Editing Bluetooth (section)

== Uses ==
Bluetooth is a standard wire-replacement communications protocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a short range based on low-cost [[transceiver]] [[integrated circuit|microchips]] in each device.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Technology/Works/|title=How Bluetooth Technology Works|publisher=Bluetooth SIG|access-date=1 February 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080117000828/http://bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Technology/Works/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 17 January 2008}}</ref> Because the devices use a radio (broadcast) communications system, they do not have to be in visual line of sight of each other; however, a ''[[Quasi-optical|quasi optical]]'' wireless path must be viable.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book|last=Newton|first=Harold|year=2007|title=Newton's telecom dictionary|location=New York|publisher=Flatiron Publishing|isbn=9780979387364}}</ref>

=== Bluetooth classes and power use ===
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Bluetooth device power by class
|-
! rowspan=2 | Class
! colspan=2 | Maximum permitted power
|-
! mW
! [[dBm]]
|-
! 1
| 10–100 || +10–+20
|-
! 1.5*
| 2.5–10 || +4–+10
|-
! 2
| 1–2.5 || 0–+4
|-
! 3
| 0.01–1 || &minus;20–0
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;"| * Class{{nbsp}}1.5 included in Class{{nbsp}}1 for BR/EDR
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;"| Source: Bluetooth Core Specification revision{{nbsp}}5.3,<br>Volume{{nbsp}}6, Part{{nbsp}}A, §{{nbsp}}3, and<br>Volume{{nbsp}}2, Part{{nbsp}}A, §{{nbsp}}3, [https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/specs/core-specification-5-3/ Bluetooth SIG]
|}
Historically, the Bluetooth range was defined by the radio class, with a lower class (and higher output power) having larger range.<ref name="bluetooth1">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Basics.aspx |title=Basics {{pipe}} Bluetooth Technology Website |publisher=Bluetooth.com |date=23 May 2010 |access-date=16 October 2012 |archive-date=28 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028194747/http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/basics.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The actual range of a given link depends on several qualities of both communicating devices and the [[Path loss|air and obstacles in between]]. The primary attributes affecting range are the data rate, protocol (Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth Low Energy), transmission power, and receiver sensitivity, and the relative orientations and gains of both antennas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/key-attributes/range/|title=Understanding Bluetooth Range|publisher=Bluetooth SIG|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>

The effective range varies depending on propagation conditions, material coverage, production sample variations, antenna configurations and battery conditions. Most Bluetooth applications are for indoor conditions, where attenuation of walls and signal fading due to signal reflections make the range far lower than specified line-of-sight ranges of the Bluetooth products.

Most Bluetooth applications are battery-powered Class&nbsp;2 devices, with little difference in range whether the other end of the link is a Class&nbsp;1 or Class&nbsp;2 device as the lower-powered device tends to set the range limit. In some cases the effective range of the data link can be extended when a Class&nbsp;2 device is connecting to a Class&nbsp;1 transceiver with both higher sensitivity and transmission power than a typical Class&nbsp;2 device.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inventionduniya.in/what-is-bluetooth-and-how-to-use-bluetooth/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010085437/https://inventionduniya.in/what-is-bluetooth-and-how-to-use-bluetooth/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2021 |title=Class 1 Bluetooth Dongle Test |publisher=Amperordirect.com |access-date=4 September 2010 }}</ref> In general, however, Class&nbsp;1 devices have sensitivities similar to those of Class&nbsp;2 devices. Connecting two Class&nbsp;1 devices with both high sensitivity and high power can allow ranges far in excess of the typical 100&nbsp;m, depending on the throughput required by the application. Some such devices allow open field ranges of up to 1&nbsp;km and beyond between two similar devices without exceeding legal emission limits.<ref name="WT41">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluegiga.com/WT41_Long_Range_Bluetooth_Module |title=WT41 Long Range Bluetooth Module |access-date=28 August 2013 |archive-date=3 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703045646/http://www.bluegiga.com/WT41_Long_Range_Bluetooth_Module |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BluBear">{{cite web |url=http://www.lesswire.com/en/products/embedded-wireless-modules/bluetooth/bluebear/overview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717051641/http://www.lesswire.com/en/products/embedded-wireless-modules/bluetooth/bluebear/overview/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 July 2013 |title=BluBear Industrial Long Range Bluetooth 2.1 Module with EDR  }}</ref><ref name="OBS433">{{cite web |url=http://www.connectblue.com/products/classic-bluetooth-products/classic-bluetooth-modules/bluetooth-serial-port-module-obs433/ |title=OEM Bluetooth Serial Port Module OBS433 |access-date=28 August 2013 |archive-date=16 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716065225/http://www.connectblue.com/products/classic-bluetooth-products/classic-bluetooth-modules/bluetooth-serial-port-module-obs433/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Bluetooth profile ===
{{Main|List of Bluetooth profiles}}

To use Bluetooth wireless technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles. 
For example,

* The [[List of Bluetooth profiles#Headset Profile (HSP)|Headset Profile (HSP)]] connects headphones and earbuds to a cell phone or laptop.
* The [[List of Bluetooth profiles#Health Device Profile (HDP)|Health Device Profile (HDP)]] can connect a cell phone to a digital thermometer or heart rate detector.
* The [[List of Bluetooth profiles#Video Distribution Profile (VDP)|Video Distribution Profile (VDP)]] sends a video stream from a video camera to a TV screen or a recording device.

