Origin of Bluetooth technology

Overview of Bluetooth History

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communications technology.It was taken from the 10th century Danish King Harald Blatand who unified Denmark and Norway.1994 – Ericsson study on a wireless technology to link mobile phones & accessories.5 companies joined to form the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in 1998.First specification released in July 1999.

                                        Timeline

1994 : Ericsson study complete / vision
1995 : Engineering work begins
1997 : Intel agrees to collaborate
1998 : Bluetooth SIG formed: Ericsson, Intel, IBM, Nokia                                                                                  & Toshiba
1999 : Bluetooth Specification 1.0A SIG promoter group               expanded: 3Com, Lucent, Microsoft & Motorola
2000 : Bluetooth Specification 1.0B, 2000+ adopters
2001 : First retail products released, Specification 1.1
2003 : Bluetooth Specification 1.2
2005 : Bluetooth Specification 2.0 (?)

What is Bluetooth Good For?
Bluetooth was originally conceived as a basic cable replacement technology.
It allows all the various interconnecting wires coming out of the back of a
PC to be replaced by a single Bluetooth radio in each device. The cost of
adding Bluetooth wireless capability is expected to be less than the cost of
the cable it is replacing, especially when you consider the additional cost of
the connectors at the receiving end in a device that is already space-limited
such as a PC, PDA, or cellular phone. Additional savings are realized in
devices such as PCs where a single Bluetooth radio can replace several
cables. Bluetooth usage models have quickly expanded beyond basic cable
replacement into other realms.

Bluetooth also enables wireless personal ad-hoc networks, known as PANs,
or personal area networks. IEEE 802.15.1, which is based on the Bluetooth
standard, defines a fixed personal operating space (POS), which is a fixed
sphere of 10 meters radius around a person, whether stationary or mobile [6].
PANs allow your PDA to synchronize with your PC automatically when you
come within range. PANs also allow PCs to share data in a local peer-topeer
network without requiring the use of a fixed network infrastructure.
Ultimately, Bluetooth’s ability to inexpensively create wireless PANs will
enable the creation of “smart environments” in which virtually any
electronic device can be networked.

Bluetooth is also capable of acting as an access point to other networks,
allowing, for instance, a PDA to browse the Internet via a cellular phone
connection, or through an Internet-connected PC, or by directly connecting
to a LAN access point.

Many usage models are envisioned for Bluetooth, ranging from embedded
tire sensors which will notify the driver of abnormal tire pressure or
temperature conditions, to using your PDA or cellular phone to turn on lights
and unlock doors as you approach your home.

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)

In 1994, Ericsson Mobile Communications decided to investigate the
feasibility of a low-power, low-cost radio interface between mobile phones
and their accessories. They quickly realized the true potential of the
technology. In February 1998, the Special Interest Group (SIG)  was
formed. Today, the Bluetooth SIG includes nine promoter companies, and
over 2000 “early adopter” and associate member companies .

The original charter of the SIG was to monitor the technical development of
a short-range radio and to create an open global standard, thus preventing the
technology from becoming the property of any single company. This work
resulted in the first Bluetooth specification, issued in July 1999. The further
development of the specification is still one of the main issues for the SIG.
Other important tasks are interoperability requirements, frequency band
harmonization, and promotion of the technology .

 Profiles

• Generic Access Profile (GAP)
• Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP)
• Cordless Telephony Profile (CTP)
• Intercom Profile (IP)
• Serial Port Profile (SPP)
• Headset Profile (HP)
• Dial-up Networking Profile (DNP)
• Fax Profile (FP)
• LAN Access Profile (LAP)
• Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)
• Object Push Profile (OPP)
• File Transfer Profile (FTP)
• Synchronization Profile (SP)

Success of Bluetooth depends on how well it is integrated into consumer products

• Consumers are more interested in applications than the technology 
• Bluetooth must be successfully integrated into consumer products
• Must provide benefits for consumer 
• Must not destroy current product benefits