Sharp Corp has opened a new research facility for Sharp Laboratories of America Inc to raise its profile in digital information technologies. Research will be conducted in three key technology areas: digital video, multimedia communications and digital imaging. The digital video division is exploring current changes in television standards, such as high definition television, to improve current products and video quality. The division is also researching applications for Sharp’s digital compression technology to help deliver services such as video-on- demand, videoconferencing and direct response adverts. Of major interest is investigation into interactive multimedia television. The multimedia communications division is focusing on personal communication services and multimedia communications technology, which brings together voice, data, still and full-motion video capabilities and packages them into hand-held phone sized dimensions. The third division is dedicating its research into advancing digital imaging technology in office products. Developers are researching ways of applying software and networking capabilities to enable large amounts of digital information to be moved, gathered, sorted, and stored more efficiently and productively. Sharp Labs will work together with Sharp Microelectronics Technology, which develops and manufactures semiconductors and liquid crystal displays and designs applications for telecommunications technologies, to promote research and development for systems to create original multimedia products for the US market. Our mission is to bring together the strong technological capabilities native to the US, and to integrate that knowledge into new and existing Sharp products, commented president and chief executive, Jon Clemens.
SHARP FOCUSES R&D EFFORT ON DIGITAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
