西方關(guān)于中國(guó)(及其消費(fèi)電子市場(chǎng))最常見的一個(gè)誤解是:本地廠商只能生產(chǎn)功能不太給力的二流電視,以便提供中國(guó)消費(fèi)者負(fù)擔(dān)得起的較低價(jià)格。
從許多方面來看,這種“看法”是錯(cuò)誤的。
首先,據(jù)美國(guó)Hillcrest Labs周三(5月23日)公布的消息,中國(guó)領(lǐng)先消費(fèi)品牌TCL本月將在中國(guó)開始推出安卓智能電視。這種電視將裝載Hillcrest獲得專利的動(dòng)作軟件Freespace。令人意外的是,TCL的手勢(shì)控制智能電視將最先在中國(guó)上市,今年稍晚在其它市場(chǎng)推出。
其次,在索尼或其它廠商的Google TV尚未在美國(guó)、歐洲和日本流行之際,TCL積極開拓中國(guó)智能電視市場(chǎng)。TCL展現(xiàn)出無人能及的速度,正在率先推出具有先進(jìn)功能的智能電視。獲得這種速度的關(guān)鍵是可授權(quán)軟件與現(xiàn)成的智能電視SoC。TCL通過與Hillcrest合作獲得了所需軟件,并利用了臺(tái)灣最大消費(fèi)芯片廠商開發(fā)的一款安卓電視SoC。該臺(tái)灣廠商可能是聯(lián)發(fā)科技,或者可能是MStar。
在今年稍早舉行的拉斯維加斯消費(fèi)電子展期間,聯(lián)發(fā)科技在一個(gè)憑請(qǐng)柬才能進(jìn)入的酒店會(huì)議室展示了其動(dòng)作控制安卓電視SoC。但當(dāng)人有詢問TCL的一款產(chǎn)品設(shè)計(jì)時(shí),聯(lián)發(fā)科技拒絕評(píng)論。通過使用Hillcrest的動(dòng)作軟件,TCL正在把動(dòng)作、手勢(shì)和鼠標(biāo)控制引入安卓智能電視。
第三,永遠(yuǎn)不要低估日益壯大的中國(guó)中產(chǎn)階層的影響力。據(jù)主要針對(duì)八個(gè)國(guó)家(巴西,中國(guó),印度,俄羅斯,法國(guó),德國(guó),日本和美國(guó))消費(fèi)電子技術(shù)使用與支出情況的2011年埃森哲調(diào)查報(bào)告,中國(guó)消費(fèi)者屬于最熱衷于購(gòu)買3D電視和智能手機(jī)等最新消費(fèi)技術(shù)之列。
第四,據(jù)DisplaySearch公司的最新市場(chǎng)調(diào)研報(bào)告,截止到2012年第一季度,TCL已成為進(jìn)入全球液晶電視市場(chǎng)份額前五名的第一家中國(guó)電視廠商。認(rèn)識(shí)到這點(diǎn)很重要。TCL排名快速上升,不是簡(jiǎn)單地通過生產(chǎn)常規(guī)的普通電視實(shí)現(xiàn)的。
據(jù)TCL介紹,該公司是通過持續(xù)改善產(chǎn)品組合和提高高端產(chǎn)品比例來實(shí)現(xiàn)飛躍的。2012年4月,TCL的LED背光液晶電視占其總體液晶電視銷量的72%。智能/互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視和3D電視在中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的銷量分別達(dá)到339279臺(tái)和145064臺(tái),分別占中國(guó)市場(chǎng)總體液晶電視出貨量的45.9%和19.6%。
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本文下一頁(yè):動(dòng)作感應(yīng)軟件的秘密
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
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• 未來智能電視廠商如何搞定復(fù)雜的人機(jī)界面?
• 日本若能放棄電視制造業(yè)務(wù),倒也不負(fù)眾望?
