Abstract
The research opens with a historical overview of the word ‘Bluetooth’. The study brings out the connection between the name and the Bluetooth functions to create a universal unification of connectivity protocols.
The research has highlighted the use of Bluetooth in replacing cables and assisting in energy management and control. The study has focused on using the qualitative method of data analysis. In this case, different sources have been analyzed, and conclusions reached basing on the data reviewed.
The literature reviewed has demonstrated various challenges facing the Bluetooth in the telecommunication industry. The hurdles of scatter net and security threats are alarming, and they ought to be addressed to enhance the safety of Bluetooth.
Introduction
The term Bluetooth has a Scandinavian origin. It is based on the Danish story of King Herald I uniting the tribes to form a kingdom. The link between the Herald’s story and the creation of Bluetooth is that it would achieve the same goal of uniting all the communication protocols.
The main aim of Bluetooth in technology is connecting communication protocols to a universally approved standard. The use of Bluetooth in connecting has been widely used today, and tremendous acknowledge of its benefits have been witnessed.
The focus on networking and connectivity has made blue tooth more relevant than it was before. The initial ideology behind the development of Bluetooth was geared towards replacing cables in information transmission (Dodd, 2001).
Bluetooth is defined as a wireless technological device with the capacity of transmitting data over short distances. It was created by Ericsson in 1994. The creation of the reliable Personal Area Network was greatly fostered by the use of Bluetooth.
Although the initial purpose was to replace data cables, Bluetooth mainly helped in curbing the problems of synchronization since it is capable of connecting many devices. This device must achieve the universal standards set by Bluetooth Special Interest Group that oversees the marketing of Bluetooth.
This ensures conformity with the patents and copyright specifications. In the same manner with other intellectual property regulations, Bluetooth ensures that 16,000 member companies are protected against any form of trademark or patents infringement (Anttalainen, 2003).
Research Method
This research is mainly qualitative in nature. Therefore, it follows that qualitative methods of data handling will be used. Secondary data such as relevant books were used in discussing the topic at hand. The desired conclusions will be reached based on the information accessed.
Literature Review
Under the Special Internet Guide umbrella, the Bluetooth is given a specification that is only attained through cooperation with other companies. The specification is for dealing with security issues since Bluetooth is prone to hackers.
The specification defines the entire Bluetooth operation from the creation stage to the last step. The specification is extremely lengthy due to the wide topics that it covers.
However, without this, the master Bluetooth is rendered useless. In other words, it is the entire framework that describes the working of a Bluetooth (Horak, 2007).
The only way to enhance computer capability through mobile phones has been by use of Bluetooth. It has made transmission and connectivity easy and enjoyable. The advantages of adopting a wireless technology have been witnessed in that Bluetooth serve small gadgets such as mobile phones.
The effective use of radio circuit and frequencies in transmission is reliable and provides connectivity to up to a radius of 10 meters. Nonetheless, Bluetooth can have a wide coverage of up to 100 meters. This makes Bluetooth more trusted and promising.
It can easily form an adhoc network that greatly assists in creating a short range of wireless network. The networks enhance the connectivity between small devices and other external personal devices such as printers and internet access points (Dodd, 2001).
There are several methods in which the Bluetooth device has been put to use. In the first place, it allows the mobile phone to be used as any other normal cellular phone.
The facilitation is by Bluetooth Wireless, and it facilitates the achievement of direct communication with some other gadget. Secondly, Bluetooth has widely been used in situations where the user of a phone intends to continue a conversation when opening the door of the car or doing something else.
The use of Bluetooth has ensured that the person using the phone can multitask by simply using the speakers installed at the dashboards of the mobile phone (Horak, 2007).
Thirdly, the age of digital camera has been backed up by the creation of Bluetooth. The instant post card in a digital camera is made possible through a data access point via a mobile phone in most cases.
Such communications would be rendered impossible if Bluetooth connection was not available. The installation of phones with programmed software that can assist in ordering products have been a great achievement. The process has been widely tried by salespeople, and it has assisted in cutting expenditure and improving profits.
It allows a sales employee to connect to a portable bar reader. When the sale of the product ordered is completed, the salesman needs to scan the barcode and the item sold appears on the screen of the phone. The process would have been long if the salesperson was to make manual transactions.
The quality of instant customer feedback is enhanced through the use of Bluetooth. The connectivity of Bluetooth in sales operation serves to assist the customer and the sales person.
