Abstract:
A short-range wireless communications system is used to manage long-range wireless communications and microprocessor-based activity within its operating range. This management includes forbidding long-range wireless communications and microprocessor-based activity during certain times, with the possibility of allowing only emergency long-range wireless communications. This management also includes allowing long-range wireless communications and microprocessor-based activity during other times.  
     The short-range wireless communications system runs in parallel with the long-range wireless communications system. The short-range wireless communications system gives instructions to the microprocessor in the long-range wireless communications system and microprocessor-based activity as to whether the long-range wireless communications or microprocessor-based activity can continue or must be interrupted for a period of time. This management is limited by the range of the short-range wireless communications system, and is thus highly suitable for use in controlling long-range wireless communication and microprocessor-based activity by passengers in airplanes, patrons of theatres, diners in restaurants, attendees in business meeting rooms, and the like.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention generally relates to the field of the management of wireless communications and microprocessor-based technology via wireless communications. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wireless computer system that manages the permission to use wireless communications and microprocessor-based technology. Such permission is granted during normal operating periods and denied during other times.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Wireless communications and microprocessor-based technology has had a major impact on the productivity of modem society. However, there are times when such technology is counterproductive or even dangerous. For example, airlines must manually prohibit the use of wireless cell phones, laptops, games, and other microprocessor-based technology by airline passengers during takeoffs and landings, so that the emissions of the wireless communications and microprocessor-based technology does not interfere with the navigational and instrumentation of the airplane. At other times, cell phones ring at inopportune times, such as dinners or theatrical productions. Additionally, wireless communications could freely broadcast the confidential content of proprietary business meetings.  
           [0003]    The Bluetooth wireless technology allows users to make effortless, wireless and instant connections between various communication devices, such as mobile phones and desktop and notebook computers. Since it uses radio transmission, transfer of both voice and data is in real-time. The sophisticated mode of transmission adopted in the Bluetooth specification ensures protection from interference and security of data.  
           [0004]    Currently, Bluetooth technology has a small maximum range, that of about 10 meters or 30 feet. Bluetooth currently operates in the 2.4 to 2.5 Gigahertz (GHz) Industrial-Scientific-Medical (ISM) frequency band, in which low-power radio transmitters are currently allowed to operate without first getting a United States government license. To avoid interference with other devices, Bluetooth currently hops around frequencies at a rate of 1,600 times a second. These characteristics make Bluetooth ideal for controlling wireless communication devices and microprocessor based computers within an aircraft, a restaurant, a theatre, or a business meeting room.  
           [0005]    Long range wireless communications, such as cellular telephones, operate over large distances under well known standards. Europe and Asia currently use the GSM (Global Standard for Mobile communications) standard. Europe and Asia may switch in the future to W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access). In North America, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks may also migrate to W-CDMA. TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) systems may migrate to EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution). Regardless what the standard is for long range wireless communications, we propose that new cellular telephones will have a dual transmitter and a dual receiver, one transmitter/receiver pair for long range cellular communications and the other transmitter/receiver pair for short range Bluetooth communications. Similarly, laptops, palmtops, and computer games would have a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver pair. Such devices would be considered Bluetooth capable.  
           [0006]    The Bluetooth radio is built into a small microchip and operates in a globally available frequency band ensuring communication compatibility worldwide. The Bluetooth specification has two power levels defined; a lower power level that covers the shorter personal area within a room, and a higher power level that can cover a medium range, such as within a home. Software controls and identity coding built into each microchip ensure that only those units preset by their owners can communicate.  
           [0007]    The Bluetooth wireless technology supports both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections. With the current specification, up to seven slave devices can be set to communicate with a master radio in one device. Several of these piconets can be established and linked together in ad hoc scatternets to allow communication among continually flexible configurations. All devices in the same piconet have priority synchronization, but other devices can be set to enter at any time. The topology can best be described as a flexible, multiple piconet structure.  
           [0008]    This Bluetooth wireless technology facilitates the management of microprocessor-based technology in the localities or areas where their untimely use could be a nuisance, such as in a theatre or restaurant, a security risk, such as during a business meeting, or even dangerous, such as on an aircraft which is about to take-off or land.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The object of the present invention is the use of wireless communications to manage the use of microprocessor-based technology. Via such a wireless communications system, microprocessor-based technology could be put to sleep during forbidden-times and allowed to operate normally during open-times.  
           [0010]    The primary object of the invention is to create a wireless communications protocol by which wireless communications and microprocessors request permission to operate. If such permission is granted, the wireless communications and microprocessor-based technologies operates normally. However, if such permission is denied, the wireless communications and microprocessor-based technology can be put to sleep. The duration of this sleep period may be further specified by the wireless communications system.  
           [0011]    A further object of the invention is that the wireless communications protocol could allow emergency communications to recognized emergency phone numbers, such as 911, even during the sleep or forbidden period.  
           [0012]    In one embodiment, the invention is implemented to provide a method for a wireless communications protocol for managing wireless communication and microprocessor-based technologies. In another embodiment, the invention is implemented to provide an apparatus for a wireless communications protocol for managing wireless communication and microprocessor-based technologies. In still another embodiment, the invention is implemented to provide a signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a data processing apparatus for a wireless communications protocol for managing wireless communication and microprocessor-based technologies. Finally, another embodiment consists of logic circuitry having a plurality of interconnected, electrically or optically conductive elements configured for a wireless communications protocol for wireless communication and microprocessor-based technologies.  
           [0013]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself; however, both as to its structure and operation together with the additional objects and advantages thereof are best understood through the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the Bluetooth protocol stack;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a diagram of Bluetooth implemented in a wireless telephone;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a diagram of CDMA implemented in a wireless telephone for transmission;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of Bluetooth implemented in a wireless telephone;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows a diagram of Bluetooth implemented in a computer device such as a laptop, palmtop, or game;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of Bluetooth implemented in a device such as a laptop, palmtop, or game;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 shows an information bearing semiconductor chip for the microcode used in the wireless management of microprocessor-based technology;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 shows an information-bearing cartridge;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 shows an information bearing storage medium for the microcode used in the wireless management of microprocessor-based technology;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 shows a diagram of the Bluetooth controller; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 11 shows the input template for the Bluetooth controller. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    The Bluetooth technology was never planned to be just a physical wireless medium offering merely a platform for high-level protocols and applications. The aim is to provide something more, with immediate device interoperable as soon as the first Bluetooth products hit the market. But this can only be achieved if all the communication blocks, including radios, protocols and applications, are accurately defined and can interoperate. Bluetooth functionality is very much based on the different usage models, which formed the basis of the specification work done by the Bluetooth SIG (Special-Interest Group). These usage models have also had a great impact on the Bluetooth protocol architecture and individual protocols belonging to it.  
         [0027]    In designing the Bluetooth protocol architecture  100 , FIG. 1, especially its higher layer protocols, the principle was to maximize the reuse of existing protocols for different purposes instead of reinventing, new protocols. Protocol re-use also helps software vendors to adapt existing applications to work in the wireless Bluetooth environment, as well as facilitating smooth operation of the applications and their interoperability.  
         [0028]    To ensure rapid and widespread implementation of the Bluetooth technology, the Bluetooth Specification is open to adopter companies. This makes it possible for vendors to implement their own (proprietary) or commonly used application protocols on the top of Bluetooth-specific protocols. Different applications may run on top of different application protocols. Consequently, most applications may use different sets of protocols to achieve the desired functionality of the Bluetooth usage models. Nevertheless, each one of these different sets of protocols (i.e., vertical slices of the whole Bluetooth protocol stack) use a common Bluetooth data link and physical layer. Additional vertical slices are for services supportive of the main application, like SDP (Service Discovery Protocol)  141 .  
         [0029]    From an application viewpoint, the lower layer protocols of the Bluetooth architecture  100  are quite transparent for the applications and are shown below HCI (Host Control Interface) line  181 . The Bluetooth radio aspects  173 , Baseband protocol  172  and LMP (Link Manager Protocol)  171  can be categorized as lower layer protocols. Although their functionality is highly essential, many applications may not demand all of the detailed functionality on these layers.  
         [0030]    LMP  171  is responsible for link set-up between Bluetooth devices. This includes security aspects like authentication and encryption by generating, exchanging and checking of link and encryption keys and the control and negotiation of baseband sizes. Further, LMP  171  controls the power modes and duty cycles of the Bluetooth radio device, and the connection states of a Bluetooth unit in a piconet.  
         [0031]    Audio  151  is supported by Baseband protocol  172 . Audio data can be transferred between one or more Bluetooth devices, making various usage models possible. The audio model is relatively simple within Bluetooth; any two Bluetooth devices can send and receive audio data between each other just by opening an audio link.  
         [0032]    As regard to current Bluetooth usage models, the core of the Bluetooth protocol architecture comprises a set of three protocols—the L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol)  161 , the SDP (Service Discovery Protocol)  141  and the RFCOMM protocol  117 . L2CAP  161 , which adapts upper layer protocols over the Baseband  172  protocol, provides connection-oriented and connectionless data services to the high layer protocols with protocol multiplexing capability, segmentation and reassembly operations, and group abstractions. L2CAP  161  permits higher level protocols and applications to transmit and receive L2CAP  161  data packets up to 64 kilobytes in length.  
         [0033]    Device information, services and the characteristics of the services can be queried using the SDP  141 . Discovery services are a crucial part of the Bluetooth framework. These services provide the basis for all the usage models. Using SDP  141 , device information, services, and the characteristics of the services can be queried and after that, a connection between two or more Bluetooth devices can be established.  
         [0034]    Like SDP  141 , RFCOMM  117  is layered on top of the L2CAP  161 . RFCOMM  117  is a serial line emulation protocol. As a “cable replacement” protocol, RFCOMM  117  emulates RS-232 control and data signals over the Bluetooth baseband. RFCOMM  117  also provides transport capabilities for high-level services such as the OBEX (Object Exchange) protocol  102  that use a serial line as the transport mechanism.  
         [0035]    OBEX  102  supports the vCard and vCal(endar) applications  101 , for the exchange of business cards and calendar information. OBEX  102  defines a folder-listing object, which is used to browse the contents of folders on remote devices. Currently RFCOMM  117  is the sole transport layer for OBEX  102 . Future implementations of Bluetooth are likely to use TCP  114  and IP  115  as a transport for OBEX  102 .  
         [0036]    On top of the link and transport protocols, the applications still need some specific protocols to complete the protocol stack. In the Bluetooth architecture  100 , the application-specific protocols are added on top of RFCOMM  117  or directly on the L2CAP  161 . The object-exchange applications have been defined to use the OBEX protocol  102  on RFCOMM  117 . PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)  116 , for different Internet services, is also mapped over RFCOMM  117 . PPP  116  supports UDP (User Datagram Protocol)  113 , TCP (Transport Control Protocol)  114 , IP (Internet Protocol)  115 , and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)  112 .  
         [0037]    The architecture of WAP  112  supports WAE (WAP Application Environment)  111 . Building application gateways which mediate between WAP servers and some other applications on a PC (Personal Computer) makes it possible to implement various hidden computing functionality, like remote control, data fetching from PC to handset, etc. WAP servers also allow for both content push and pull between PC and handset, bringing to life concepts like information kiosks.  
         [0038]    AT-commands  121  and TCS (Telephony Control Specification) binary protocol  131  are used to communicate with modems and different types of phones. TCS  131  is a bit-oriented protocol, defining the call control signaling for the establishment of speech and data calls between Bluetooth devices. In addition, TCS  131  defines mobility management procedures for handling groups of Bluetooth TCS devices.  
