Abstract: A system and method are provided for measuring body joint range of motion using inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors capable of measuring their orientations relative to Earth. The method mounts a primary IMU sensor on a proximal body segment, and a secondary IMU sensor on a distal body segment connected to the proximal body segment via a joint. The sensor orientation relationship is measured between the primary IMU sensor and the secondary IMU sensor. In one aspect, the sensor orientation relationship is expressed as a quaternion. The sensor orientation relationship is converted into at least one physiologically modeled constituent joint rotation relationship between the proximal body segment and the distal body segment. More explicitly, the sensor orientation relationship is converted to a constituent axial axis, composite radial, or primary and secondary radial rotations of the distal body segment measured with respect to the proximal body segment.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for distributed data collection synchronization. Provided are communicating data generation units (DGUs) capable of data storage, having consumable power resources. In response to the DGUs comparing their availability and power resources, a master and slave DGUs are selected, and the slave DGUs synchronize their data collection to a common timing reference supplied by their master DGU. One example of consumable power is battery power. A first DGU may select itself as a master DGU in response to either waiting a first predetermined duration of time after reset, or receiving no link status message from a master DGU for a second predetermined duration of time. Alternatively, a slave first DGU may compare its own available power resources to the available power resources of its master second DGU and select itself as the master DGU when the available power resources of the first DGU are greater.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining the orientation of an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The method calculates a gyroscopic quaternion, and when the IMU accelerometer reading is about equal to gravity (1 G), a field quaternion is calculated using IMU accelerometer readings. Estimates are made of angular orientation errors due to IMU angular velocity and linear acceleration, and these angular orientation errors are used to selectively mix the gyroscopic quaternion and field quaternion to supply a current sample quaternion. Alternatively, if the accelerometer reading is not about equal to 1 G, the gyroscopic quaternion is used as the current sample quaternion. In one aspect, IMU gyroscope readings and IMU accelerometer readings are calibrated in response to determining a lack of IMU movement. Near-zero gyroscope reading jitter is removed by setting the IMU gyroscopic reading to zero, when the gyroscopic reading is near zero.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining sensor contact in a multi-sensor device. The method measures a series of photoplethysmography (PPG) heart beat signals, while simultaneously measuring a series of electrocardiogram (ECG) heart beat signals. The method detects a correlation in time between each of a plurality of PPG signals and corresponding ECG signals. In response to the timing between correlated PPG and ECG signals remaining within a first correlation deviation limit, a correlation state is determined. For example, a correlation state may be determined in response to n out of m number of correlated PPG and ECG signals remaining within the correlation deviation limit, where n and m are integers greater than zero.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining sensor contact in a multi-sensor device. The method measures a series of photoplethysmography (PPG) heart beat signals, while simultaneously measuring a series of electrocardiogram (ECG) heart beat signals. The method detects a correlation in time between each of a plurality of PPG signals and corresponding ECG signals. In response to the timing between correlated PPG and ECG signals remaining within a first correlation deviation limit, a correlation state is determined. For example, a correlation state may be determined in response to a out of m number of correlated PPG and ECG signals remaining within the correlation deviation limit, where n and m are integers greater than zero.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for distributed data collection synchronization. Provided are communicating data generation units (DGUs) capable of data storage, having consumable power resources. In response to the DGUs comparing their availability and power resources, a master and slave DGUs are selected, and the slave DGUs synchronize their data collection to a common timing reference supplied by their master DGU. One example of consumable power is battery power. A first DGU may select itself as a master DGU in response to either waiting a first predetermined duration of time after reset, or receiving no link status message from a master DGU for a second predetermined duration of time. Alternatively, a slave first DGU may compare its own available power resources to the available power resources of its master second DGU and select itself as the master DGU when the available power resources of the first DGU are greater.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for measuring body joint range of motion using inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors capable of measuring their orientations relative to Earth. The method mounts a primary IMU sensor on a proximal body segment, and a secondary IMU sensor on a distal body segment connected to the proximal body segment via a joint. The sensor orientation relationship is measured between the primary IMU sensor and the secondary IMU sensor. In one aspect, the sensor orientation relationship is expressed as a quaternion. The sensor orientation relationship is converted into at least one physiologically modeled constituent joint rotation relationship between the proximal body segment and the distal body segment. More explicitly, the sensor orientation relationship is converted to a constituent axial axis, composite radial, or primary and secondary radial rotations of the distal body segment measured with respect to the proximal body segment.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining the orientation of an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The method calculates a gyroscopic quaternion, and when the IMU accelerometer reading is about equal to gravity (1 G), a field quaternion is calculated using IMU accelerometer readings. Estimates are made of angular orientation errors due to IMU angular velocity and linear acceleration, and these angular orientation errors are used to selectively mix the gyroscopic quaternion and field quaternion to supply a current sample quaternion. Alternatively, if the accelerometer reading is not about equal to 1 G, the gyroscopic quaternion is used as the current sample quaternion. In one aspect, IMU gyroscope readings and IMU accelerometer readings are calibrated in response to determining a lack of IMU movement. Near-zero gyroscope reading jitter is removed by setting the IMU gyroscopic reading to zero, when the gyroscopic reading is near zero.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for determining the orientation of a body segment using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor capable of measuring its orientation relative to Earth. In general, the method mounts a primary IMU sensor on a first body segment, with an unknown first alignment orientation relationship between the primary IMU sensor and the first body segment. A primary IMU sensor orientation is measured, and an alignment orientation relationship is calculated between the primary IMU sensor orientation and a first body segment orientation. The method may also measure a primary IMU sensor initial orientation and a subsequent orientation. As a result, a subsequent orientation of the first body segment is determined based upon the primary IMU sensor initial and subsequent orientations, as well as the calculation of the alignment orientation relationship between the primary IMU sensor initial orientation and the first body segment orientation.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for detecting the connection status of a communicatively-connected device.

