From EETimes: The latest Bluetooth spec update will improve consumer usability and developer access while paving the way for new devices, according to Bluetooth Special Interest Group officials. In addition, the group is preparing the way for Bluetooth to more deeply support Internet Protocol.
Bluetooth 4.1, officially released today, builds on the current low power consumption model to produce data that’s more visible on mobile devices. The updates improve usability with increased coexistence support for LTE and data exchange, and empower developer innovation, said Errett Kroeter, director of global industry and brand marketing for Bluetooth SIG.
"We want to make sure Bluetooth is central to the implementation and development of the Internet of Things," Kroeter said in an interview with EE Times. "New features work seamlessly with mobile technology like LTE so there’s no signal interference."
The update also allows for maintenance of connections with less frequent manual intervention, while expanded time intervals will give product or software developers the ability to choose how long they want devices to search for each other.
Improvements over 2010’s Bluetooth Smart release include the ability for bulk data transfer between Bluetooth devices using the existing low energy feature. Kroeter foresees the technology being used to easily transmit data serially, in real time, in smart homes, heart monitors, and fitness equipment.
"Essentially it allows developers to create all kinds of different scenarios around efficiency of data transfer and creating more flexibility for a scenario where a collector can gather information for period of time and offload it," Kroeter said. "Information can be stored in a fitness monitor for a whole run, and you can come back and the monitor will be running in the background."
View: Article @ Source Site
