Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein provide a passive monitoring system for use in a residential independent living framework. In some exemplary embodiments, the system may be used to alert a primary caregiver of a possible decline or change in an activity of daily living (“ADL”) of the monitored individual. The system may collect usage data associated with, for example, electrical devices at the living quarters of the monitored individual. The collected data may include data pairs of time samples and voltage data associated with one or more electrical devices that the monitored individual is expected to utilize. Applying various filters to the collected data, a possible decline or change in ADL of the monitored individual may be identified.

Abstract: An accessory for a portable electronic device having a speaker uses an acoustic wave guide to passively amplify and direct the output of the device's speaker. The accessory has a housing with a docking cavity formed therein. The docking cavity has supportive sidewalls that are adapted to receive and support the portable electronic device in an upright position. A cable access channel is formed in the docking cavity that allows a connector and cable to be coupled to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is mounted in the docking cavity. An acoustic waveguide having a spiral shaped acoustic chamber is positioned in the housing such that an entrance to the acoustic waveguide corresponds to a hole in the docking cavity that is positioned to correspond to the location of the speaker of the device when the device is mounted in the docking chamber. The exit of the acoustic chamber corresponds to an exterior opening in a sidewall of the housing and the hole in the docking cavity.

Abstract: A media content monitoring system uses a rack adapted to receive multiple carrier boards to improve the system's ability to be configured to specific applications. Each carrier board contains tuner modules for receiving AM/FM broadcasts, satellite radio broadcasts, TV audio broadcasts, HD, IBOC, DAB and DRM digital radio broadcasts, etc. The tuner modules produce a USB output that is combined by a USB hub on the carrier boards into a single USB output. The carrier board outputs are in turn combined by a rack based USB hub into single USB output that is provided to a host computer. The host computer includes content identification software that automatically identifies selected media content received by the tuner modules and stores the selected content in a database. The host computer can send control codes to the tuner modules to alter their reception parameters.

Abstract: An accessory for a portable electronic device having a speaker uses an acoustic wave guide to passively amplify and direct the output of the device's speaker. The accessory has a housing with a docking cavity formed therein. The docking cavity has supportive sidewalls that are adapted to receive and support the portable electronic device in an upright position. A cable access channel is formed in the docking cavity that allows a connector and cable to be coupled to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is mounted in the docking cavity. An acoustic waveguide having a spiral shaped acoustic chamber is positioned in the housing such that an entrance to the acoustic waveguide corresponds to a hole in the docking cavity that is positioned to correspond to the location of the speaker of the device when the device is mounted in the docking chamber. The exit of the acoustic chamber corresponds to an exterior opening in a sidewall of the housing and the hole in the docking cavity.