BLUETOOTH

Abstract
Bluetooth offers inexpensive, easy to build and use, low power consumption, wireless communication over short distances by means of small radio chips. It uses unlicensed spectrum to broadcast within 10 meters radius at around 720 Kilo bytes per second. It is not dependent on line-of-sight connection and can operate through walls and most solid objects. With potential like that, it's no wonder that Bluetooth is set to become one of the fastest adopted technologies in history.

Bluetooth has already become a global de facto standard for wireless connectivity. In the future, Bluetooth is likely to be a standard in tens of millions of mobile phones, PCs, laptops, and a whole range of other electronic devices. As a result, the market is going to demand new innovative applications, value-added services, and end-to-end solutions. ________________________________________________________________________

Introduction
Wireless technology is sprawling throughout the world to set another revolution. As the number of types of computer and communications devices continues to proliferate, establishing connectivity between them has become a critical issue. Connectivity through

cables has become cumbersome and tedious, as they require a cable specific to the devices being connected, which needs space and installations to maintain. It also requires configuration software, which needs special attention and time. What everyone needs is an economical wireless solution that is convenient, reliable, and easy to use and operates over a long distance without requiring a clear line of sight. Bluetooth wireless

technology, which has become a global technology specification, enables different devices to communicate through a commonly accepted standard for a wireless communication between portable devices, desktop machines and peripherals. Bluetooth is expected to be embedded in hundreds of millions of mobile phones, PCs, laptops and a whole range of electronic devices in the next few years.

What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a technology originally developed to replace cables to connect devices such as mobile phone handsets, headsets and portable computers, and to swap data and synchronize files. The technology defines how units can communicate up to 10 meters from each other. It also defines how certain applications should be mapped onto the Hardware to be compatible with Bluetooth. It is a low cost, low power, short-range technology, using which people no longer need to connect, plug into, install, enable or configure anything to anything else.

Wireless to Wireline
Bluetooth technology can forge wireless connection between portable devices and a wired network. As there is no line of sight required for Bluetooth devices, the users have

more flexibility in placing a LAN access point within the premises. An

access

point

provides a bridge between portable devices and a LAN. With Bluetooth, the portable device can be in motion while connected to the LAN access point as long as the user stays within the 30-feet range.

Origin of Bluetooth
The name Bluetooth comes from a Danish Viking and King, Harald Blatand meaning Bluetooth in English, who lived in the later part of the 10th century. Harald Blatand united and controlled Denmark and Norway. Ericsson, the company which pioneered the Bluetooth technology, named the technology to honor Harald Blatand i.e. Bluetooth. A study was initiated at Ericsson Mobile Communications in 1994 to find a low power and low cost radio interface between mobile phones and their accessories. The study soon showed that a short-range radio link solution was feasible. Intel, IBM, Toshiba and Nokia Mobile Phones later joined Ericsson Mobile Communications and they formed a Special Interest Group (SIG) in 1998. They jointly developed the Bluetooth 1.0

specification and released it in 1999. From then on Bluetooth technology is developing as the most popular wireless technology.

Initially, the SIG (Special Interest Group) consisted of the five companies mentioned above. Today more than 1300 companies have joined the SIG to work for an open standard for the Bluetooth concept. By signing a zero cost agreement, companies can join the SIG and qualify for a royalty-free license to build products based on the Bluetooth technology. To avoid different interpretations of the Bluetooth standard

regarding how a specific type of application should be mapped to Bluetooth, the SIG has defined a number of user models and protocol profiles. The SIG also works with a Qualification Process. The process defines criteria for a Bluetooth product to meet the Bluetooth specification.

Infrared and Bluetooth

Infrared is a technology that uses optical connection to communicate between devices. It uses 850nm infrared light between devices for voice as well as data. This type of signal needs a clear straight path from one device to another and should maintain a distance of 1 meter. One of the situations where infrared excels is the exchange of business card between two devices. These exchanges will take place generally in a conference room or reception where a number of other devices attempt to do the same thing. The short range and narrow angle of infrared rays that is 30 degrees or less allows each user to aim his device at the intended recipient with point and shoot ease. This gives ample security and no interference and is very fast. Bluetooth is omni directional and it has to select the target device from other available Bluetooth devices around it and this is time consuming. However Bluetooth technology has the ability to penetrate solid objects and communicate with other devices and allow data exchanges that are very difficult or impossible with infrared.

