NTT DoCoMo, FOMA supported remote controller Articles / NTT DoCoMo Posted by zmcnulty on Mar 30, 2004 - 11:38 AM |
|
Nevermind X10, NTT DoCoMo steps up to the plate with their answer to how home automation should be done - from your FOMA phone. NTT DoCoMo has announced the "FOMA supporting visual controller," a multi-function remote control...controller...that supports operation of various household appliances through FOMA TV-phone. While there aren't any plans for commercialization of the thing yet, they have announced that they will conduct a drawing and 1,000 lucky people will will an experimental model. The "FOMA supporting visual controller" experimental model announced this time around is a set-top box shaped controller that can operate various household appliances and be operated from FOMA phones. It uses a PC card slot with a FOMA data card inserted. The unit has an internal camera, learning remote controller function, and human sensor. For external ports, it has audio/video inputs and outputs, as well as a USB port and external sensor input. On the infrared remote function, provided it has been "taught" remote controller functions beforehand, one can control devices in their house with their FOMA unit and use the TV-phone to confirm operation - for example, they could turn on the AC from their phone and make sure it is actually on using TV-phone, or turn on a specific channel and view it from their TV phone. The human sensor operates much in the same fashion, and can turn on when there's someone standing around in the monitored room and send the video signals to your FOMA TV-phone. Also, if one were to connect a video signal to the input ports on the device, they could watch their programming right from their phone - and even use fast forward, rewind, and other functions right from the phone as well. Connection to a PC is also supported, as well as keyboard/mouse emulation, so in theory one should be able to control their PC from the FOMA phone in the future. Also, it supports remote operation of robots such as AIBO. According to Goutou Irukayama, Manager of Development of Internet Terminals at NTT DoCoMo's MM Technology Division, since there are a very broad range of functions on the device "it is not being considered for the current market." They plan on probing the market through the drawing to be held, and make sure of the necessary functions and THEN turn the thing into a commerically available product. The size of the test unit is 140 x 120 x 50mm (W x L x H), and it weighs 300g. Power comes from an AC adapter. Applications for winning the "FOMA supporting visual controller" as a present in the drawing will begin on April 5th, and continue to May 16th, through the "FOMA FUTURE PROJECT" website. The site is for computers only.   Inspired by: http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18279.html [1] Press Release: http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/new/contents/04/whatnew0330b.html [2] |
|
This article is from TechJapan http://www.techjapan.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.techjapan.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=203 Links in this article [1] http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18279.html [2] http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/new/contents/04/whatnew0330b.html |