Wibree: Bluetooth Lite
New power-efficient short-range radio technology -- 1 Mbps at a distance of up to 30, and 10x as energy efficient as Bluetooth.
Wibree website here ...
wibree.com
Wibree is the first wireless technology to solve the following needs in a single solution ...
• Ultra low peak, average & idle mode power consumption
• Ultra low cost & small size for accessories & human interface devices (HID)
• Minimal cost & size addition to mobile phones & PCs
• Global, intuitive & secure multi-vendor interoperability
Wibree Device Architecture
Wibree specification has been created by having two equally important implementation alternatives in mind, namely dual-mode and stand-alone. In the dual mode implementation the Wibree functionality is an add-on feature inside Bluetooth circuitry sharing a great deal of existing functionality resulting in a minimal cost increase compared to existing products. The dual modes are targeted at mobile phones, multimedia computers and PCs. The stand alone implementations are power and cost optimized designs targeted at, for example, sport, wellness, and human HID product categories.
Wibree Radio Specification
Wibree radio specification enables dual-mode implementations to reuse Bluetooth RF part but also to guarantee ultra low power consumption for devices with embedded stand-alone implementation of the Wibree specification. Wibree operates in 2.4 GHz ISM band with physical layer bit rate of 1 Mbps and provides link distance of 5-10 meters.
Wibree Link Layer Specification
Wibree link layer provides ultra low power idle mode operation, simple device discovery and reliable point-to-multipoint data transfer with advanced power-save and encryption functionalities. The link layer provides means to schedule Wibree traffic in between Bluetooth transmissions.
Wibree Host & Profile Specifications
In the first phase Wibree provides sensor, HID and watch user interface profiles.
>> Nokia Unveils Better Bluetooth Wireless Connection
Tarmo Virki
(Reuters) Helsinki
October 3, 2006
tinyurl.com
Mobile phone market leader Nokia (NOK1V.HE) unveiled a new short-range wireless connection on Tuesday that is smaller and more energy-efficient than current Bluetooth technology and can be used in devices such as watches.
The new radio technology, dubbed "Wibree", can work alongside Bluetooth short-range wireless connections but use just a fraction of the power.
"It's up to 10 times more energy efficient than Bluetooth," Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center, told a news conference.
Nokia said it had worked for five years to develop the technology and would put it through a standardisation process along with a number of other wireless technology firms. When Wibree has become a standard, the technology would be available to anyone at the same reasonable terms.
"Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an inter-operable solution that can be commercialised and incorporated into products as quickly as possible," Iannucci said.
Like Bluetooth -- used to link cell phones with headsets, computers and printers to transfer calls, calendar items, documents, songs and pictures -- Wibree provides a radio link of up to 10 metres (30 feet) between devices.
Linking Smaller Devices to Phones
Because of their low energy consumption, Wibree radio chips will make it possible and efficient to connect phones and other electronics devices to low-power watches, sports sensors, wireless mice or health monitors, which often have not been able to use Bluetooth technology due to its power demands.
"Bluetooth is widely used in phones. Smaller devices around the phone is where the big problems are, and we want to create the link there," Jani Tierala, business development manager at Nokia Research Centre told Reuters.
"We believe that the use-cases are relevant enough to enough firms to see the value in this," he said.
Nokia said it expected the first commercial version of the standard to be available during the second quarter of next year, while products using Wibree should follow soon after that. Nordic Semiconductor said it will be ready to ship Wibree chips by the second half of 2007.
Nokia expects devices currently connected by Bluetooth will get a dual Bluetooth-Wibree chip, while devices that are not connected now will use a Wibree-only chip.
Bluetooth technology was invented by Ericsson (ERICb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research) in the 1990s and subsequently given away to the market as an open standard.
"Bluetooth is clearly not suited to some of the cooler applications like intelligent jewellery, watches -- a less power hungry, smaller, cheaper solution will open some interesting new opportunities," said Ben Wood, director at UK-based Collins Consulting.
While Bluetooth is looking for ultra high frequencies above 6 gigahertz for faster connections, Wibree will operate in the 2.4 gigahertz band, sharing it with many technologies.
Wibree technology would eventually add a few cents on top of current prices for Bluetooth chips, Iannucci said.
Finnish-based Nokia said companies working with it on defining the standard are Broadcom Corp., CSR Plc, Epson, Nordic Semiconductor, Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd) and Amer Sportsunit Suunto.
"I guess the challenge is getting industry-wide support for yet another wireless standard, given the overwhelming number of standards in play at the moment its hard to see how companies can justify the R&D commitment to all of them," said Wood. <<
At The Hands of Nokia’s oWibree, Could Bluetooth Be On The Ropes?
David Berlind
ZDNet
October 3, 2006
blogs.zdnet.com
Digg This!
Now this is interesting. In an incredibly bold move that has all the makings of a gauntlet, Nokia, a company known for including Bluetooth support in its handsets, has released what appears to be a Bluetooth substitute that it's calling WiBree. According to a Reuters story that we're carrying on ZDNet's News channel (subcribe), Wibree won't interfere with Bluetooth-based wireless networks:
Mobile phone market leader Nokia unveiled a new short-range wireless [technology] that is smaller and more energy-efficient than current Bluetooth technology and can be used in devices such as watches…..The new radio technology, dubbed "Wibree," can work alongside Bluetooth short-range wireless connections but use just a fraction of the power….."It's up to 10 times more energy efficient than Bluetooth," [said] Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center.
So fresh is the announcement (off the presses) that, as of the time I was writing this post, a Google search on "Wibree Nokia" turned up no links. Notta (but I can't help but wonder if there's some releationship to ZigBee). Although the Reuters story doesn't come right out and say it, it seems pretty clear to me that Nokia must see this as a substitute for Bluetooth. In addition to the cellular radios (either CDMA or GSM [sic]) and Bluetooth radios that many handsets already have (not to mention the InfraRed port on some devices), today's wireless handsets and smartphones can hardly tolerate yet another radio, drawing upon the already limited resources of their batteries. More evidence lurks in the Reuters piece. Apparently, Nokia isn't going to waste any time driving this into the market as a standard:
"Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an interoperable solution that can be commercialized and incorporated into products as quickly as possible," Iannucci said.
A standard that, should it get adopted, could result in a new and lucrative royalty-based revenue stream for Nokia. According to the story, Nokia plans to license the technology on reasonable and non-discriminating terms (otherwise known as "RAND" licensing). Given Nokia's presence in the handset market, it certainly has the size and might to introduce a new short-range wireless technology, perhaps ripping the rug out from under Bluetooth.
Sure, Nokia's competitors could try to boycott Wibree in hopes of undermining the cell phone giant. But, if the solution truly represents a breakthrough that ameliorates the downsides of Bluetooth, the technology might be hard to resist. Not only that, their hand could be forced should Nokia start to eschew Bluetooth in favor of Wibree in its handsets. If for example, Nokia's handsets start interoperating with other consumer devices (like wristwatches) that Bluetooth has yet to find its way into (thereby forming a vibrant Wibree ecosystem), Nokia's competitors could be left with that "if you can't be 'em, join em" choice. Because of the constraints on battery life, going with that choice could force them to dump Bluetooth.
Wow Nokia. Game face on. <<
- Eric - |