The sales person is saved the trouble of making orders after every sale since everything is monitored through the phone. Trust is created since customers get instant feedback on the products they intend to buy (Dodd, 2001).
Bluetooth has been widely used instead of cables. The replacement was necessary since cables have high power consumption. Bluetooth use less power since the device encourages transmission of data within a relative shorter distance.
Furthermore, the use of radio communications system follows a wireless path which does not require much power. The installation of Bluetooth in a company may require different companies to adopt a wide range of configurations (Horak, 2007).
Bluetooth has achieved tremendous strides in the telecommunications industry since it has encouraged change from software to hardware. It has set the pace for unprecedented productivity in connecting all the mobile devices.
Bluetooth applications work best if they are appropriately placed. The client application is supposed to be positioned to ensure that undue load is reduced, and users are not often annoyed.
The effect of not placing Bluetooth application in the right position may render it ineffective. The recommended distance from one mobile device is supposed to be 20 meters.
This obstacle has not been easy to overcome, and the coverage problem has still formed a major obstacle to the use of Bluetooth (Anttalainen, 2003).
Wider coverage of network connectivity is largely the main attraction towards the use of Bluetooth in wireless linking. However, there are numerous challenges associated with Bluetooth. The purpose of Bluetooth can only be realized if those challenges are addressed.
In the first place, there is a need to get solutions to configure scatter net. The term has its origin in the Bluetooth adhoc networks. The scatter networks have been a major hurdle hence hindering the usability of Bluetooth.
The scatter net formation has lacked a major standardized protocol to address it. The new focus on telecommunication has seen steps taken to deal with the problem. The continued efforts towards solving the problem of scatter net have included many key players.
Telecommunications industry has largely benefited by using Bluetooth in enhancing sharing of information. The issue of how best to disconnect the piconets so as to connect existing scatter net should be considered (Dodd, 2001).
The connection of Bluetooth requires the hopping to be in the same sequence. The master and slave devices should be aligned in the sense that they detect each other from the same sequence. The hopping sequence takes about 32 in an arrangement of 79 frequencies.
Bluetooth has various terminals that make it function. The 3G terminals are proving to be significantly supportive to the Bluetooth connection. It is certainly clear that the low power advantage of Bluetooth has made it easy for use.
The Bluetooth ability to use the bridges to negotiate with the neighboring piconets is very effective. The Blue tooth manufacturers incorporated the bridge nodes so as to slow transmission.
Since the master node is the busiest, it inherently controls all the transmissions that come through it. This leaves a minimal space for other tasks (Horak, 2007).
Bluetooth creation has greatly influenced the management of global energy crisis. The fact that the device can use solar energy that is sustainable makes it efficient in energy management. Bluetooth relies on the PDA user components that support its functioning by activating the 16 bit code.
The easy way of linking it with the micro controller makes it access the information sent though by placing it at strategic places. The functional principle of Bluetooth system is based on the Palm.
The Palm guides, creates, and links the specification guide. The numerous hands free devices make the functions of Bluetooth effective by making links to the guide at a point when it has reached a full range (Anttalainen, 2003).
Bluetooth is attractive and cost friendly compared to the use of cables. Essentially, cables are expensive due to the cost incurred in their installation and the energy consumed while transmitting information.
The process of connecting, plugging, and installing has been rendered invalid by the use of Bluetooth where devices communicate by picking signals. This is enabled through the use of ubiquitous standardized communications system that makes the link between the devices reliable.
The system does not require the user to switch on his/her phone. The link is established by getting an automatic Web browser appearance on the screen that makes the user aware of being connected to the surfer (Dodd, 2001).
Bluetooth has served its purpose using the radio frequency technology. The connection of portable devices was the initial strategy behind its creation. Also, it was created to replace the use of cables.
The way people are interacting with information has been substantially revolutionized today. This has been built on the Personal Area Network that has enhanced wireless network connectivity. The old notions of connectivity have lost their meaning in the age of Bluetooth.
The connection of portable, mobile gadgets to transmit information within short distances using less power without any cable is a novel step in the technological growth.
The connection of the internet has been taken to a greater level where many devices can rely on a single Internet Service Provider (Anttalainen, 2003).
The specification of Bluetooth can be found in the working framework of Bluetooth that begun at the start of the 21st century. The specification was a defining moment to the study of accessories of phones.
The study on the Bluetooth specification and other accessories embarked on establishing the use of radio frequency links in supporting its working.
The advantage of radio links in comparison to the cables is that it is not directional. In addition, since it uses the infra-red links between handsets and other devices, the line of sight is not necessary (Horak, 2007).
