Sai, You are right about the abundance of infrared applications - because it is so simple to implement and so low cost (and no regulatory issues). Devices that have IrDA can communicate with legacy infrared remotes. Not difficult at all - simply an issue of sending the right codes in infrared. Previously Palm had an infrared app that controlled the TV.
If you are asking about IrSimple stack on Android, we are not there yet. As David explained, we have to do it right on Andriod, and as it is an open platform, there should be free to anyone. If you are interested, we can talk offline about other platforms - Symbian (Nokia, Sony and all Japanese phones support IrDA), and other platforms. - acton On Oct 3, 1:41 pm, sai <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Acton, David, Craig and others > First of all thanks for the valuable feed back and insight. > > The main application I was aiming at, using the infrared > communication was, a remote control . When I mean remote control I > mean the remote to my TV, DVD player, audio system (lets say a > universal remote app) My Wii box (if I use the accelerometer from > android installed instrument), my garage opener, to automate lighting > in my house etc. I dont think Blue tooth can be used in these cases. > > All these applications mentioned above need IR communication of some > form. I am not very familiar with the protocols for IR here but if you > look at it the applications for IR communication from a phone is > numerous.So I was trying to look for a way to communicate through the > IR port in a phone using the android platform. > > If I understand it correctly, the platform still needs a Device driver > that will talk to the IR hardware AND a system library that will talk > with the application API and the device driver. > > Acton, > I am assuming IRSimple stack is a device driver that will communicate > to the IR hardware. Are you guys planning to provide a system library > to use your stack ? I am planning to do some serious development into > the applications mentioned above. But before gettting into it I wanted > to know if there is any hope for IR. And looks like there is. Are you > planning to keep the IRSimple stack open source ? or are you going to > license it for a fee ? > > Thanks Again ! > Sai > > On Oct 3, 3:25 pm, "David Farler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Acton, > > There are *two* components necessary here: 1.) your mentioned IRSimple > > system library or kernel module and 2.) an Android core runtime library to > > connect to it in a convenient way so application developers can grab data > > from the IR port. Nobody wants to bang away at registers here. I certainly > > don't. You can see how much trouble OpenMoko is having because its > > developers don't have time to make applications because they are too busy > > doing system development. As I understand it, while Android in general is > > open source for personal customization needs, Google is expecting user space > > applications from contributing developers, not system libraries or low-level > > software stacks. I see two routes: > > > 1. You or the IrDAMC can make a serious proposal to Google and the various > > handset manufacturers about your IR plans. Your first step would probably be > > to contact a project manager for Android. If you want to go this official > > route, then you need to halt all serious work until you get together so you > > don't waste your time. Or, > > > 2. You can get the source when available and make your own custom android > > library for use with phones that can use whatever IRSimple system library > > you are talking about. I hope you understand the complexity of doing this > > and installing it. If you do, then I wish you good luck on making IR the > > latest craze! > > > As for my opinion, I believe the IrDA Marketing and Technical Committees > > should be doing this lobbying work on behalf of its members, creating a > > cohesive hardware plan, so as not to fragment the Android user base before > > it even starts. I, for one, do not want the Windows Vista of mobile > > platforms. There is a reason why Windows has been relatively unstable in the > > past -- it's called driver support. > > > David > > > On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 12:23 PM, acton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Actually I know a group or two from IrDA community who already have > > > their IrSimple stack and can easily port to the Android platform. > > > They are already supplying for Samsung SGH-E700, Nokia N95, 6600, Sony > > > Ericsson W300 series, and all the new stuff from Japan from Casio, > > > Sharp, Softbank, NTT DoCoMo. > > > > Can you advise how to submit their stack into Android? > > > > Then let the market decide. > > > > - Acton > > > > On Oct 2, 9:19 am, Al Sutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > The problem would be support. If it's a feature that's only in a few > > > > manufacturers 'phones it's unlikely to appeal to developers because of > > > > its limited availability and duplication of features when compared to > > > > BlueTooth and/or 802.11. > > > > > Whilst I respect your viewpoint, the Japanese market is a minority > > > > player and tends to have solutions which don't gain traction elsewhere > > > > (e.g. iMode, Cellular TV), and it typically accounts for around 10% of > > > > the global phone market. If you look at sales by volume > > > > (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_mobile_phones), none > > > > of