• 蘋果iTV能否再續(xù)“I系”輝煌?Xpnesmc
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智能電視的差異化主要體現(xiàn)在軟件上面,而不是硬件。在這方面,Hillcrest所提供的幫助正是TCL所需要的,其軟件使得TCL的動(dòng)作控制智能電視變得更加易用、快速而且具有很高的質(zhì)量性能。
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TCL的LCD事業(yè)部總經(jīng)理Warren Wang表示,把Hillcrest的軟件加到TCL的旗艦型智能電視和安卓智能電視產(chǎn)品線之中,幫助TCL“在中國(guó)市場(chǎng)中的創(chuàng)新,建立了新標(biāo)準(zhǔn)”。據(jù)Hillcrest,Hillcrest的Freespace動(dòng)作控制軟件技術(shù)已經(jīng)用于LG電視之中,以及LG即將推出的Google TV智能電視的遙控器之中。
Hillcrest 的Freespace自然動(dòng)作產(chǎn)品線的核心是Freespace Motion Engine嵌入軟件。Hillcrest表示,該軟件可以提供授權(quán),集成到客戶的硬件之中,也可以作為預(yù)先編程的Freespace Sensor Module的組成部分或一款Hillcrest參考設(shè)計(jì)產(chǎn)品來購(gòu)買。
Freespace MotionEngine軟件通過多家MEMS供應(yīng)商的加速計(jì)、陀螺儀和磁傳感器來執(zhí)行,這些供應(yīng)商包括InvenSense、意法半導(dǎo)體和飛思卡爾。Hillcrest的模塊化軟件解決方案可以運(yùn)行于嵌入式控制器或主處理器。對(duì)于遙控器和游戲控制器,這使得MotionEngine可以運(yùn)行于控制器、USB dongle甚至直接運(yùn)行于電視或STB SoC。
MotionEngine處理的動(dòng)作數(shù)據(jù)利用一個(gè)基于標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的API傳送,并兼容USB、藍(lán)牙、ZigBee RF4CE和其它多種可配置外設(shè)、操作模式及協(xié)議。據(jù)Hillcrest ,Hillcrest預(yù)先把MotionEngine與許多主要RF供應(yīng)商的產(chǎn)品集成在一起,如博通和德州儀器。
據(jù)Hillcrest,Movea是Hillcrest最直接的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手。Hillcrest 表示,讓Hillcrest的Freespace Motion Engine獨(dú)具優(yōu)勢(shì)的是其上市時(shí)間。Hillcrest在MEMS傳感器方面有八年多的經(jīng)驗(yàn),而且其軟件采取模塊化方式,因此能夠搶先推出上述軟件。
Hillcrest的軟件還通過采用該公司的傳感器融合、標(biāo)準(zhǔn)算法和軟件,可提供較高精度性能,以及高質(zhì)量動(dòng)作設(shè)備。Hillcrest表示,該公司“強(qiáng)大的傳感器驗(yàn)證程序和動(dòng)態(tài)算法,可彌補(bǔ)傳感器老化和環(huán)境因素的影響”。
此外,Hillcrest的Freespace MotionEngine基于不需要“視線”操作的慣性傳感器。據(jù)Hillcrest,傳統(tǒng)的紅外器件或動(dòng)作感應(yīng)器件使用攝像頭或光學(xué)傳感器,需要“視線”操作,與這些解決方案相比,F(xiàn)reespace Motion Engine可實(shí)現(xiàn)更加輕松的使用模式。
編譯:Luffy Liu
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
參考英文原文:TCL to launch motion-controlled Android TV first in China, by Junko Yoshida
相關(guān)閱讀:
• 未來智能電視廠商如何搞定復(fù)雜的人機(jī)界面?
• 日本若能放棄電視制造業(yè)務(wù),倒也不負(fù)眾望?
• 蘋果iTV能否再續(xù)“I系”輝煌?Xpnesmc
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TCL to launch motion-controlled Android TV first in China
Junko Yoshida
TOKYO – One of the most common western misconceptions about China (and its CE market) is that the role of local vendors is to build cut-rate TV sets with fewer bells and whistles, then pass along lower prices that Chinese consumers can afford.
That “understanding” is turning out to be wrong on many levels.
First, according to an announcement from Hillcrest Labs (Rockville, Md.) Wednesday (May 23), leading Chinese consumer brand TCL will start shipping Android-based smart TVs this month in China. The TVs will feature Hillcrest’s patented motion software, Freespace. The surprise here is that China gets first dibs on TCL’s gesture-controlled smart TVs. They will become available in other markets later this year.
