Bluetooth

Third-party application developers can create their own Bluetooth applications using many available public APIs. Applications range from simple chat applications to demanding multiplayer games. Multiple connections from one device to other devices are also possible, enabling point-to-multipoint (PMP) applications. Additionally, Bluetooth offers possibilities for the use of wireless accessory appliances. A developer can write smartphone applications that use Bluetooth for a variety of wireless accessories such as bar-code readers, digital pens, health-monitoring devices, and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. (Developing Bluetooth applications to systems other than those used by S60 devices is beyond the scope of this document.)

Beginning with Symbian OS v8.0a (S60 2nd Edition, Feature Pack 2), the Bluetooth APIs have experienced major architectural improvements (referred to as Bluetooth API v2 in this document). Headset and Basic Imaging Profile are supported in the new Table 6 in architecture. This document is written to describe both architectures. See Appendix A for a list of changes in the Bluetooth architecture. Most of the changes in Symbian OS v9.1 will not affect Bluetooth developers. However, the Symbian platform security that has been introduced does have some consequences, not necessarily to the Bluetooth APIs but to the way they can be used.

Bluetooth 1.2 and Remote SIM Access Profile (which is needed to access subscriber identity module [SIM] information from Bluetooth devices, such as car kits) are supported in S60 3rd Edition. This document aims to provide a holistic view of the available Bluetooth APIs (both Symbian APIs and S60 APIs) in the S60 platform, as well as to describe the changes between different S60 releases (including the new and old Bluetooth architectures). Because most of the Bluetooth APIs are delivered by Symbian, sections of this document can also be applied to other Symbian OS devices. The Symbian OS Bluetooth APIs give applications access to RFCOMM, L2CAP, SDP, OBEX, and, to a limited extent, HCI.

The Bluetooth Host Controller components provide the lower level of the stack. The Host Controller components are normally implemented in the hardware. Applications do not have direct access to this layer. The Bluetooth Service Discovery Database allows a local service to enter its properties into a local Bluetooth service database. Doing this enables remote Bluetooth devices to discover that the service is available. The Service Discovery Database API is one of two APIs that allows a developer to use the Bluetooth Service Discovery Protocol. The other one, the Bluetooth Service Discovery Agent, enables a developer to discover the Bluetooth services and the attributes of those services that are available on a remote device.