About WirelessUSB LP

      Cypress Semiconductor Corp. announced that Sharp Corporation has chosen Cypress's WirelessUSB LP 2.4-GHz transceiver and enCoRe III 8-bit reprogrammable flash microcontroller for the innovative remote control used with its Internet AQUOS line of LCD television and PC systems. The Internet AQUOS remote control serves as TV remote, mouse and keyboard thanks to alpha-numeric keys, a trackpad and RF connectivity. The remote uses Cypress's robust WirelessUSB LP radio to maintain high-quality RF performance in the home, avoiding interference from other 2.4-GHz sources. Cypress's wireless solution overcomes infrared's line of sight limitations, and it also preserves battery life with best-in-class power consumption.

     The Sharp Internet AQUOS PC-TV combination lets users watch broadband broadcasting on a high-resolution screen with a home entertainment PC running Windows Vista. The accompanying remote control allows users to conveniently control the Internet AQUOS system even if the media server is tucked away for aesthetic reasons. The new remote leverages the industry-leading interference immunity of Cypress's WirelessUSB protocol for uninterrupted operation in the home environment, where the 2.4-GHz spectrum is crowded with signals from common appliances such as Wi-Fi, microwaves and cordless phones.

    "The Internet AQUOS PC-TV combination brings rich Internet content to Sharp's leading LCD-HDTV products; the creative remote control design places the power of both at the fingertips of consumers," said Shingo Fueta, department general manager of New Business Development Center, Wireless Convergence Division, Information and Communication Systems Group, Sharp Corporation. "Controlling a television and PC functionality goes beyond the capabilities of traditional infrared remotes, but Cypress's technology enables the reliable communication link our system demands and allows consumers to experience true wireless freedom and mobility."

    "We are pleased to have an industry leader such as Sharp select our 2.4-GHz WirelessUSB technology for their innovative Internet AQUOS line of home entertainment products," said Matt Branda, senior product marketing manager of Cypress's Wireless Solutions. "WirelessUSB LP is making strong inroads into the remote control market as RF technology begins to displace infrared due to its inherent limitations."

    About WirelessUSB LP

     Cypress's WirelessUSB LP offers an unparalleled feature set to enable superior interference immunity, low bill-of-materials (BOM) costs, higher data rate applications, and faster time-to-market for keyboards, mice, gaming devices, presenter tools, and remotes, as well as other simple, multi-point-to-point wireless applications. Featuring a highly integrated radio transceiver plus digital baseband on a single chip, it operates between 1.8 and 3.6 volts, using advanced power-saving techniques to extend battery life in devices such as wireless mice. WirelessUSB LP uses Cypress's patented frequency agile DSSS technology to offer best-in-class interference immunity for a 2.4-GHz radio system. This combination of low power consumption, interference immunity and low cost make it ideal for wireless HID applications.

    Remote controls are usually small handheld objects with an array of buttons for adjusting various settings such as television channel, track number, and volume.

    History

    One of the earliest examples of remote control was developed in 1898 by Nikola Tesla, and described in United States patent 613809, named Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vehicle or Vehicles.

    The first remote intended to control a television was developed by Zenith Electronics Corporation Radio in early 1950s. The remote — unofficially called "Lazy Bones" — used a wire to connect to the television set. To improve the cumbersome setup, a wireless remote control was created in 1955. The remote called "Flashmatic" worked by shining a beam of light onto a photoelectric cell. Unfortunately, the cells did not distinguish between light from the remote and light from other sources. The Flashmatic also required that the remote control be pointed accurately at the receiver. In 1956 Robert Adler developed "Zenith Space Command", the first modern wireless remote. It was mechanical and used ultrasound to change the channel and volume. When the user pushed a button on the remote control it clicked and struck a bar, hence the term "clicker". Each bar emitted a different frequency and circuits in the television detected this sound. The invention of the transistor made possible cheaper electronic remotes that contained a piezoelectric crystal that was fed by an oscillating electric current at a frequency near or above the upper limit of human hearing, though still audible by dogs. The receiver contained a microphone attached to a circuit that was tuned to the same frequency. Some problems with this method were that the receiver could be triggered accidentally by naturally occurring noises, and some people, especially young women, could hear the piercing ultrasonic signals.

    In the 1980, when semiconductors for emitting and receiving infrared radiation were developed, remote controls gradually switched to that technology, is still widely used.