Apple seeks to streamline Bluetooth communications in patent application
Ever-seeking to get the most battery efficiency out of its devices, Apple has filed a patent application detailing a better process for encoding and transmitting data over Bluetooth.
Apple has filed a patent application detailing a better process for encoding and transmitting data over Bluetooth.
The patent application, uncovered by AppleInsider, was refiled back in February as a continuation of a December 2008 patent application and shows Apple's continued commitment to get the best performance from its mobile, battery-powered devices.
"Data Format Conversion for Electronic Devices" seeks to improve your iDevice's battery by simplifying the data conversion process that occurs when sending information to other devices via Bluetooth connections.
Data sent over a Bluetooth connection must be compressed due to limited transmission capacity of the Bluetooth protocol and Apple's process for doing so may be the energy-saving answer to increased battery life.
Specifically Apple is looking to create a dedicated media converter that would reduce file sizes and create data packages that are more efficient than the current, very complicated processes now in use.
As noted by AppleInsider, the converter could include "a band separation module, a bit allocation unit, conversion modules, and quantizers," all with the hope of taking a complex file and separating it into easily streamed data sets.
Apple's interest in Bluetooth is far-reaching and not likely to subside anytime soon. Apple currently sits on the board of directors for the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which has been at the forefront of the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol, a technology supported by Apple's latest iPads and iPhones.
Would more efficient Bluetooth data conversions make a big difference in your workflow? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!