Jaap Haartsen invented Bluetooth: 'It took years before its impact dawned on me'

AI-enabled cameras, biometric authentication: our phones and computers are constantly being enriched with new features. But there is one that has endured for decades: Bluetooth, invented by Jaap Haartsen of The Hague, Netherlands. The technology has been used in billions of devices since 1997. “At the time, we hadn't even sent one bit over the Bluetooth network, and Ericsson contacted other companies to roll it out,” he said.

Every smartphone and laptop user in the world knows the classic blue Bluetooth icon that allows computers, tablets and smartphones to connect wirelessly to keyboards and headphones. But when he spearheaded the invention in 1994, Haartsen had no idea that Bluetooth would become the world standard for short-range connections, nor that he would be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in the United States. “No, it certainly wasn't a eureka moment,” he insists. "Bluetooth is a pretty complicated system. It's not something you come up with overnight."

One standard

As a child, Haartsen was fascinated by technology. Broken radios and televisions had to be opened with a screwdriver. He studied them thoroughly. In 1986, he graduated as an electrical engineer from Delft University of Technology and received his doctorate there in 1990. He then went to work for Ericsson in the United States. In 1993 he moved to Sweden, where he was asked to find a suitable alternative to wired connections. For three years he sat at the drawing board and did numerous simulations Until that one moment, in 1997. "We hadn't even sent one bit over the Bluetooth network yet and Ericsson was already looking for companies to join us."

At the time, other manufacturers such as Nokia and Intel were also busy developing their own wireless connection technologies But the manufacturers soon recognized that it was much more convenient for customers to develop a single standard In 1998, therefore, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) was founded. Over the years, more and more iconic companies joined, such as Microsoft, Motorola and 3Com. Thanks to this broad support, the Bluetooth standard became a huge success worldwide For three years, Haartsen was the chairman of the section within the Bluetooth SIG dedicated to specifying the communications protocol. Today, more than 40,000 companies work together to further develop the technology.

The moment of realization

The real realization of Bluetooth's impact did not come until many years after its invention, Haartsen recalls. "In 2006. I read in a press release that one billion devices worldwide had Bluetooth connectivity. Many technologies come and go, but at that moment I knew Bluetooth was here to stay."

Previous findings

Haartsen didn't have to start from scratch. World-famous actress Hedy Lamarr came up with one of the concepts underlying Bluetooth, namely frequency hopping: the ability to quickly switch between different frequency channels while transmitting data. "And what many people don't know is that before Lamarr, there was also someone - coincidentally a Dutchman named Willem Broertjes - who came up with this concept and patented it in 1932. So we've come full circle."

But there were quite a few issues with the technology, which significantly hampered its application in wireless communications. Haartsen provided several improvements. First, he developed a method for two devices to quickly find each other in the frequency spectrum, without having to constantly transmit or “listen,” as that would consume a lot of energy. This earned him a patent. Haartsen also created unique hopping patterns for each device, allowing each device to “jump” through the frequency spectrum in an efficient manner. This concept was also patented and contributes to the robust and energy-efficient operation of Bluetooth.

New applications

Today, Bluetooth plays a role in the inventor's life. He is working on several projects that build on it. With his company Dopple, he is developing custom-made earphones specifically designed for hearing protection in industrial environments. These seal tightly and contain integrated electronics that allow users to communicate with their phones, laptops and with each other via Bluetooth.

He also designed the SOS access system used in campgrounds and other locations with barriers "This system uses Bluetooth When emergency responders arrive, they automatically gain access to the site without the need for a physical key.

He is also working on wireless communication for home energy management, so that solar panels, the power grid and household appliances are connected to each other. “As you can see, I'm still heavily involved in the technical details, but I'm also finding new ways to apply Bluetooth.