西方關于中國(及其消費電子市場)最常見的一個誤解是：本地廠商只能生產(chǎn)功能不太給力的二流電視，以便提供中國消費者負擔得起的較低價格。 從許多方面來看，這種“看法”是錯誤的。 首先，據(jù)美國Hillcrest Labs周三(5月23日)公布的消息，中國領先消費品牌TCL本月將在中國開始推出安卓智能電視。這種電視將裝載Hillcrest獲得專利的動作軟件Freespace。令人意外的是，TCL的手勢控制智能電視將最先在中國上市，今年稍晚在其它市場推出。 其次，在索尼或其它廠商的Google TV尚未在美國、歐洲和日本流行之際，TCL積極開拓中國智能電視市場。TCL展現(xiàn)出無人能及的速度，正在率先推出具有先進功能的智能電視。獲得這種速度的關鍵是可授權軟件與現(xiàn)成的智能電視SoC。TCL通過與Hillcrest合作獲得了所需軟件，并利用了臺灣最大消費芯片廠商開發(fā)的一款安卓電視SoC。該臺灣廠商可能是聯(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電子展期間，聯(lián)發(fā)科技在一個憑請柬才能進入的酒店會議室展示了其動作控制安卓電視SoC。但當人有詢問TCL的一款產(chǎn)品設計時，聯(lián)發(fā)科技拒絕評論。通過使用Hillcrest的動作軟件，TCL正在把動作、手勢和鼠標控制引入安卓智能電視。 第三，永遠不要低估日益壯大的中國中產(chǎn)階層的影響力。據(jù)主要針對八個國家(巴西，中國，印度，俄羅斯，法國，德國，日本和美國)消費電子技術使用與支出情況的2011年埃森哲調查報告，中國消費者屬于最熱衷于購買3D電視和智能手機等最新消費技術之列。 第四，據(jù)DisplaySearch公司的最新市場調研報告，截止到2012年第一季度，TCL已成為進入全球液晶電視市場份額前五名的第一家中國電視廠商。認識到這點很重要。TCL排名快速上升，不是簡單地通過生產(chǎn)常規(guī)的普通電視實現(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電視在中國市場的銷量分別達到339279臺和145064臺，分別占中國市場總體液晶電視出貨量的45.9%和19.6%。

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本文下一頁：動作感應軟件的秘密 本文授權編譯自EE Times，版權所有，謝絕轉載

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{pagination} 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的動作控制智能電視變得更加易用、快速而且具有很高的質量性能。

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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“在中國市場中的創(chuàng)新，建立了新標準”。據(jù)Hillcrest，Hillcrest的Freespace動作控制軟件技術已經(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，集成到客戶的硬件之中，也可以作為預先編程的Freespace Sensor Module的組成部分或一款Hillcrest參考設計產(chǎn)品來購買。 Freespace MotionEngine軟件通過多家MEMS供應商的加速計、陀螺儀和磁傳感器來執(zhí)行，這些供應商包括InvenSense、意法半導體和飛思卡爾。Hillcrest的模塊化軟件解決方案可以運行于嵌入式控制器或主處理器。對于遙控器和游戲控制器，這使得MotionEngine可以運行于控制器、USB dongle甚至直接運行于電視或STB SoC。 MotionEngine處理的動作數(shù)據(jù)利用一個基于標準的API傳送，并兼容USB、藍牙、ZigBee RF4CE和其它多種可配置外設、操作模式及協(xié)議。據(jù)Hillcrest ，Hillcrest預先把MotionEngine與許多主要RF供應商的產(chǎn)品集成在一起，如博通和德州儀器。 據(jù)Hillcrest，Movea是Hillcrest最直接的競爭對手。Hillcrest 表示，讓Hillcrest的Freespace Motion Engine獨具優(yōu)勢的是其上市時間。Hillcrest在MEMS傳感器方面有八年多的經(jīng)驗，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、標準算法和軟件，可提供較高精度性能，以及高質量動作設備。Hillcrest表示，該公司“強大的傳感器驗證程序和動態(tài)算法，可彌補傳感器老化和環(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)的紅外器件或動作感應器件使用攝像頭或光學傳感器，需要“視線”操作，與這些解決方案相比，F(xiàn)reespace Motion Engine可實現(xiàn)更加輕松的使用模式。 編譯：Luffy Liu 本文授權編譯自EE Times，版權所有，謝絕轉載 參考英文原文：TCL to launch motion-controlled Android TV first in China, by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} 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.