Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Physiological and environmental monitoring systems and methods

A method for operating a voice trigger is provided. In some implementations, the method is performed at an electronic device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving a sound input. The sound input may correspond to a spoken word or phrase, or a portion thereof. The method includes determining whether at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to a predetermined type of sound, such as a human voice. The method includes, upon a determination that at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to the predetermined type, determining whether the sound input includes predetermined content, such as a predetermined trigger word or phrase. The method also includes, upon a determination that the sound input includes the predetermined content, initiating a speech-based service, such as a voice-based digital assistant.

Voice trigger for a digital assistant

Conventional static datacenter (DC) network designs offer extreme cost vs. performance tradeoffs---simple leaf-spine networks are cost-effective but oversubscribed, while "fat tree"-like solutions offer good worst-case performance but are expensive. Recent results make a promising case for augmenting an oversubscribed network with reconfigurable inter-rack wireless or optical links. Inspired by the promise of reconfigurability, this paper presents FireFly, an inter-rack network solution that pushes DC network design to the extreme on three key fronts: (1) all links are reconfigurable; (2) all links are wireless; and (3) non top-of-rack switches are eliminated altogether. This vision, if realized, can offer significant benefits in terms of increased flexibility, reduced equipment cost, and minimal cabling complexity. In order to achieve this vision, we need to look beyond traditional RF wireless solutions due to their interference footprint which limits range and data rates. Thus, we make the case for using free-space optics (FSO). We demonstrate the viability of this architecture by (a) building a proof-of-concept prototype of a steerable small form factor FSO device using commodity components and (b) developing practical heuristics to address algorithmic and system-level challenges in network design and management.

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FireFly: a reconfigurable wireless data center fabric using free-space optics

Health literacy in the eHealth era: A systematic review of the literature

In a wireless communication device with multiple radio access technologies (RATs), frame timing for one RAT may be aligned with a frame timing of another RAT so as to reduce a number of communication frames of the different RATs that overlap in time with each other. The aligning reduces the number of communication frames that are subject to cancellation due to interference. Alignment may reduce a number of transmit frames of one RAT that overlap with multiple receive frames of another RAT. Alignment may reduce a number of receive frames of one RAT that overlap with multiple transmit frames of another RAT.

Multi-radio coexistence

Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more transmission authorization parameters; and powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.

Ad-hoc wireless sensor package

A tool for providing health and/or wellness services is described herein. Not necessarily clean or unclean data about a plurality of self-selected or non-selected or unselected subjects is received. The data can be aggregated and mined at least in part by employing a statistical algorithm, a data-mining algorithm and/or a machine-learning algorithm. The data can be further employed to provide health and/or wellness services to participants.

Tools for health and wellness

Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to enhance a user's ability to operate or function in a transportation-related context as a pedestrian or a vehicle operator. In one embodiment, the AEFS is configured to perform vehicular threat detection based on information received at a road-based device, such as a sensor or processor that is deployed at the side of a road. An example AEFS receives, at a road-based device, information about a first vehicle that is proximate to the road-based device. The AEFS analyzes the received information to determine threat information, such as that the vehicle may collide with the user. The AEFS then informs the user of the determined threat information, such as by transmitting a warning to a wearable device configured to present the warning to the user.

Determining threats based on information from road-based devices in a transportation-related context

Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to enhance voice conferencing among multiple speakers. Some embodiments of the AEFS enhance voice conferencing by recording and presenting voice conference history information based on speaker-related information. The AEFS receives data that represents utterances of multiple speakers who are engaging in a voice conference with one another. The AEFS then determines speaker-related information, such as by identifying a current speaker, locating an information item (e.g., an email message, document) associated with the speaker, or the like. The AEFS records conference history information (e.g., a transcript) based on the determined speaker-related information. The AEFS then informs a user of the conference history information, such as by presenting a transcript of the voice conference and/or related information items on a display of a conferencing device associated with the user.

Enhanced voice conferencing with history

Described is a system and method for transporting interference-related control data and other information between nodes in a wireless network, using a control channel that is distinct from a content channel used to transport content. The control channel may be a different channel in the same unlicensed band as the content channel, a channel in a different unlicensed band, or a channel in a licensed band, and thereby not subject to the same interference-related problems that the unlicensed content channel may experience. As a result, management information for adjusting the content channel's communication parameters may still be communicated between the nodes, whereby mitigation actions may occur. For example, the content channel may be changed to another frequency, compression may be implemented or varied, and/or the data transfer rate may be varied. The control data can also be used to change the control channel's communication parameters.

Craig J. Mundie

Papers

Ad-hoc wireless sensor package

Tools for health and wellness

Determining threats based on information from road-based devices in a transportation-related context

Enhanced voice conferencing with history

Use of separate control channel to mitigate interference problems in a wireless network