Advantages
The number of users of portable PCs is increasing. This implies a larger market for cordless devices. The constant shrinking of portable PCs has led to solutions where

devices like CD-ROM drives are external and need to be connected smoothly to the PC. Mobile computers now rival desktop systems in performance. The need for a stationary PC at the office and a portable PC for traveling is decreasing. Of all the emerging wireless technologies, Bluetooth is the most convenient, reliable, easy to use and has a wider range of operation, which gives the user mobility than ever before. Various advantages of Bluetooth technology are given here :

1. Cable Elimination : Bluetooth eliminates the annoying cable, which is often specific for a brand or pair of devices and its limitations regarding flexibility and range. But, Bluetooth implies more than that. The technique provides the means for connecting several units to each other such as setting up small radio LANs between any types of Bluetooth devices.

2. Personal Area Network : Bluetooth has also created the notion of a Personal Area Network (PAN), a close range wireless network that is set to revolutionize the way people interact with the information technology landscape around them.

3. Internet : Bluetooth technology also spans to the Internet. You can establish an Internet connection between a portable computer and a mobile phone using Bluetooth technology. As soon as the web browser appears on the mobile computer screen a link is established with the phone, the Internet service provider is connected to and the user is surfing the web. All this is done, by just coming within the required proximity of each other.

4. Low cost and wider support : The strength of the Bluetooth concept is that Bluetooth chips can be made very small. They are cheap and consume low power. Furthermore, there is support for the technique from a vast variety of companies. It is supported not only in the PC and mobile phone industries, but also in several other industries. They highlight more possibilities that reach far beyond just an elimination of the point-to-point cable.

Bluetooth Specification
The Bluetooth specification comprises a system solution consisting of hardware, software and interoperability requirements.

Piconets : Bluetooth units connects to each other forming a piconet, which consists of up to eight active Bluetooth units.

Baseband Protocol : The Bluetooth baseband protocol is a combination of circuit and packet switching, making it suitable for both voice and data.

Radio : Bluetooth technology uses the globally available unlicensed ISM radio band of 2.4 GHz. The ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) bands include the frequency ranges at 902 to 928 MHz and 2.4 to 2.484 GHz, which do not require an operators license from any international regulatory authority. This means that Bluetooth devices can link up with other such devices any where in the world.

Ad Hoc Networking
Establishing instant connection between one or more Bluetooth devices when they come within their range is called Ad Hoc Networking i.e. unplanned instant networking. Ad Hoc Networking is classified into two types. One is Ad Hoc Networking of data and the other is voice.

1. Data : A device equipped with a radio using the Bluetooth specification establishes instant connectivity with one or more other similar equipped radios as soon as they come within the range. Each device has a unique 48-bit Medium Access Control (MAC) address, as specified in the IEEE 802 standards for LANs.

2. Voice : When a mobile phone using Bluetooth technology comes with the range of another mobile phone with built-in bluetooth wireless technology, conversation occurs over a localized point-to-point radio link. Since the connection does not involve a telecommunications service provider, there is no per minute usage charge.

Voice over Bluetooth

The telephone handsets built to conform to Bluetooth specification can be used in 3 different ways: 1. Functioning of telephones in home or office as cordless phones connecting to the PSTN, which includes making calls via a voice base station, making direct calls between two terminals via the base station and accessing supplementary services

provided by an external network. 2. Establishing a direct connection between telephones using Bluetooth technology and other phones, which acts like a walkie-talkie or a hand set extension. 3. Functioning of the telephone as a mobile phone connected to the cellular infrastructure and incurring cellular charges.

The Bluetooth specification supports three voice channels. A voice channel can be used for a radio link between a headset and a mobile phone, which shall enable you to keep your hands free, especially while driving.

Video over Bluetooth

Wireless transmission of Video devices is possible using Bluetooth technology. For example, it allows a mobile terminal to enable the user in one room of a house to see what's currently being broadcast on TV in the other room so that he can set the VCR or DVD Recorder remotely. Bluetooth specification supports video transmissions between devices using MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group) format. Inter device

communication is handled by TCP/IP2. It also provides the basis for supporting the RealTime Transfer Protocol (RTF), which enables the video packets to synchronize correctly.

