Bluetooth

Last Updated: January 27, 2017

Definition - What does Bluetooth mean?

Bluetooth is an open wireless technology standard for transmitting fixed and mobile electronic device data over short distances. Bluetooth was introduced in 1994 as a wireless substitute for RS-232 cables.

Bluetooth communicates with a variety of electronic devices and creates personal networks operating within the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band. Operating range is based on device class. A variety of digital devices use Bluetooth, including MP3 players, mobile and peripheral devices and personal computers.

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.