Second, at a time when Google TVs by Sony or others have yet to catch on either in the U.S., Europe or Japan, TCL is eagerly positioning itself to mine the Chinese smart TV market. TCL is demonstrating its second-to-none speed in becoming a leading vendor of smart TVs with advanced features. The keys to that speed are licensable software and readily available smart TV SoCs. TCL pulled it off first by partnering with Hillcrest, and second, leveraging an Android TV SoC developed by one of the biggest Taiwanese consumer chip companies -- either MediaTek or MStar.
MediaTek showed off its motion-controlled Android TV SoC at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year in an invitation-only hotel ball room in Las Vegas. Asked about a design with TCL, MediaTek, however, declined to comment. By using Hillcrest’s motion software, TCL is bringing motion, gesture and cursor control to Android-powered Smart TVs.
Third, never underestimate the growing affluence of the middle class in China. According to a 2011 Accenture survey focused on usage and spending on consumer electronics technologies in eight countries (Brazil, China, India, Russia, France, Germany, Japan and the United States), Chinese consumers were among the most enthusiastic purchasers of the latest consumer technologies including 3-D TV and smart phones.
Fourth, it’s important to recognize that as of the first quarter in 2012, TCL has become the first Chinese TV company to be ranked in the top five in global LCD TV market share, according to the latest market research report by DisplaySearch. The Chinese company didn’t make this rapid ascent simply by making no-frills TV sets.
TCL has made its great leap forward by continuing to improve its product mix and proportion of high-end products, according to the company. In April 2012, TCL’s sales volume of LED-backlight LCD TVs as a percentage of total LCD TV sales volume was 72%. The sales volume of smart & internet TV and 3D TV in the Chinese market reached 339,279 sets and 145,064 sets, representing 45.9% and 19.6% of total LCD TV shipments in China.
Hillcrest’s software
Differentiation among smart TVs comes more from software rather than hardware. In this light, Hillcrest has offered just the right kind of help TCL needed to make its motion-controlled smart TVs easy, quick and at high quality performance.
Adding Hillcrest’s software to TCL’s flagship smart TV and android smart TV product line helps TCL set “a new standard for innovation in the Chinese market,” said Warren, Wang, General Manager of TCL’s LCD Business Unit at TCL. After all, Hillcrest’s Freespace motion control software technology is already used in LG’s TVs and LG’s remote for its upcoming smart TV with Google TV, according to Hillcrest.
At the core of Hillcrest’s Freespace natural-motion product line sits the Freespace Motion Engine embedded software. It is designed to be licensed for integration into a customer’s hardware, or it can be purchased as part of a pre-programmed Freespace Sensor Module, or a Hillcrest reference design product, said Hillcrest.
Freespace MotionEngine software is implemented with accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetic sensors from a variety of the MEMS suppliers including InvenSense, ST Microelectronics and Freescale. Hillcrest’s modular software solution can run on an embedded microcontroller or host processor. For remote controls and game controllers, this enables the MotionEngine to run on the controller, on a USB dongle, or directly on a TV or STB SoC.
Motion data processed by the MotionEngine is delivered using a standards-based API and is compatible with USB, Bluetooth, ZigBee RF4CE, and a number of other configurable peripherals, operating modes and protocols. Hillcrest has pre-integrated the MotionEngine with many of the leading RF suppliers, such as Broadcom and Texas Instruments, according to Hillcrest.
Movea is the most direct competitor to Hillcrest, according to Hillcrest. What sets Hillcrest’s Freespace Motion Engine apart is time-to-market, said the company, due to Hillcrest’s more than eight years of expertise in working with MEMS sensors, and its software’s modularity.
Hillcrest’s software also offers high-precision motion performance by using the company’s sensor fusion, and calibration algorithm and software; and high quality motion device. Hillcrest’s “intense sensor qualification program and dynamic algorithms compensate for sensor aging and the impacts of environmental factors,” the company said.
Further, Hillcrest’s Freespace MotionEngine is based on inertial sensors that do not require “l(fā)ine-of-sight” to operate. This allows for a more relaxed usage model when compared to conventional infrared devices and motion-sensing devices that use cameras or optical sensors that require "line-of-sight" to operate, according to Hillcrest.
責(zé)編:Quentin