the top 3 'phones have IR (and that's 426 million phones), and if you > > > > look at smark 'phones none of the recent releases from the major > > > > manufacturers have IR > > > > (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_smartphones). > > > > > IR is also absent from a vast majority of the new generation of NetBooks > > > > including the more popular Asus EEE range, Aspire One, MSI Wind, and > > > > Dell Inspiron Mini 9. > > > > > In light of this I think it unlikely that we'll see IR support in the > > > > future. > > > > > Al. > > > > > acton wrote: > > > > > I respect your opinion. However, as I am aware, it is the phone > > > > > manufacturer who has to decide what hardware to incorporate into their > > > > > products to sell in a particular market. The market in Japan seems to > > > > > be the leader for phones - even the US is a laggard in this respect. > > > > > > Let me quote from a Mercury News report about the lacklustre response > > > > > for the iPhone even though Apple reported it sold 1 million in the > > > > > first 3 days : > > > > > > "For example, young people in Japan take for granted the ability to > > > > > share phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other contact information by > > > > > beaming it from one phone to another over infrared connections. Being > > > > > without those instantaneous exchanges would be the death knell on the > > > > > Japanese dating circuit. > > > > > > While the iPhone has Bluetooth wireless links, it has no infrared > > > > > connection. > > > > > > The iPhone lacks other technology long available on Japanese cell > > > > > phones, such as digital TV broadcasts, a built-in camcorder, voice > > > > > recognition and an "electronic wallet" function. " > > > > > > For the whole article, click here: > > > > >http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9898056?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.co. > > > .. > > > > > > I think the Andriod team should look at market needs and if they want > > > > > to be a global phone OS. As an open platform, Android should support > > > > > as many market needs as they can. After all, anyone can submit a new > > > > > feature for all to use, isn't it? But this does not mean a > > > > > manufacturer should (or want to) install all the features - this > > > > > should depend on what they need for the market they want to enter. > > > > > > That is what I understand is the benefit of an open platform, imho. > > > > > > On Oct 2, 4:12 am, Al Sutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >> For 'phones Bluetooth is pretty much a "must have" because of ear > > > > >> pieces, GPS integration, and in-car speaker systems which wont work > > > well > > > > >> with the line of sight requirement IR has. > > > > > >> imho, given that Android already has 802.11 & BT I can't see there > > > being > > > > >> a lot of call for another communication technology. > > > > > >> Al. > > > > > >> acton wrote: > > > > > >>> It all depends on what you want to do with wireless data transfer - > > > > >>> i.e. sharing or swapping videos and photos. These are going to be > > > > >>> very large in the next 6-18 months with 3 megapixel cameraphones and > > > > >>> soon 5 to 8megapixels. > > > > > >>> Even today some Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones continue to support > > > old > > > > >>> IrDA - at 1Mpbs. All new phones from NTT Docomo, Softbank, KDDI, > > > > >>> Sharp, Casio, Kyocera, etc support the faster 4Mpbs IrSimple > > > > >>> protocol. That is also complemented with a whole range of portable > > > > >>> photo printers: > > >http://acton-acton.blogspot.com/2008/09/printing-from-your-phone.html > > > > > >>> I have seen demos of phone-to-phone sharing of photos and user > > > > >>> generated videos using IrSimple - it is fast! less than 1 sec. > > > Let > > > > >>> me know if you want to see the live demo - I can bring it to one of > > > > >>> the dev meetings! > > > > > >>> I know some Japanese companies are trying to get in touch with the > > > > >>> Andriod product team to include IrSimple into their spec. Anyone > > > > >>> can > > > > >>> help to do that? > > > > > >>> regards, > > > > >>> -acton > > > > > >>> On Oct 1, 1:32 am, Al Sutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>>> The HTC spec sheet > > > > >>>> (http://www.htc.com/www/product/g1/specification.html) makes no > > > mention > > > > >>>> of it so I would assume that it's not going to be there initially. > > > > > >>>> IR ports have died off with the increase in popularity of Bluetooth > > > > >>>> because of bluetooths advantage of not needing a line-of-sight link > > > > >>>> between the two devices, so I would go out on a limb and say that I > > > > >>>> think it's unlikely IR will ever make it into a Android device. > > > > > >>>> Al. > > > > > >>>> sai wrote: > > > > > >>>>> I have been trying to find on the android home page, I see > > > > >>>>> Blutooth > > > > >>>>> and wireless support but there is no mention of the infrared port, > > > any > > > > >>>>> ideas if it is supported now or may be later ? > > > > > >>>>> Thanks > > > > >>>>> Sai > > > > > >>>> -- > > > > >>>> Al Sutton > > > > > >>>> W:www.alsutton.com > > > > >>>> B: alsutton.wordpress.com > > > > >>>> T: twitter.com/alsutton > > > > > -- > > > > Al Sutton > > > > > W:www.alsutton.com > > > > B: alsutton.wordpress.com > > > > T: twitter.com/alsutton- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. 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