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Read the latest press releases about Bluetooth wireless technology from the Bluetooth SIG.
NEW BLUETOOTH® STANDARD BUILT FOR THE UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL
22-Jul-2008
Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth low energy standard offers the first universal approach to remote control
TOKYO, JAPAN, Expo Comm Wireless Japan – July 22, 2008 – The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the upcoming Bluetooth low energy specification will meet the requirements of the consumer products industry for interoperable, universal remote controls. Bluetooth low energy technology, which will enable low cost, ultra low power applications, is currently in development and expected to be available next year.
“Remote controls were identified as one of the key markets when we were designing this specification,”
said Mike Foley, PhD, executive director, Bluetooth SIG. “Every customer is aware of the frustration of owning a handful of different, incompatible remote controls. By bringing the experience of the Bluetooth community to bear on a low cost, interoperable solution, we hope to make that frustration a distant memory.”
Bluetooth low energy technology is designed for use in devices that need a battery life of years versus hours, and for markets that demand interoperability between products from different manufacturers. Those features make Bluetooth low energy perfectly suited for remote control devices.
The specification is being actively developed by more than 48 companies including Nokia, Nordic Semiconductor, Agilent Technology, TI, CSR and Broadcom.
Today there is no standard for wireless remote controls. Bluetooth low energy technology offers many advantages and builds on the reputation of Bluetooth wireless technology for providing cross industry interoperability. The standard allows the remote control to be designed as a low cost, non-intelligent peripheral. The target receiver product, whether it’s a TV, DVD player, set-top box, or media player, can control the operation of the remote control so that it learns to work with each new device that is purchased. Unlike conventional remote controls, each Bluetooth low energy remote control always uses a secure, unique link to the device it is controlling. And Bluetooth devices do not require line of sight to operate the equipment you want to control. That means stereo equipment can be kept behind cabinet doors and still be operated with a Bluetooth low energy remote.
“A major drawback of other proposed standards for remote controls is that they easily become confused when working with multiple consumer devices,” said Anders Edlund, marketing director, Europe, the Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth low energy technology provides the ability for remote controls to talk to multiple devices with total assurance that they will control the correct piece of equipment.”
Bluetooth low energy technology will be incorporated into hundreds of millions of mobile phones. When those phones reach the market in the second half of 2009, they will provide a critical mass of controllers. Unlike a current remote control, which is a purely one-way controller, Bluetooth low energy remote control implementations can also display information for the user. This allows them to be used with set-top boxes to display electronic program guides and set up recording patterns, instead of that information being displayed in front of the TV programming. They can also use these devices as gateways to external Internet based services, allowing them to be used for secure ordering or to display extended program information.
The Bluetooth low energy standard is backed by leading companies in the area of mobile telephony, consumer goods and silicon devices, including Nokia, Nordic Semiconductor, TI, CSR and Broadcom. Bluetooth SIG has more than 11,000 members. More details on the Bluetooth low energy standard and its applications in remote control can be downloaded from the Bluetooth website at www.bluetooth.com/lowenergy.
About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range wireless standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of electronic devices. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the core specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths – small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. More than five new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every working day and 13 million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. The installed base of Bluetooth devices is one and a half nearly two billion and climbing, making it the only proven wireless technology choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide. About the Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes Promoter group companies Ericsson, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, along with over 10,000 Associate and Adopter member companies. The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A. For more information please visit www.bluetooth.com. The Bluetooth word mark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Note to Editors: Media assets (stills and video) to accompany stories about Bluetooth wireless technology are available on Bluetooth.com, hosted by The NewsMarket: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/Bluetooth/br/Story/MultimediaPressPacks.aspx Press Contacts:
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