Abstract: A device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a data storage system that stores health data and a second housing portion including a data communications element. The data communications element provides data communications between the data storage system and a processing device that processes the health data according to a data-management software. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are connected by a cable that communicates signals between the data communications element and other components in the first housing portion. Another device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a health data management system and a data communications element that provides data communications between the health data management system and an external processing device. The second housing portion is removably coupled to the first housing portion, and includes at least one component used by the health data management system.

Abstract: In some aspects, an analyte sensor is provided for detecting an analyte concentration level in a bio-fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a base, a first electrode and a second electrode wherein a thermocouple portion is provided integral with the second electrode thereby enabling on-sensor temperature measurement capability. In some embodiments, two and only two electrical contact engagement portions are provided thereby simplifying electrical contact. Manufacturing methods and systems utilizing the analyte sensors are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Abstract: A Boolean entropy decoder including a decoding module, a buffer and an updating module is provided. The decoder sequentially generates a first boolean value, a second boolean value and a third boolean value. The first and second boolean values are generated during a same cycle. The decoding module requires a first bit amount while generating a first value corresponding to the first boolean value, and requires a second bit amount while generating a second value corresponding to the second boolean value. The buffer temporarily stores a bit segment in the bitstream to be provided to the decoding module. The updating module fetches a new bit segment according to the first bit amount and the second bit amount and updates the buffer. The decoding module selectively updates a value corresponding to the third boolean value after the buffer is updated.

Abstract: High noise immunity sensing methods and apparatus are provided for a capacitive touch device, which sense the capacitive touch device for self capacitance or mutual capacitance or both with different scan frequencies in a frame, to thereby suppress certain frequency noise interference. By combining time domain and space domain noise-eliminating approaches, probabilities of noise interference are reduced, without compromising other parameters.

Abstract: A device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a data storage system that stores health data and a second housing portion including a data communications element. The data communications element provides data communications between the data storage system and a processing device that processes the health data according to a data-management software. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are connected by a cable that communicates signals between the data communications element and other components in the first housing portion. Another device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a health data management system and a data communications element that provides data communications between the health data management system and an external processing device. The second housing portion is removably coupled to the first housing portion, and includes at least one component used by the health data management system.

Abstract: An analyte sensor is provided for detecting an analyte concentration level in a bio-fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a base, a first electrode and a second electrode wherein a thermocouple portion is provided integral with the second electrode thereby enabling on-sensor temperature measurement capability. In some embodiments, two and only two electrical contact engagement portions are provided thereby simplifying electrical contact. Manufacturing methods and systems utilizing the analyte sensors are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Abstract: High noise immunity sensing methods and apparatus are provided for a capacitive touch device, which sense the capacitive touch device for self capacitance or mutual capacitance or both with different scan frequencies in a frame, to thereby suppress certain frequency noise interference. By combining time domain and space domain noise-eliminating approaches, probabilities of noise interference are reduced, without compromising other parameters.

Abstract: A test sensor includes a body, a first conductive trace, a second conductive trace, and a third conductive trace. The body includes a first region that has a fluid-receiving area, a second region separate from the first region, and a first temperature sensing interface disposed at or adjacent to the fluid-receiving area. The fluid-receiving area receives a sample. The first trace is disposed on the body, and at least a portion of the first trace is disposed in the first region. The second and third traces are disposed on the body. The third trace extends from the first to the second regions. The third trace is connected to the first trace at the first temperature sensing interface. The third trace includes a different material than the first trace. A first thermocouple is formed at the first temperature sensing interface. The thermocouple provides temperature data to determine an analyte concentration.

Abstract: A test sensor includes a body, a first conductive trace, a second conductive trace, and a third conductive trace. The body includes a first region that has a fluid-receiving area, a second region separate from the first region, and a first temperature sensing interface disposed at or adjacent to the fluid-receiving area. The fluid-receiving area receives a sample. The first trace is disposed on the body, and at least a portion of the first trace is disposed in the first region. The second and third traces are disposed on the body. The third trace extends from the first to the second regions. The third trace is connected to the first trace at the first temperature sensing interface. The third trace includes a different material than the first trace. A first thermocouple is formed at the first temperature sensing interface. The thermocouple provides temperature data to determine an analyte concentration.

Abstract: In some aspects, an analyte sensor is provided for obtaining and detecting an analyte concentration level in a bio-fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a sensor body including a semiconductor material, an active region coupled to the sensor body, and a lancet provided on the analyte sensor. The conductor may include a fiber having a core of a conductive material and a semiconductor cladding surrounding the core. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: In some aspects, an analyte sensor is provided for obtaining and detecting an analyte concentration level in a bio-fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a sensor body including a semiconductor material, an active region coupled to the sensor body, and a lancet provided on the analyte sensor. The conductor may include a fiber having a core of a conductive material and a semiconductor cladding surrounding the core. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A sensing method and a sensing apparatus for a capacitive touch device sense variations of self capacitances of first traces in a first direction and second traces in a second direction and variations of mutual capacitances of intersections between the first traces and the second traces, and then generates fourth sensed values from the first, second and third sensed values to serve as sensed values of the changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the first traces and the second traces for identifying one or more touch points. Therefore, noise interference is suppressed and real touch points can be easily to be identified.

Abstract: A scan method for a capacitive touch panel has steps of performing a relatively small first number of estimation scans on multiple sensing lines of a capacitive touch panel and recording results of the estimation scans, marking the sensing lines meeting a predetermined condition according to the results of the estimation scans, and performing a relatively large second number of practical scans on the marked sensing lines. Given the first-stage estimation scans and the second-stage practical scans, the sensing lines possibly touched by a touch object can be rapidly identified and marked, and the second-stage practical scans are performed on the marked sensing lines. Accordingly, noises and errors can be effectively reduced, accurate scan can be ensured, and higher frame rate can be achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a graphics editing method, which is adapted to an electronic device having a touch panel and operating in a graphic editing mode. The method includes the following steps. While the electronic device is operating in the graphic editing mode, a first function is executed such that the electronic device displays a graphical trace according to an operation performed on the touch panel by a first touch object. Thereafter, when at least one touch event occurs on the electronic device is detected, the touch panel senses and computes a sensing area associated with the touch event. The electronic device then compares the sensing area and a predefined area threshold. When the electronic device determines that the sensed area is larger than the predefined area threshold, the electronic device executes a second function under the graphic editing mode.

Abstract: In some aspects, an analyte sensor is provided for obtaining and detecting an analyte concentration level in a bio-fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a sensor body including a semiconductor material, an active region coupled to the sensor body, and a lancet provided on the analyte sensor. The conductor may include a fiber having a core of a conductive material and a semiconductor cladding surrounding the core. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A passive architecture for scanning a touch panel includes a master IC and at least one passive touch IC connected to the master IC. The master IC generates a command to configure the scan parameters of the at least one passive touch IC, and the at least one passive touch IC scans the touch panel with the scan parameters in response to the command.

Abstract: A method for controlling function switch of a touch device has steps of reading sensing information on a touch device when an object approaches or contacts the touch device, determining if the sensing information meets a function-switching condition, and if positive, switching the touch device from the first function mode to the second function mode. When executing an application and receiving a switch-on signal from the touch device, a host computer connected to the touch device activates a function to be switched, for example, an eraser function, a webpage button clicking function, a browser zoom function upon drawing in a drawing application.

Abstract: A scanning method with adjustable sampling frequency includes steps of pre-scanning a sensing unit of a touch device to acquire capacitance offsets of sensor traces of the sensor unit aligned in at least one of a first-axis direction and a second-axis direction, determining sampling frequencies according to the capacitance offsets of the respective driven sensor traces, and sampling the sensing unit with the determined sampling frequencies. As the capacitance offsets reflect RC load values corresponding to the sensor traces in the first-axis direction, the sampling frequencies can be adjusted according to the actual RC load values when the sensing unit is scanned to receive sensed signals, thereby effectively raising a report rate of touch events.

Abstract: A scan method for a touch panel has steps of: receiving a self-sensing frame; calculating sensing slopes between each sensing line and its neighboring sensing lines in the self-sensing frame; determining whether any sensing slope is larger than a slope threshold, and marking the sensing line if the sensing slope is larger than the slope threshold; and executing a mutual scan approach on the marked sensing lines to produce a mutual sensing frame without sensing point caused by noise. Further, the present invention also increases the frame rate since only a part of sensing lines need to be scanned.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly determining ambient temperature in a fluid-analyte meter. The meter includes a housing defining an interior space and an area for receiving a fluid sample. A processor and a first temperature sensor are disposed within the interior space of said the housing. A second temperature sensor is disposed on the housing. One or more processors are configured to determine a first temperature value from temperature data received from the first temperature sensor. The processor(s) are also configured to apply a variable current to a temperature-adjustment source such that the second temperature sensor is adjusted to a predetermined steady-state temperature value different from the first temperature value. The processor(s) are further configured to determine an ambient temperature of an exterior space of the housing based on the applied variable current, pre-determined steady-state temperature, and received first temperature values.