Casio Develops Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch That Communicates with Smart Phones
Prototype Features the Latest Wireless Technology with Very Low Power Consumption
Tokyo, January 6, 2011 — Casio Computer Co., Ltd., announced today that it has developed a watch equipped with Bluetooth® Low Energy Wireless Technology,*1 a new technology for short-range communication. A prototype of the watch will be exhibited at Casio’s Booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 6, 2011.
- *1 Designed in accordance with new Bluetooth® Core Specification Version 4.0 standards, Bluetooth® Low Energy is a new technology that enables wireless communications with very low power consumption. Casio participated in determining the standards for Bluetooth® Low Energy as a member of the Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (SIG), an association of companies that decides on Bluetooth® standards and authorizes certification.
Casio has been transforming the definition of the wristwatch for years by applying the latest technologies. Now, Casio’s prototype Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch is poised to create new possibilities for the way people use their watches yet again. Taking advantage of the low power consumption of the new Bluetooth® technology, the new watch powers Bluetooth® wireless communication functions with its single button-cell battery, the same kind used in small devices and watches. And it does this without losing any battery life*2 compared to conventional wristwatches. This makes the new Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch highly useful because users can wear it everyday just like they expect of a wristwatch, without the bother of the recharging required by typical mobile devices.
Casio’s new prototype can communicate with smart phones equipped with Bluetooth® Low Energy Wireless Technology, which will be available in the near future and be able to connect to networks of various kinds of devices. The new prototype demonstrates how Casio hopes to expand the ways people use their watches, unlike anything ever seen before, as new applications are developed for smart phones to enable communication between watches through smart phones.
- *2 The battery life is estimated at approximately two years based on the prototype model, assuming that the Bluetooth® wireless communication function is used for 12 hours per day.
Overview of Casio’s prototype Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch
Main features:
Wireless communication is powered by the button-cell battery used in small devices and watches
Battery life with the communication functions is the same as previously released watches
The size of the watch case is a comfortable 53.4 (D) x 44.4 (W) x 12.8 (T) millimeters
Main functions:
Accurate time information can be transmitted from a smart phone to the watch to ensure correct time
The watch includes an alert signal to notify of incoming calls and e-mail messages sent to the user’s smart phone
A smart phone’s ring alerts and vibration can be stopped by tapping the watch
Alarm and vibration functions of a smart phone can be activated using a watch button
Casio aims to produce its first Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch in 2011. Meanwhile, Casio will call for partner companies to develop applications compatible with smart phones and other household devices in such areas as sports, health, home entertainment, security, and communication with family members and friends. Casio expects its new watches to offer people around the world a wide range of new lifestyle options.
Main Specifications of the Prototype Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch
Communication
Specifications | Data Transfer Rate
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1 Mbps
|
|---|---|---|
Signal Strengtht
|
0 dBm (1mW)
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Signal Range
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2–5 m (may differ depending on surrounding conditions)
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Encryption Method
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128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
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Communication
Functions | Time Correction
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The watch can be synchronized with time information transmitted from a smart phone
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Incoming Call and E-mail Alert
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The watch alerts users of incoming calls and e-mail messages sent to a smart phone
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Finder Function
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Alarm and vibration functions of a smart phone can be activated using a watch button
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Watch Functions
| Alarm
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5 independent daily alarms; hourly time signal; vibration function
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Stopwatch
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1/100-second; measuring capacity: 23:59’59.99”; split time
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Countdown Timer
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Measuring unit: 1 second; Input range: 1 minute to 24 hours
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World Time
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100 cities (35 time zones, daylight saving on/off) and Coordinated Universal Time
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Light
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Electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow
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Other
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Full auto-calendar, 12/24-hour format; sleep mode
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Power Source
| CR2032
|
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Approx. Battery Life
(Based on the Prototype Model) | Approx. 2 years (assuming the communication function is used for 12 hours per day)
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Size of Case
| 53.4 x 44.4 x 12.8 mm
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Total Weight
| Approx. 50g
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Casio’s demonstration of the Bluetooth® Low Energy Watch uses a prototype of a Bluetooth® Low Energy smart phone. The demonstration will be conducted at Casio’s Booth at 2011 International CES, in cooperation with NEC Casio Mobile Communications.
- Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A.. Other company and product names are generally trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies.