Sorry to disagree, but A DTMF tone is only 2 tones transmitted simultaneously. The discrimination circuitry identifies those 2 tones on a matrix, just like a keyboard. The pulse duration is the amount of time you leave your finger on the button.

We have thousands of devices that use a clean burst or pulse of .001 seconds or more that is bounce free, unlike any mechanical switch.

Any device where you push a momentary, non mechanically latching button once to turn it on and again to turn it off is generating a pulse to trigger the power circuitry.

The definition of pulse is NOT a sustained switch closure. Look at most any entertainment device INCLUDING any remote. (the original thread start) Do you push and HOLD any power button on any remote to energize the device you are controlling for the entire time you want to use it? No. You press the button or the touchscreen and a microprocessor or similar circuit generate a short duration pulse to cause a flip flop or similar circuit to change state. That devices then causes the triac, transistor or SCR to conduct. A second pulse from the same button will repeat the process and de energize the system.

If you like I can post a simple but very common circuit that does this. The main reason these are so common is that a single microprocessor can accept so much data from buttons, sensors, timers etc all at logic levels and react extremely fast and reliably.

Why use a relay with high current draw and noisy contacts when a surface mount transistor can perform longer, faster cheaper and much smaller smaller?