification in a health-related behavior of the individual. The automated system includes a questionnaire generator for questioning the individual to determine his or her motivational drivers and comprehension capacity. The questionnaire generator is a graphical user interface that allows a clinician to graphically attach questions to answer to action. A processor then generates a script program based on what the clinician has attached together. A profile generator receives answers entered by the individual from the remote terminal and generates a motivational driver profile and a comprehension capacity profile of the individual. A translator receives clinical data relating to a current health condition of the individual and translates the clinical data, the motivational driver profile, and the comprehension capacity profile into a profile code.

Abstract: A user-based monitoring system, made up of a at least one of each of remote user-monitoring subsystem, central server and authorized-user computer. The user-based monitoring subsystem facilitates collection of user-related data and includes at least one monitoring unit. The central server is remotely located from, and configured for signal communication with, the remote user-monitoring subsystem. The authorized-user computer is remotely located from, and configured for two-way signal communication with, the central server. An authorized user communicates with the central server upon transmitting an identifying authorization code; and can receive reports, based on user-related data collected by a remote user-monitoring subsystem, from the central server. These reports include at least information on the current condition of the remote user being monitored.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting the effect of patient self-care actions on a disease control parameter. A future disease control parameter value X(tj) at time tj is determined from a prior disease control parameter value X(ti) at time ti based on an optimal control parameter value R(tj) at time tj, the difference between the prior disease control parameter value X(ti) and an optimal control parameter value R(ti) at time ti, and a set of differentials between patient self-care parameters having patient self-care values SM(ti) at time ti and optimal self-care parameters having optimal self-care values OM(ti) at time ti. The differentials are multiplied by corresponding scaling factors KM. The system includes an input device for entering the patient self-care values SM(ti). A memory stores the optimal control parameter values R(ti) and R(tj), the prior disease control parameter value X(ti), the optimal self-care values OM(ti), and the scaling factors KM.

Abstract: A diabetes care management system for managing blood glucose levels associated with diabetes, comprising a computing device and an insulin delivery device.

Abstract: A circulator/isolator housing is provided that includes body and a plurality of slots within the body configured to receive therethrough inserts having magnetic permeability. The housing further includes a plurality of receiving portions within the body corresponding to the plurality of slots and configured to maintain a position of the inserts.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of first reference samples of a first reference image from an external memory, the first reference samples being proximate a first position within the first reference image and (ii) generate a first motion vector corresponding to a first current block of a current image by searching among the first reference samples. The second circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of second reference samples of the first reference image from the external memory, the second reference samples being (a) proximate a second position within the first reference image and (b) non-adjacent the first reference samples and (ii) generate a second motion vector corresponding to the first current block by searching among the second reference samples.

Abstract: A method of recording Audio-Video Interleaved (AVI) files on a disc, comprising the steps of (a) allocating a predetermined amount of space on the disc as a reserved track, (b) encapsulating audio data and video data into corresponding audio chunks and video chunks to be recorded on the disc, (c) adding a first amount of padding to (i) create a first gap and (ii) position the first gap in relation to the audio chunks and the video chunks in response to completely recording all of the audio chunks and the video chunks, (d) recording data on the reserved track and (e) adding a second amount of padding to (i) create a second gap and (ii) position the second gap in relation to the audio chunks and the video chunks to allow the recording of the Audio-Video Interleaved file to be compliant with a predefined disc standard.

Abstract: Delivery of health information to a patient suffering from a chronic condition is personalized by displaying the health information directly on a customized image of a body. The patient's medical record, standards of care for the condition, prescribed treatments, and patient input are applied to a generalized health model of a disease to generate a personalized health model of the patient. The personalized health model comprises an HTML file encoding an image map of a body. The body image illustrates the health condition of the individual patient. Preferably, data is collected from health provider sources and stored in a database on a server at a service provider site. The data is processed at the server, and is displayed in the patient's home using a TV connected to a multimedia processor. The multimedia processor connects the television set to a communications network such as the Internet. Applications include preventive care of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

Abstract: A system for remotely monitoring an individual. The system includes a server system for generating a script program from a set of queries. The script program is executable by a remote apparatus that displays information and/or a set of queries to the individual through a user interface. Responses to the queries that are entered through the user interface together with individual identification information are sent from the remote apparatus to the server system across a communication network. The server system also includes an automated answering service for providing a series of questions from a stored set of questions for an individual at the remote apparatus to respond to, storing responses to each provided question in the series of questions and providing a service based on the individual's response to the questions.

Abstract: A medical device for diabetes management, comprising (a) a memory comprising one or more optimal blood glucose values, one or more insulin dose values of a patient, one or more measured blood glucose values, and one or more scaling factors for weighting the impact on a future blood glucose value and that are customizable to an individual patient to predict the effect on the blood glucose of insulin dose actions performed by the individual patient, (b) a microprocessor, in communication with the memory, programmed to calculate a further value, the further value being based on the insulin dose values, the optimal blood glucose values, and the scaling factors, and (c) a display configured to display information according to the further value.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to analyze an audio-video data stream to determine watermark appropriate information for the audio-video data stream. The second circuit may be configured to communicate the watermark appropriate information either in-band with or out-of-band from a bit stream communicating the audio-video data.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate status signals and an error signal in response to accessing a storage medium. The error signal provides a first value based on an accuracy of accessing the storage medium. The second circuit may be configured to offset the first value of the error signal to a second value to increase the accuracy of accessing said storage medium. The status signals include one or more of a data signal and a differential signal. In a first mode, an offset signal is generated in response to the data signal. In a second mode, the offset signal is generated in response to the differential signal.

Abstract: On-line health education includes displaying composites of personalized health content and patient-selected entertainment. Suitable sources of entertainment include generally available web pages and television programs. Composites are spatial (for page displays) or temporal (for image sequence displays). Health content is customized to health and personal situations of individual patients, and replaces advertisements. Composites are generated on a central server in communication with an entertainment server and a health server. Amenable diseases or behaviors include diabetes, asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders, HIV, mental health disorders, smoking, and alcohol and drug abuse.

Abstract: A switching power supply with the increased efficiency at light load has a switching power circuit, a power monitoring circuit and a light load power supplying circuit. The switching power circuit converts an AC power to a stable DC power and sends the DC power to a load according to voltage variation of the load. When the power monitoring circuit detects the AC power and determines that the load is in a light state, the power monitoring circuit controls the light load power supplying circuit to output a small-power DC to the load. As the DC power provided by the light load power supplying circuit is small, the switching loss ratio is lower in its light load state. Therefore, the operating efficiency at the light load state is higher.