Bluetooth

Definition - What does Bluetooth mean?

Techopedia explains Bluetooth

In contrast to other wireless technologies, Bluetooth equips its network and devices with high-level services like file pushing, voice transmission and serial line emulation.

Bluetooth features include:

• Specifications based on frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology
• Network communicates with a master Bluetooth device and is formed with up to seven devices
• FreeBSD stack is executed with a Netgraph framework via short wavelength radio transmission signals.
• Device technology includes confidentiality, key derivation and authentication via Secure and Fast Encryption Routine (SAFER)+ block cipher algorithms

Bluetooth is used for the following:

• Wireless control and communication between mobile and hands-free headsets
• Wireless networking between multiple computers in areas with limited service
• Wireless communication with PCs and peripheral input/output (I/O) devices
• With Object Exchange (OBEX), to transfer files, contact details and calendar appointments between multiple devices
• To replace conventional wired communication, like GPS receivers, medical equipment, traffic control devices and bar code scanners
• For low-bandwidth applications, when a higher USB bandwidth is not desired
• Bridge multiple industrial Ethernet networks
• Wireless controllers in many interactive games and play stations
• Access dialup Internet connection via a PDA or PC
• Manage short-range data transmission between medical and cellular/other tele-health devices
• Mobile phone communication with digital enhanced cordless telecommunication (DECT)
• Identify and track object positions with the real-time location system
• Track livestock and prisoner movement
• Personal mobile security applications

The name Bluetooth comes from the Scandinavian word Blåtand/Blåtann, which originated from Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson I, from Denmark and parts of Norway. He was a king, reined in the tenth century and united discordant Danish tribes into a single kingdom. Bluetooth established the name to indicate that they united communication protocols into one universal standard.