Abstract: A method of providing popularity ratings to users includes monitoring experiences of users with programs, generating popularity ratings associated with the programs in response to the monitoring, and communicating at least one of the popularity ratings as at least one of the users experiences at least one of the programs.

Abstract: Two or more graphics planes are combined according to a scheme that circumvents mixing of certain regions to conserve resources. Although some mixing is circumvented, the outputted display image remains visually adequate.

Abstract: An exemplary method to help end users configure their respective media playing sets includes prompting the user for their geographical location, transmitting the location to a remote processing site which identifies broadcast settings particularly suited for the location, and adjusting the set remotely from the site to fully implement automatically the settings. Another such method includes establishing a list of viewing categories, identifying preferred broadcast settings for each category, determining preferred categories for previous day/time combinations, predicting most likely to favored categories and settings, and automatically implementing such settings when the corresponding day/time combination is present.

Abstract: A remote support site having a detector internally collecting information on a user-selectable intrinsic broadcast characteristic of a media-playing set or television and a server enabling specification of a preferred setting for such characteristic from this information. A method including maintaining a remote site, therefrom internally collecting information from the set about a user-selectable intrinsic broadcast characteristic, and therefrom specifying a preferred setting for such characteristic. A similar method but information detected upon user request about user-adjustable component for selecting on-screen characteristic and final step is remotely adjusting component. A similar method but information is about broadcast characteristic potentially selectable initially by user instead remotely specified initially. A similar method but information is about plural broadcast characteristics and final step is remotely providing settings for each.

Abstract: A remote support site having a detector internally collecting information on a user-selectable intrinsic broadcast characteristic of a media-playing set or television and a server enabling specification of a preferred setting for such characteristic from this information. A method including maintaining a remote site, therefrom internally collecting information from the set about a user-selectable intrinsic broadcast characteristic, and therefrom specifying a preferred setting for such characteristic. A similar method but information detected upon user request about user-adjustable component for selecting on-screen characteristic and final step is remotely adjusting component. A similar method but information is about broadcast characteristic potentially selectable initially by user instead remotely specified initially. A similar method but information is about plural broadcast characteristics and final step is remotely providing settings for each.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use with televisions having an internal Java engine are included among the embodiments. In exemplary systems, a PCMCIA port allows the Java engine to load and execute Java applets selected by the viewer. Provision is made for system-aware applets to run concurrently with platform-independent applets on different Java display planes that are merged for display. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A television upgrade system allows a consumer to upgrade applications or features in a television (TV) simply by inserting an external device containing an upgrade file into the TV. The TV then executes a boot loader code which automatically replaces an executable code for applications or features currently in the TV with the new or upgraded executable code from the upgrade file. A consumer can also upgrade the boot loader code that maps out where the executable code for the different applications or features are located in memory. This allows the TV to be completely reconfigured for a wider variety of new applications and features. A verification operation can be performed to prevent the TV from being reconfigured with incorrect versions of the boot image and to avoid unauthorized files from being loaded into the TV.

Abstract: A Personal Video Recorder (PVR) generates an object index table in real-time that can be updated while streaming media is being encoded and stored in memory. This allows more dynamic video trick mode operations such as fast forward, reverse and skip. The PVR also provides automatic data rate control that prevents video frames from being dropped thus preventing jitter in the output media.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use with televisions having an internal Java engine are included among the embodiments. In exemplary systems, a PCMCIA port allows the Java engine to load and execute Java applets selected by the viewer. Provision is made for system-aware applets to run concurrently with platform-independent applets on different Java display planes that are merged for display. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The current invention describes novel remote control features operative with a television system, including hotkey buttons assignable to certain applications operating and/or displayed on the television system, one touch record and image capture to a removable storage medium, and notification alert buttons for browsing between certain notifications and alerts.