Profiles are definitions of possible applications and specify general behaviors that Bluetooth-enabled devices use to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. These profiles include settings to parameterize and to control the communication from the start. Adherence to profiles saves the time for transmitting the parameters anew before the bi-directional link becomes effective. There are a wide range of Bluetooth profiles that describe many different types of applications or use cases for devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/profiles-overview/|title=Traditional Profile Specifications|publisher=Bluetooth.com|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=11 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311022237/https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/profiles-overview/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== List of applications ===
[[File:Bluetooth headset.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A typical Bluetooth mobile phone [[headset (audio)|headset]] from the early 2000s]]
[[File:JBL GO2 Bluetooth speaker 00 10 27 681000.jpeg|thumb|A handheld, waterproof JBL [[Bluetooth speaker]] with a rechargeable battery, made in the late 2010s]]
* Wireless control and communication between a mobile phone and a [[handsfree]] [[headset (audio)|headset]]. This was one of the earliest applications to become popular.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/History-of-Bluetooth.aspx|title=History of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group|publisher=Bluetooth.com|access-date=15 May 2015|archive-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701073626/http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/History-of-Bluetooth.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Wireless control of audio and communication functions between a mobile phone and a Bluetooth compatible car stereo system (and sometimes [[SIM Access Profile|between the SIM card and the car phone]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sauter|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aEewDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA491|title=From GSM to LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G: An Introduction to Mobile Networks and Mobile Broadband|date=2 August 2017|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-34690-6|page=491|access-date=13 September 2020|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414135830/https://books.google.com/books?id=aEewDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA491|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Penttinen|first=Jyrki T. J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HRQmBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA129|title=The Telecommunications Handbook: Engineering Guidelines for Fixed, Mobile and Satellite Systems|date=16 March 2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-94488-1|page=129|access-date=13 September 2020|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125202158/https://books.google.com/books?id=HRQmBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA129|url-status=live}}</ref>).
*Wireless communication between a smartphone and a [[smart lock]] for unlocking doors.
* Wireless control of and communication with iOS and Android device phones, tablets and portable [[wireless speaker]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trusoundaudio.com/collections/all|title=Portable Wireless Bluetooth Compatible Speakers|publisher=Trusound Audio|access-date=7 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418105028/https://www.trusoundaudio.com/collections/all|archive-date=18 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Wireless [[Bluetooth headset]] and [[intercom]]. Idiomatically, a headset is sometimes called "a Bluetooth".
* Wireless streaming of audio to [[headphones]] with or without communication capabilities.
* Wireless streaming of data collected by Bluetooth-enabled fitness devices to phone or PC.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bluetooth Revisited|url=https://techpayout.com/blog/bluetooth-revisited/|website=techpayout.com|access-date=10 May 2016|date=27 March 2014|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603110522/https://techpayout.com/blog/bluetooth-revisited/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.mobileinfo.com/Bluetooth/applic.htm
|title=Bluetooth Technology
|publisher=mobileinfo.com
|access-date=11 May 2015
|archive-date=23 December 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223163529/http://www.mobileinfo.com/Bluetooth/applic.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
* Wireless communication with PC input and output devices, the most common being the [[computer mouse|mouse]], [[keyboard technology|keyboard]] and [[computer printer|printer]].
* Transfer of files, contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices with OBEX{{efn|Many operating systems delete incomplete files if the file transfer has failed.}} and sharing directories [[FTP server|via FTP]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BdT1DGyGT4| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211123/3BdT1DGyGT4| archive-date=23 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=Samsung Omnia II: How to Transfer Files with Bluetooth FTP| via=[[YouTube]]|date=11 December 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Triggering the camera shutter of a [[smartphone]] using a Bluetooth controlled [[selfie stick]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mattei |first=Giovanni |title=Selfie stick: i migliori modelli per foto e video eccellenti |url=https://www.telefonino.net/guide/selfie-stick/ |access-date=31 October 2022 |website=telefonino.net |language=it}}</ref>
* Replacement of previous wired [[RS-232]] serial communications in test equipment, [[Global Positioning System|GPS receivers]], medical equipment, bar code scanners, and traffic control devices.
* For controls where [[infrared]] was often used.
* For low bandwidth applications where higher [[USB]] bandwidth is not required and cable-free connection desired.
* Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth-enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable, Bluetooth devices.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth-surveillance1.htm|title=How Bluetooth Surveillance Works|author=John Fuller|date=28 July 2008|newspaper=howstuffworks|access-date=26 May 2015|archive-date=26 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526093443/http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth-surveillance1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Wireless bridge between two Industrial Ethernet (e.g., [[PROFINET]]) networks.
* Game consoles have been using Bluetooth as a wireless communications protocol for peripherals since the [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh generation]], including [[Nintendo]]'s [[Wii]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Products/Products/Product_Details.htm?ProductID=2951|title=Wii Controller|publisher=Bluetooth SIG|access-date=1 February 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080220080315/http://bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Products/Products/Product_Details.htm?ProductID=2951 |archive-date = 20 February 2008}}</ref> and [[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation 3]] which use Bluetooth for their respective controllers.
* Dial-up internet access on personal computers or PDAs using a data-capable mobile phone as a wireless modem.
* Short-range transmission of health sensor data from medical devices to mobile phone, [[set-top box]] or dedicated [[telehealth]] devices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telemedicine.jp/ |title=Telemedicine.jp |publisher=Telemedicine.jp |access-date=4 September 2010 |archive-date=23 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223163413/http://www.telemedicine.jp/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tainghebluetooth.com/tai-nghe-bluetooth-nokia|title=Tai nghe bluetooth nokia|publisher=tainghebluetooth.com|access-date=6 September 2016|archive-date=21 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921022818/http://tainghebluetooth.com/tai-nghe-bluetooth-nokia/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Allowing a [[DECT]] phone to ring and answer calls on behalf of a nearby mobile phone.
*[[Real-time locating system|Real-time location systems]] (RTLS) are used to track and identify the location of objects in real time using "Nodes" or "tags" attached to, or embedded in, the objects tracked, and "Readers" that receive and process the wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarinox.com/docs/whitepapers/RealTime_main.pdf|title=Real Time Location Systems|publisher=clarinox|access-date=4 August 2010|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228211943/https://www.clarinox.com/docs/whitepapers/RealTime_main.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Personal security application on mobile phones for prevention of theft or loss of items. The protected item has a Bluetooth marker (e.g., a tag) that is in constant communication with the phone. If the connection is broken (the marker is out of range of the phone) then an alarm is raised. This can also be used as a [[man overboard]] alarm.
* [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada's Roads Traffic division uses data collected from travelers' Bluetooth devices to predict travel times and road congestion for motorists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/wireless-waves-used-to-track-travel-times-1.1054731 |title=Wireless waves used to track travel times |publisher=CTV Calgary News |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=11 July 2013 |archive-date=1 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701092731/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/wireless-waves-used-to-track-travel-times-1.1054731 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Wireless transmission of audio (a more reliable alternative to [[FM transmitter (personal device)|FM transmitters]])
* Live video streaming to the visual cortical implant device by Nabeel Fattah in Newcastle university 2017.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284639806|doi=10.1109/EMBC.2015.7320250 |chapter=Wireless data and power transfer of an optogenetic implantable visual cortex stimulator |title=2015 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) |date=2015 |last1=Fattah |first1=Nabeel |last2=Laha |first2=Soumyasanta |last3=Sokolov |first3=Danil |last4=Chester |first4=Graeme |last5=Degenaar |first5=Patrick |volume=2015 |pages=8006–8009 |pmid=26738150 |isbn=978-1-4244-9271-8 |s2cid=4575272 }}</ref>
* Connection of [[motion controller]]s to a PC when using VR headsets
* Wireless connection between [[TVs]] and [[soundbars]].

