Exploring Bluetooth Channel Sounding: Near-Term and Emerging Use Cases

November 11, 2024
Javier del Prado
Access Control, Bluetooth Low Energy, Broadcast, Channel Sounding, Digital Key, Item Finding, Location Services

With the recent adoption of Bluetooth^® Core Specification version 6.0, an exciting new feature has emerged: Bluetooth^® Channel Sounding. This secure, fine-ranging feature brings true distance awareness to a wide range of connected devices. It opens up new use cases right away and promises to change how we’ll interact with devices in the long run. In this blog post, we will explore what Bluetooth Channel Sounding is, its immediate and emerging use cases, and the ecosystem supporting this innovation.

What Is Bluetooth Channel Sounding?

Bluetooth Channel Sounding is designed to boost the accuracy and security of Bluetooth device ranging. Unlike the traditional received signal strength indicator (RSSI) method, which provides rough estimates (or coarse-ranging), Bluetooth Channel Sounding offers a fine-ranging feature that measures the round-trip phase (RTP) and round-trip time (RTT) of signals between devices. This results in more precise and secure distance measurements, paving the way for many new applications.

Near-Term Use Cases

2408 Event IMG Update Channel Sounding 2

One of the first use cases we expect to grow is finding items like keys, smart tags, and other assets. Attaching tags to these important items gives both consumers and enterprises assurance for tracking and locating them. With the rapid increase in embedding finding capabilities in devices like styluses and earbuds, Find My solutions are becoming even more widespread. While traditional finding methods use RSSI, Bluetooth Channel Sounding takes the user’s finding experience to the next level, making it easier and faster to find lost objects thanks to its long range and centimeter-level accuracy.

Emerging Use Cases

5.4 billion devices in 2024 included Bluetooth technology; From smartphones to laptops and smart home applications, there is an incredible ecosystem of devices ready for Bluetooth Channel Sounding. True distance awareness unlocks an entirely new way to seamlessly interact with devices, especially across multiple devices. Experiences such as file sharing, unlocking and locking devices, and automatic speaker selection will reach new heights.

File Sharing

We store and share files on many devices – smartphones, computers, tablets, and more. Today, we transfer files in a number of ways, such as manually copying it to a flash drive, uploading to a cloud, or using a file transfer service. With Bluetooth Channel Sounding, sharing files becomes seamless. Leveraging multi-channel, phase-based ranging (PBR), Bluetooth enabled devices will detect other devices in range for connection, making it easy to share with your friends next to you or transfer files from your computer to your tablet.

Bluetooth^® Channel Sounding: A Technical Overview

This paper provides an overview of the Bluetooth^® Channel Sounding, a secure fine ranging feature that enables true distance awareness between two Bluetooth devices.

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Secure Access

Accessing a building, home, or garage can include remotely opening it through your phone or scanning a badge. Bluetooth Channel Sounding is an excellent way to elevate these experiences. Imagine walking through the halls of your workplace with your phone, securely unlocking doors and even your laptop when you are within range. Or using your car to automatically open your garage door when you pull into the driveway. With multi-layer security that includes a secondary ranging method (round-trip time), users have an extra layer of protection to securely lock and unlock devices within range.

2408 Event IMG Update Channel Sounding

Automatic Smart Home Device Selection

The home is becoming smarter, with over 22 connected devices in an average United States home¹. From smart TVs to lightbulbs down to hubs that are often used to control it all, we can connect and interact with devices in entirely new ways. Adding true distance awareness into the home adds a new level of seamless experiences. When listening to music on your phone, it now becomes possible to cast music to the closest speaker, and even have it switch speakers as you roam around the house. Getting up in the middle of the night for a glass of water becomes easy, using your phone or smartwatch to detect distance, light bulbs can automatically turn on as you enter a room.

The Future of Bluetooth Channel Sounding

The future with Bluetooth Channel Sounding enables true distance awareness across a multitude of connected devices, paving the way for both immediate and long-term innovative use cases. As we move forward, the integration of Bluetooth Channel Sounding in everyday devices will undoubtedly unlock new, seamless ways to interact with the technology around us, making our interactions more intuitive and efficient.

FEATURED INNOVATION

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is a new secure, fine-ranging feature that promises to enhance the convenience, safety, and security of Bluetooth connected devices. By infusing billions of everyday devices with true distance awareness, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding unlocks a world of possibilities for developers, freeing them to imagine and create innovative experiences.

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