ITX E-Globaledge Corporation, NTT DoCoMo, Sharp Corporation and Waseda University have introduced IrSimple, a high-speed wireless communications protocol using infrared, and the Infrared Data Association, an industry organisation that develops and standardises specifications for infrared communications, has decided to formally adopt the protocol as its standard.

IrSimple achieves faster data transmission speeds (at least 4 to 10 times faster than at present) by improving the efficiency of the current infrared IrDA protocol embedded in many mobile devices such as mobile phones. In addition, the IrSimple protocol also maintains backward compatibility with the existing IrDA protocols.

Incorporating IrSimple in digital consumer electronics devices and home appliances is expected to lead to a significant expansion in applications for this new communications protocol. For example, high-resolution photographs taken with a mobile phone or digital camera can be instantly transferred to a flat-panel TV or printer through a simple operation, similar to that of using a remote control unit.
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