Bluetooth is an open technology standard utilizing wireless capabilities to securely transmit and receive data over a limited range. Bluetooth and Bluetooth products are currently managed by the non-profit Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
Ericsson, a Swedish data services and telecommunications company, first conceived the Bluetooth standard in 1994. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group was founded in September of 1998 to promote the standard and encourage the development of qualified devices. At the same time, the Bluetooth standard was introduced to the public. The name Bluetooth, originally a code name for the design project, stems from Harald I. A Danish king, Harald I unified a number of warring Scandinavian factions into a single kingdom. Bluetooth is designed to do the same with devices, allowing a multitude of commercial products to communicate in a common language. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group took symbols from Harald I's name to form their trademark logo.
The Bluetooth standard utilizes frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to transmit data across radio frequencies. Essentially, data is carved up into small pieces before being sent to the destination and reassembled. Bluetooth is wireless, inexpensive to include in a device, and completely automated. These advantages make it ideal for small, portable devices where power consumption and size may be a key design factor. Bluetooth is particularly popular among mobile phones, portable computing devices, and audio players. A single Bluetooth transmitter can connect up to eight devices. Bluetooth signals avoid interference with similar radio frequency products (such as garage door openers and baby monitors) by only producing a weak signal of roughly one milliwatt in strength.
As of 2009, Bluetooth Core Specification 3.0 + HS (high speed) has been implemented by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Specification 3.0 will reduce latency and increase reliability through unicast connection-less data. An emphasis on power control is intended to avoid dropouts, which had been a common complaint for previous Bluetooth standards. Testing has been standardized and automated for Specification 3.0, which will allow manufacturers to produce new Bluetooth-capable products more quickly.
With the constellation of devices now constructed with Bluetooth capabilities, Bluetooth is expected to continue its steady growth as the dominant short range data transmission standard. Currently, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group estimates that more than nineteen million products containing Bluetooth are shipped each week around the globe. Eight new commercial products carrying Bluetooth are approved by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group every day.
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