Press Release Bluetooth SIG Introduces True Distance Awareness New Secure, Fine Ranging Feature Enhances Bluetooth® Connected Devices

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the organization that oversees Bluetooth® technology, announced the release of Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, a new secure, fine-ranging feature that promises to enhance the convenience, safety, and security of Bluetooth connected devices. By enabling true distance awareness in billions of everyday devices, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding opens countless possibilities for developers and users alike.

"Bluetooth® technology has become an ingredient of everyday life," said Neville Meijers, CEO, Bluetooth Special Interest Group. "When connected devices are distance-aware, a range of new possibilities emerge. Adding true distance awareness to Bluetooth technology exemplifies the ongoing commitment of the Bluetooth SIG community to continuously enhance our connection with our devices, one another, and the world around us."

The new feature has the potential to introduce transformative benefits across various applications.

Bluetooth® 'Find My' Solutions​

In addition to Bluetooth® tags that can be attached to personal items such as keys, wallets, backpacks, or luggage, a rapidly increasing number of Bluetooth devices now embed 'Find My' capabilities, introducing the possibility of any Bluetooth connected device becoming a 'Find My' device. Using Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, developers can soon add true distance awareness to a 'Find My' device, improving the accuracy and user experience of these solutions and making it significantly easier and quicker for users to locate lost items.

Bluetooth® Digital Key Solutions​

Everything from cars, doors, gates, safes, and bikes are turning to Bluetooth® technology to enable keyless access and provide a more secure locking mechanism. Developers can use Bluetooth® Channel Sounding to enhance the security and user experience of digital key solutions, ensuring a lock only opens when the authorized device is within a certain distance.

"We look forward to adding this new feature to our upcoming Bluetooth Digital Key specification," said Feng, Yunsheng, Chief Secretary of the Intelligent Car Connectivity Open Alliance (ICCOA). "The adoption of Bluetooth® Channel Sounding will help the ICCOA continue to deliver greater convenience, performance, and security to drivers and passengers worldwide."

"The ICCE is committed to developing industry standards and fostering cross-industry collaboration to enable seamless intelligent in-car services," says Chief Secretary Mr. Ren Feng of the Intelligent Car Connectivity Industry Ecosystem Alliance (ICCE). "We are therefore studying the addition of Bluetooth® Channel Sounding technology as one of the ranging methods in the ICCE car key standard and we look forward to integrating it."

Beyond 'Find My' and digital key solutions, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding also has the potential to bring benefits to additional applications, transforming the way we interact with our connected world.

"Bluetooth® Channel Sounding will apply to consumer, enterprise, and industrial settings alike," said Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director, ABI Research. "Imagine Bluetooth mice, keyboards, and game controllers that can automatically switch between active and inactive states based on their distance from a laptop. In industrial settings, distance aware Bluetooth Human-Machine Interface (HMI) solutions can increase personnel safety by only allowing usage from a safe distance. Meanwhile, Bluetooth device networks, such as those used for networked lighting control, can more easily self-configure to enhance system performance using this innovative technology. With well over 5 billion Bluetooth enabled devices forecasted to ship in 2024 alone, the opportunities are significant."

Benefits​

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding offers three key benefits to developers looking for an easy, safe choice for adding fine ranging capabilities to connected devices.

Accuracy: Bluetooth® Channel Sounding leverages phase-based ranging (PBR) to enable highly accurate distance measurement between Bluetooth connected devices and achieve centimeter-level accuracy over considerable distances, meeting the needs of the vast majority of applications and allowing even the simplest connected devices to take advantage of true distance awareness.

Security: As the number of connected devices grows, so does the importance of maintaining the integrity of those connections. Bluetooth® Channel Sounding deploys robust, multi-layer security that includes a secondary ranging method, round-trip time (RTT) based distance bounding, to add an extra layer of protection to counter sophisticated man-in-the-middle (MITM) relay attacks.

Ubiquity: Bluetooth® technology is already embedded in all major consumer platform devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. With Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, developers will now be able to add true distance awareness to Bluetooth connected devices without having to design in an additional radio technology.

"Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is poised to bring true distance awareness to a vast array of Bluetooth devices, unlocking new possibilities for distance-aware applications across various industries," said Joonsuk Kim, executive vice president of the System LSI Connectivity Team at Samsung Electronics. "With Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, we're able to elevate the performance of 'Find My' applications by delivering centimeter-level accuracy, helping our customers find important items with greater ease. Additionally, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding enhances the security of digital key solutions, providing an extra layer of protection for keyless entry users. These are just a few examples of the transformative potential of Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, with many more possibilities waiting to be realized."

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is one of the new features included in the recently adopted Bluetooth Core Specification Version 6.0. For more information about Bluetooth® Channel Sounding and its potential applications, please visit bluetooth.com/channelsounding.

About Bluetooth® Technology​

Embedded in more than 5 billion products shipping each year, Bluetooth® technology is the global standard for simple, secure wireless communication and positioning. Since its introduction in 1998, Bluetooth technology has created connections that have established new markets, shaped culture, and enriched lives. What began as a simple wire replacement technology has become the invisible thread that makes our lives safer, more productive, and more joyful.

 

[María Mele]

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding | Bluetooth® Technology Website

Empowering Everyday Devices with True Distance Awareness Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is a new secure, fine-ranging feature that promises to enhance the convenience, safety, and security of Bluetooth…

www.bluetooth.com

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.

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding can bring true distance awareness to a wide array of connected devices, unlocking a world of possibilities for developers. When connected devices are distance-aware, a range of new possibilities emerge.

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding uses two proven ranging methods, phase-based ranging (PBR) and round-trip time (RTT), to enable secure, fine ranging between Bluetooth connected devices.

Phased-Based Ranging (PBR) for High Accuracy Distance Measurement​

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding leverages phase-based ranging (PBR) to achieve precise distance measurements between two devices. In PBR, an initiator device sends a signal to a reflector device, which returns the signal. Once the returned signal is received, the distance between the devices is calculated based on the phase difference between the transmitted and received signals. This process is repeated across multiple frequencies to increase the accuracy of the distance measurement.

Round-Trip Time (RTT) for Secure Distance Bounding​

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding also incorporates a secondary ranging method called round-trip time (RTT) as a counter measure against sophisticated man-in-the-middle (MITM) relay attacks. In RTT, an initiator device sends cryptographically scrambled packets to a reflector device, which returns the packets. The distance between the devices is then calculated based on the time it took for the packets to travel back and forth. RTT acts as a secure distance bounding technique, providing an independent distance measurement to cross-check the PBR measurement, significantly reducing the risk of MITM attacks. By combining PBR and RTT, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding enables secure and accurate distance measurements between 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. From increasing the security of digital keys to improving the performance of Find My solutions, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding will enhance our connection with our devices, one another, and the world around us.