Bluetooth Adopts IrDA OBEX Protocol

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has selected the Infrared Data Association's (IrDA's) Object Exchange Protocol (IrOBEX). Bluetooth SIG will use IrDA's OBEX protocol as the framework for wireless object exchange for the much talked about Bluetooth specification.

IrDA's OBEX specification consists of a protocol and application framework. It is a session-level protocol that specifies the structure for the conversation between devices. It also contains a model for representing objects.

IrOBEX provides object exchange services similar to HTTP. However, OBEX works for the many devices that cannot afford the substantial resources required by an HTTP server and it also targets devices with different usage models than the web. The major use of OBEX is a push or pull application, allowing rapid communications among portable devices in dynamic environments.

OBEX is not limited to quick connect-transfer-disconnect scenarios. It also allows sessions in which transfers take place over a period of item, maintaining the connection even when it is idle. PCs, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular phones are all candidates for OBEX.

For more information on the OBEX protocol or IrDA, visit http://www.irda.org. For more information on Bluetooth, visit http://www.bluetooth.com.