The study was a success, and the results were the birth of the Bluetooth specification technology. Naming of the specification was done whereby Harald Blatand was the name given to the specification.
The creation of the specification proved that the device was capable of operating in noisy radio frequency unfavorable environments. Bluetooth is centered on hopping in order to make the change robust and communication reliable.
The avoidance of interference is enhanced through hopping, which is done before and after transmitting and receiving a packet. Bluetooth has become well suited to meet the task due to its ability to hop faster than other systems.
Its strength is based on the fact that fast hooping coupled with shorter packets. The short distance transmission enjoys the support of Forward Error connection that reduces noise during the time of transmission (Horak, 2007).
The baseband protocol of Bluetooth contains the circuit and packet switching. It also has slots that are preserved to be used for any form of synchronous packets and the said hopping happens in the frequency transmitted.
The working of the packets is designed to take a single slot. However, in some situations, it can be extended to take up to five slots or more. The synchronizing of the voice channels maintains a consistency of more than three synchronizing voice channels.
Its development ensures that it supports asynchronous data while at the same time holding the synchronous data (Dodd, 2001).
Bluetooth has two power levels that are joined and their functional nature well defined. The two levels are distinct in their functions though joined together in the same device.
A lower power level majors on the shorter personal level within a given room. On the other hand, a higher level power is used in maintaining coverage within the medium range of the network that may include a home.
The communications with varied coverage are facilitated by the installation of software built in each microchip that ensures that the units in it are preset (Anttalainen, 2003).
Bluetooth has been highly acknowledged as illustrated by its ability to save power. The fact that the device can stay in power hold mode is very helpful in saving power. The ACL link enhances that function when placed between two Bluetooth devices whereby it can stay in hold mode for a reasonable time while saving power.
The change in transmission at this mode is witnessed where the ACL packets do not transmit any information from the master code. The function is only applicable when there is no need to transmit information for a long time. The transmitter in such a case can also be switched off so as to reduce power use.
At a point whereby the connection of the Bluetooth is required, the transceiver may be switched off to assist in discovering a device by the Bluetooth. A similar disconnection is used when joining other Pico nets.
The data messages send through the devices is also kept at hold. The device also has the capacity to transmit the message or to leave it (Dodd, 2001).
The measurement of the power that goes to the antennae is distinct from the RSSI value since Bluetooth has the dynamic regulation of transmitter power. The RSSI has several differences associated with the increase and decrease of power in the device.
The Bluetooth power transmission is based on the decrease and increase of output power in one step. The transmitter power in Bluetooth is set such that it is independent of different slave codes. In Bluetooth transmission, interference from one slave code cannot affect the master’s power transmitter at the same time (Horak, 2007).
Audio transmissions are also a very impressive feature of Bluetooth. The transmissions occur between one or more Blue tooth devices connected together. These transmissions do not go through the L2CAP layer, and it is transmitted directly.
Direct transmission is enhanced through the establishment of the Bluetooth link. This is also boosted by initiating a direct establishment amongst the Bluetooth devices. The use of Blue tooth would not have been possible without the
Host Controller interface method that links the Bluetooth hardware devices. There is need for a command interface to ensure effective accessibility of the hardware control status.
In this respect, an interface to the Baseband manager serves the purpose. The command has the control and event registers to have the functions simplified (Anttalainen, 2003).
The Link Manager Protocol is highly responsible in linking the set up between two Bluetooth devices. Its main functions are to handle the control of packet sizes used in data transmission.
The power saving advantage is supported by the availability of the Link Manager Protocol that deals with the management of power modes. In addition, the protocol also controls power usage, as well as the condition of Bluetooth piconet (Dodd, 2001).
Conclusion
The literature reviewed has shown that the role of Bluetooth in the new technological age cannot go unnoticed. The device has enabled wireless connection within short distances without the use of cables. Bluetooth has helped in the management of global energy by creating a way of saving power.
The fast transmission of data through the device improves its effectiveness. It remains more popular in the wireless connection of personal networks and the cellular phones use.
However, it should be remembered that the device deserves high levels of security control since hackers may interfere with information on transmission. In addition, the issue of scatter net is a prime threat to the working of Bluetooth, and it ought to be addressed.
References
Anttalainen, T. (2003). Introduction to telecommunications network engineering. Boston: Artech House.
Dodd, A.Z. (2001). The essential guide to telecommunications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall PTR.
Horak, R. (2007). Telecommunications and data communications handbook. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.