Abstract: Data binning methods and systems for estimating a subject's respiratory airflow from a body sound signal detected by an acoustic sensor on the subject's body. The methods and systems operate in a configuration mode followed by a monitoring mode. In the configuration mode, a body sound signal and respiratory airflow are detected by an on-body acoustic sensor and a spirometer, respectively, over a common time period. Time-aligned body sound signal and respiratory airflow data points are then generated and assigned to bins each spanning a discrete signal range (e.g. discrete signal entropy range or signal amplitude range). Respiratory airflow estimation data (e.g. mean airflow and standard deviation) are then calculated for each bin and an entry for each bin associating the discrete range and the estimation data is stored in a lookup table. Then, in the monitoring mode, the lookup table is accessed using subsequent body sound signal readings (e.g.

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

Abstract: A multistage system and method for estimating respiration parameters from an acoustic signal. At a first stage, the method and system detect and isolate portions of the signal that exhibit long-term, moderate amplitude noise by analyzing cumulative energies in the signal, and portions of the signal that exhibit short-term, high amplitude noise by analyzing peak energies in the signal. At a second stage, the method and system filter heart sound from the signal energy envelope by applying an adaptive filter that minimizes the loss of respiration sound. At a third stage, the system and method isolate respiration phases in the signal by identifying trends in the energy envelope. Once respiration phases are isolated, these phases are used to estimate respiration parameters, such as respiration rate and I/E ratio.

Abstract: The present invention isolates respiration phases in an acoustic signal using trend analysis. Once respiration phases are isolated, they are used to estimate respiration parameters. An exemplary method comprises receiving an acoustic signal recording body sounds; identifying candidate peaks at maxima of the signal; identifying candidate valleys at minima of the signal; selecting significant peaks from among the candidate peaks using heights of the candidate peaks; selecting significant valleys from among the candidate valleys using heights of the candidate valleys; detecting silent phases in the signal based at least in part on rise rates from the significant valleys; isolating respiration phases in the signal based at least in part on the significant valleys and the silent phases; calculating respiration parameter estimates based at least in part on the respiration phases; and outputting the respiration parameter estimates.

Abstract: Dual path noise detection and isolation for an acoustic respiration monitoring system detects noise in an acoustic signal recording lung sounds using two discrete noise detection techniques. A first technique detects portions of the signal that exhibit long-term, moderate amplitude noise by analyzing cumulative energy in the signal. A second technique detects portions of the signal that exhibit short-term, high amplitude noise by analyzing peak energy in the signal. Noisy portions of the signal are isolated using the combined results of the dual path detection. A respiration parameter is estimated using the signal without resort to the noisy portions and information based at least in part on the respiration parameter is outputted.

Abstract: Linear classification is used to determine the quality of acoustic physiological signal samples. A feature dataset is extracted from acoustic physiological signal samples of known quality (i.e., weak, noisy, good) acquired over a sampling period. A linear discriminant analysis is performed on the feature dataset to determine a direction of a linear classifier for the feature dataset. A classification error risk analysis is performed on the feature dataset to determine an offset of the linear classifier. The linear classifier is used to classify into reliability classes acoustic physiological signal samples acquired over an operating period. Information is selected for outputting using the assigned classifications, and is outputted.

Abstract: A physiological monitoring device and large noise handling method for use on such a device in which a reliable estimate of a physiological parameter is ensured by identifying and replacing large noise components of a physiological signal prior to estimation. An estimation period for a physiological parameter is segmented into time windows. Noisy time windows within the estimation period are identified. The noisy time windows are replaced with replacement time windows having a baseline amplitude. An estimate of the physiological parameter for the estimation period is calculated using the replacement time windows in lieu of the noisy time windows, and is outputted. If the share of noisy time windows exceeds a predetermined limit share, calculating and/or outputting of an estimate may be precluded. The physiological parameter may be heart rate.

Abstract: Method and device for continual physiological monitoring in which the display of physiological parameter estimates is conditioned on conformance of the estimates with expectations. Current estimates of physiological parameters are compared with expectations for the current estimates determined using prior estimates of the physiological parameters. Nonconformance with expectations can result in display of information indicating present unavailability of an estimate for the physiological parameter. The method and device are adaptable for use with various types of monitored physiological parameters and various expectation metrics.

Abstract: Data binning methods and systems for estimating a subject's respiratory airflow from a body sound signal detected by an acoustic sensor on the subject's body. The methods and systems operate in a configuration mode followed by a monitoring mode. In the configuration mode, a body sound signal and respiratory airflow are detected by an on-body acoustic sensor and a spirometer, respectively, over a common time period. Time-aligned body sound signal and respiratory airflow data points are then generated and assigned to bins each spanning a discrete signal range (e.g. discrete signal entropy range or signal amplitude range). Respiratory airflow estimation data (e.g. mean airflow and standard deviation) are then calculated for each bin and an entry for each bin associating the discrete range and the estimation data is stored in a lookup table. Then, in the monitoring mode, the lookup table is accessed using subsequent body sound signal readings (e.g.

Abstract: Lightweight automatic gain control (AGC) methods and systems reduce usage of often scarce computing resources in ambulatory monitoring systems through an AGC algorithm that relies on lightweight calculations and judicious constraints on gain reevaluations and adjustments. Statistical range sampling is used to adjust the gain of a physiological signal to keep the signal within a target amplitude range and may be coupled with dynamic range control to prevent gain adjustments from occurring too frequently. Moreover, gain reevaluations and adjustments may be temporarily suspended when the physiological signal is noisy.

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: 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: Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for providing and managing browser widgets in systems with limited user interface capabilities or computational power.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing video content to identify the video content including monitoring the video content for a video overlay added to the video content, identifying a video source of the video content in response to the video overlay, and identifying the video content in response to the video source.

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 method for extracting and decoding data stored in a DV format having sequential DIF blocks that include a header and a payload portion, where the stored data is not decodable under the DV format in which the data is stored. The data is sequentially extracted and decoded from the payload portions of respective DIF blocks.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing an MPEG-2 transport data stream with a conventional digital video (DV) recorder. The MPEG-2 transport stream data is inserted into a data block of a digital video (DV) frame. The DV frame is stored on the storage medium of the DV recorder. For playback, the stored DV frame can transferred to a receiver where the MPEG data is extracted, decoded and presented.

Abstract: A first exemplary method for helping a user operate a media-playing set using a control device, preferably a handheld remote, includes providing a remote support site from which at least one representative can remotely configure the set and, as the representative remotely makes different entries, highlighting the corresponding entry items on an image of the control device locally displayed on the set. A second exemplary method and system for helping operate such a set in which a readily expandible and updateable central database is provided at the remote support site for networked connection with the set and upon simple selection of a single help function included on the control device, an extensive and up-to-date explanation of how a selected control item of interest, such as an entry button or on-screen menu item, operates is retrieved from the database and promptly displayed by the set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing an MPEG-2 transport data stream with a conventional digital video (DV) recorder is described. The packetized MPEG-2 transport stream data is inserted into a data block of a digital video (DV) frame. The digital video frame is stored on the storage medium of the DV recorder. The DV frame may be inserted into an isochronous data transfer packet for transfer to the recorder over an IEEE 1394 serial bus. On the other hand, the MPEG transport stream data may be transferred to the recorder over the IEEE 1394 serial bus before the data is inserted into the DV frame for storage. For playback, the stored DV frame can be copied into an IEEE 1394 packet for transfer to the television receiver where the MPEG data is extracted from the frame, decoded and presented. On the other hand, the MPEG data may be extracted from the stored DV frame before transfer to the receiver over the IEEE 1394 bus.

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.