=== Devices ===
[[File:TP-Link Archer T2UB Nano dongle plugged in to a computer.jpg|thumb|250x250px|A modern Bluetooth [[USB]] dongle]]
Bluetooth exists in numerous products such as telephones, [[Wireless speaker|speakers]], tablets, media players, robotics systems, laptops, and game console equipment as well as some high definition [[Headset (audio)|headsets]], [[modem]]s, [[hearing aid]]s<ref name="Bluetooth Hearing Aids">{{cite web |title=Bluetooth hearing aids: Hearing aids with Bluetooth technology use today's wireless technology to help you easily stay connected to iOS and Android phones, televisions, tablets and other favorite audio devices |last=Mroz |first=Mandy |date=21 May 2018 |url=https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/bluetooth |website=Healthy Hearing |access-date=15 July 2018 |archive-date=25 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525124635/https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/bluetooth |url-status=live }}</ref> and even watches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluetooth.com/English/Products/Pages/Watch.aspx |title=Watch |publisher=Bluetooth.com |access-date=4 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918122452/http://www.bluetooth.com/English/Products/pages/watch.aspx |archive-date=18 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bluetooth is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data with hand-held computers (transferring files).

Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices.<ref name="Devices">{{cite web |url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth.htm |title=How Bluetooth Works |publisher=How Stuff Works |date=30 June 2010 |access-date=12 April 2012 |archive-date=4 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404182314/http://www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Bluetooth devices can advertise all of the services they provide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications |title=Specification Documents |publisher=Bluetooth.com |date=30 June 2010 |access-date=12 September 2017 |archive-date=12 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912191437/https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications |url-status=live }}</ref> This makes using services easier, because more of the security, [[network address]] and permission configuration can be automated than with many other network types.<ref name="Devices" />