Synchronizing Data
Bluetooth provides the means for automatic synchronization between devices, for instance a desktop PC, a portable PC, a mobile phone and a notebook even when the

devices are powered off or in sleep mode. The synchronization requires business card, calendar and task information to be transferred and processed by computers, cellular phones and PDAs utilizing a common protocol and format. There are two types of synchronizations. They are Automatic Synchronization of devices at close proximity within their range and Automatic Synchronization of remote devices.

1. Automatic Synchronization

of devices

at

close

proximity :

Automatic

Synchronization of devices at close proximity within the range is a real time saver. Take for example, when you are finished adding information to the palmtop device at home, all you have to do is walk by your cubicle at work to get those files uploaded to your desktop PC. When you leave the office, any new files added to your desktop PC are automatically copied to the palmtop. When you arrive at home in the evening, the palmtop automatically loads the new information to your desktop as the two devices come within range. You do not do anything, linkup just happens.

2. Automatic Synchronization of remote devices : Automatic Synchronization of devices also works between the devices of multiple users linked over PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) remotely. While you are traveling in a train, you can establish an Internet connection to your laptop with a Bluetooth' s module via a cell phone in your briefcase.

Printing
Printing from remote places has become a reality with the advent of Bluetooth technology. Seconds after you snapped a photo of your new home in London, the

digital cameras could send the image to the cell phone in your pocket, which could send the photo as an e-mail attachment to your parents and relatives back home in INDIA.

Behaviour Enforcement
The convenience and benefits of cell phones are unquestionable, but at some instances it may be a nuisance. A cell phones ring inside cinema halls, hospitals or during meetings, religious services and other quiet zones can disturb the entire proceeding. Bluetooth devices can be combined with other technologies to offer wholly new capabilities to enforce courteous cell phone usage, such as automatically lowering the ring volume or shutting off cell phones as users enter quiet zones. Once the cell phone user is out of the quiet zone previous settings will be restored.

Interference
There are other devices, which operate in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz part of the radio spectrum, like the Microwave ovens and some Wireless LANs. These devices can cause interference to the Bluetooth devices in their range. The technology used to combat these interferences is called as Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology or Spread Spectrum, shortly.

Safety & Security

Safety : All wireless equipments including that of Bluetooth emit radiations, which put the concern for human safety and also the safety of other gadgets to the forefront. 10

Radiation emissions from devices using Bluetooth Wireless technology are less harmful than the radiation emissions of industry-standard cordless phones. The Bluetooth modules will not interfere or cause harm to public or private telecommunication network equipment. It is also safer for the consumer using the equipment or whoever comes within the operating distance of Bluetooth devices. Security : Introducing the Bluetooth technology as a cable replacement technique exposes the need for security in the wireless solution. By replacing the cable and introducing radio signals, there is a need for the Bluetooth device to have built-in security to prevent eavesdropping and falsifying the message originator. Therefore, functionally for authentication and encryption has been added to the Bluetooth technology. Authentication : It is used to prevent unauthorized access to data and to prevent falsifying of the message originator. Encryption : It is used to prevent eavesdropping. These two techniques combined with the frequency hopping technique and the limited transmission range for a Bluetooth unit, usually 10m, gives the technology higher protection against eavesdropping.

Levels of Security : Since the need for security is dependent on what kind of application is executed, three levels of security are defined in the Bluetooth concept 1. Non-secure : This mode bypasses functionality for authentication and encryption. 2. Service-Level Security : In the Service-level security mode, it is suggested to introduce a Security Manager that controls the access to services and units. This

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security mode provides the possibility to define trust levels for the services and units used respectively. The access is restricted according to the defined trust levels. 3. Link-Level Security : The Link-level security mode is based on the concept of link keys. These keys are secret 128 bit random numbers stored individually for each pair of devices in a Bluetooth connection. Each time two Bluetooth units communicate; the link key is used for authentication and encryption. initiated before the link set-up is completed. Security procedures are

References
1. Nokia Forum 2. .Net Compact Framework Wei-Meng Lee ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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