Abstract: A care system uses sensors and a gateway to collect activity or health information of a home user and reports the information to a service that provides the information to the home user and authorized remote users. A motion sensor can sense an activity level of the home user, e.g., indicating the amount of motion per minute, and reports the motion data periodically at a reporting period selected to provide manageable data rates. A pillbox sensor can sense and report use of medication by the home user. The service that provides data can employ a business method that sells care systems and separate sensors, licenses interfaces that enable use of sensors in a care system, sells Internet advertisements on web pages that contain the health data, and sells enhanced service, e.g., higher data collection frequencies, to remote users.

Abstract: A locking programming interface (LPI) which prevents piracy of device-related user software. An LPI Code is generated from a variety of different parameters, including a software product ID, a Production Key, and a number of device-specific parameters for the device that the user software supports. The LPI Code is burned into a memory of the device using a Production Utility process which utilizes the Production Key supplied by the software manufacturer. When the user software is installed in a host machine such as a user's computer system, the software performs basic device validation and then validates the LPI Code burned into the device against codes embedded into the user software.

Abstract: A host signal processor (HSP) modem has a software interface between HSP modem hardware and native audio hardware in a host computer. No hard wire connections between modem hardware and audio hardware are required for synchronization. Instead, a software clock recovery system matches a transfer rate of the HSP modem hardware and a transfer rate of the audio hardware by duplicating or deleting samples. The software interface allows the native audio hardware to make audible the handshaking sequence during modem connections which eliminates the need for a speaker and speaker drivers in the modem hardware. The combination of HSP modem hardware, audio hardware, and software executed by the host computer also allows the HSP modem to perform voice communication such as telephone or speakerphone functions.

Abstract: A host signal processor (HSP) modem has a software interface between HSP modem hardware and native audio hardware in a host computer. No hard wire connections between modem hardware and audio hardware are required for synchronization. Instead, a software clock recovery system matches a transfer rate of the HSP modem hardware and a transfer rate of the audio hardware by duplicating or deleting samples. The software interface allows the native audio hardware to make audible the handshaking sequence during modem connections which eliminates the need for a speaker and speaker drivers in the modem hardware. The combination of HSP modem hardware, audio hardware, and software executed by the host computer also allows the HSP modem to perform voice communication such as telephone or speakerphone functions.

Abstract: A host signal processor (HSP) modem which includes procedures executed in response to interrupts has a CPU utilization control procedure which uses the numbers of clock cycles associated with modem tasks and the total number of clock cycles between interrupts to select a task for execution during the interrupts. The utilization control procedure changes or selects the task as required to automatically adjust the HSP modem for the available processing power and a desired maximum percentage utilization of a host computer. For example, the task can be selected to match the data transfer rate of the HSP modem with available processing power. The HSP modem is more robust and is operable in host computers having relatively low processing power. A user can change the maximum utilization of processing power used by the HSP modem so that more processing power is available for other purposes.

Abstract: A host signal processor (HSP) modem has a software interface between HSP modem hardware and native audio hardware in a host computer. No hard wire connections between modem hardware and audio hardware are required for synchronization. Instead, a software clock recovery system matches a transfer rate of the HSP modem hardware and a transfer rate of the audio hardware by duplicating or deleting samples. The software interface allows the native audio hardware to make audible the handshaking sequence during modem connections which eliminates the need for a speaker and speaker drivers in the modem hardware. The combination of HSP modem hardware, audio hardware, and software executed by the host computer also allows the HSP modem to perform voice communication such as telephone or speakerphone functions.

Abstract: Connecting a null modem cable between first and second communications ports of a host computer and executing a background routing program which transfers information between the second communications ports and a host signal processor (HSP) modem enables a DOS application which is configured to directly access a hardware UART of the first communication port to communicate with the HSP modem even if the HSP lacks a hardware UART. In one embodiment, the DOS application runs in a DOS virtual machine in a Windows.TM. operating system, and the routing application runs in a system virtual machine. The HSP modem includes a software portion inside a port driver in the operating system kernel. The routing program is started before the DOS application, executed in the background of the DOS application, and removed after completion of the DOS application.