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NEC Electronics Launches Audio Processor That Enables 50 Hours of Continuous Music Playback on Mobile Phones

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KAWASAKI, Japan, DUSSELDORF, Germany, January 23, 2006

NEC Electronics Corporation today announced the launch of a new audio processor that enables 50 hours of continuous music playback on mobile phones while utilizing existing software resources such as user interface software. The µPD99910 is the first product in NEC Electronics' new AP series of audio processors for mobile phones. It incorporates a dedicated music playback central processing unit (CPU) and digital signal processor (DSP), and is designed as a companion chip to be connected to an application processor. The chip appropriates and optimizes the music playback function of the application processor, incorporates an SD memory card interface function, and supports CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable Media) copyright protection technology.

Mobile phone manufacturers can produce phone terminals quickly and at low cost with the µPD99910. The SD audio function enables music data to be downloaded and utilized with no copyright infringement, and the power saved by the dedicated playback CPU and DSP operating in place of application processor allows many hours of continuous music playback.

Features of the µPD99910 are as follows:

(1)	Dedicated power-efficient CPU and DSP The µPD99910 incorporates a power-efficient CPU and DSP dedicated to music playback processing. In previous models, the CPU and DSP in the application processor were used to play back music. However, because the CPU and DSP were also used for other types of processing such as video processing, the application processor's high performance came at the expense of power efficiency. With the µPD99910, the dedicated CPU and DSP enable music to be played back without engaging the CPU and DSP in the application processor. As a result, the new chip provides 50 hours of continuous music playback using a battery of the same capacity as current models with no on-chip CPU or DSP—a 10-fold improvement (Note).
(2)	SD card interface function The µPD99910 provides a function to interface with SD cards—small-scale memory cards that include a copyright protection function—facilitating the creation of mobile phones that utilize SD card functions.
(3)	Support of CPRM The µPD99910 supports CPRM, the SD card copyright protection technology, enabling the incorporation of an SD audio function that allows music data to be downloaded and utilized with no copyright infringement. Manufacturers will therefore be able to develop mobile phones that support various SD card applications such as SD-Binding, whereby purchased contents can be transferred from an old machine to a new machine using the same SD card.
(4)	Utilization of semiconductor memory Because the µPD99910 is a companion chip, music can be played back by downloading the music playback program from the host (the application processor). Also, the program code used to run the program can be stored in the application processor's flash memory. This means that only the minimum program code required to play back music is stored on the µPD99910, reducing the internal memory size. Moreover, an external flash memory for storing program code is not required. The µPD99910 can therefore deliver a better cost performance that an LSI for a portable digital audio player, which requires an external flash memory for storing the music playback program code.

The functional sophistication of mobile phones continues to increase unabated. One popular function recently is music playback. People are now able to buy and download music contents onto their mobile phones and use the phone as a music player. However, current mobile phones that can provide a music playback function tend to realize this function using the application processor. The application processor consumes a large amount of power, and when it is running, all its functions are operating even if only the music playback function is active. Using the power hungry application processor makes it difficult to play back music for any length of time.

One answer may be to incorporate a special LSI that realizes the functions of a portable digital audio player. However, in this case, the user must manually execute various steps to use the special LSI, such as switching the screen display, making operability a problem. The rapid spread of service providers selling high-quality music contents has also given rise to other issues, such as how to protect the copyright of the purchased contents while allowing customers to utilize those contents effectively.

NEC Electronics responded to the needs of this market by producing the µPD99910, an LSI chip that integrates a dedicated music playback CPU and DSP and a function to interface with copyright protection media on a single chip. NEC Electronics believes that this new chip will alleviate mobile phone manufacturers' ever increasing development burden, enabling them to provide phones that offer a wide range of music playback functions. NEC Electronics aims to actively promote sales of this device, while continuing to pursue development goals in this field.

NEC Electronics will exhibit the µPD99910 at the 3GSM World Congress 2006 exhibition to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from February 13-16, 2006.

Availability
Samples of the µPD99910 are now available. Mass production is scheduled to commence in April 2006, and expected to reach 400,000 units per month.

Please see the attachment for the main specifications of the µPD99910.

(Note)

As compared with other NEC Electronics products. The data was calculated using data that complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) standards, i.e., AAC compression, 128 kBps data transfer rate, and 44.1 MHz operating frequency during processing.

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the high-end computing and broadband networking markets, system solutions for the mobile handsets, PC peripherals, automotive and digital consumer markets, and multi-market solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has 26 subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. (www.am.necel.com) and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH (www.eu.necel.com). For additional information about NEC Electronics worldwide, visit www.necel.com.

Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.


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