         [0039]    The enumerated protocols of FIG. 1 offer the basic functionality in the Bluetooth environment. More information about the Bluetooth protocols and the protocol architecture is in the Bluetooth Specification and the white papers found at http://www.bluetooth.com.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 2 shows a wireless telephone  200  which has Bluetooth implemented in it. Wireless telephone  200  has a speaker  211  which emits sound, and a microphone  216  which receives sound. Sound received by microphone  216  is converted to a signal and then transmitted by channel  220  via antenna  221 . Channel  220  utilizes known techniques to process the sound received by microphone  216 , such as shown in FIG. 3 for CDMA.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3 shows process  300  for a wireless telephone transmission. Microphone  216  receives sound waves from the user and converts those sound waves into an analog electrical signal. Digitizer  301  converts that analog signal from microphone  216  into a digital information bits. Convolution encoder  302  takes the information bits from digitizer  301  and converts them to code symbols. Block interleaver  303  shifts the code symbol output of convolution encoder  302 , to mitigate loss of data due to burst errors. 64-ary orthogonal modulator  304  modulates the output of block interleaver  303 . Long code generator  305  sends long codes to data burst randomizer  306 . Data burst randomizer  306  also receives the output of 64-ary orthogonal modulator  304 . The output of data burst randomizer  306  and the long code generator  305  are then summed at summing junction  308 . The output of summing junction  308  is then added with I-channel  310  at summing junction  317  and then filtered by baseband filter  311 . Additionally, the output of summing junction  308  is also added with the Q-channel  312  at summing junction  318 , partially delayed at delay  313 , and then filtered at baseband filter  314 . I-channel  310  is in-phase and Q-channel  312  is the quadrature-phase. The result of I-channel  310 , Q-channel  312 , and delay  313  is offset quadrature phase shift keying (OQPSK). The outputs of filters  311  and  314  are then summed at summing junction  320  and then transmitted via antenna  221 .  
         [0042]    Reception of a transmission by antenna  221  and subsequent conversion into audible sound by speaker  211  is generally the reverse process as shown in FIG. 3. The data must be detected, derandomzied, deinterleaved, decoded, and converted from digital information bits into an analog before speaker  211  converts the information into sound waves. The reception of a transmission may include a Viterbi detector for detecting and correcting of the digital information.  
         [0043]    Wireless telephone  200  has a keypad  213  which has standard keys  214  for dialing telephone numbers. Standard keys  214  include numeral 1, numeral 2 and letters ABC, and numeral 3 and letters DEF in the first row; numeral 4 and letters GHI, numeral 5 and letters JKL, and numeral 6 and letters MNO in the second row; numeral 7 and letters PRS, numeral 8 and letters TUV, and numeral 9 and letters WXY in the third row; and numeral 0 in the fourth row. Special keys  215  may include the * key and the # key.  
         [0044]    Wireless telephone  200  may have a display  212 . Display  212  is preferably a miniature liquid crystal display. An LCD display uses organic fluids called liquid crystals, because liquid crystals possess two important properties. First, liquid crystals are transparent but can alter the orientation of polarized light passing through them. Second, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules and their polarization properties can be changed by applying an electric field. Liquid crystals are sandwiched between two glass plates, the outsides of which having been coated with polarizing filters and the inner plate is typically backlit via fluorescent light. Inside these glass plates is a matrix of electrodes. When an element of the matrix., called a pixel, experiences a voltage change, the polarization of the adjacent liquid crystal molecules change, which alters the light transmitted through the LCD pixel and hence seen by the user. However, display  212  could also be a LED (light emitting diode) display or an electroluminescent display.  
         [0045]    Wireless telephone  200  also has Bluetooth radio chip  240 , which has its own antenna  241  for communications with Bluetooth controller  1000 . Bluetooth controller  1000  is further described in FIG. 10. Bluetooth radio chip  240  is in bidirectional communication with channel  220 . Channel  220  has its own internal circuitry, such as control chip  700  which is further elaborated upon in FIG. 7, to process commands received from Bluetooth radio chip  240  or to send information to Bluetooth radio chip  240 . Additionally rechargeable battery  230  provides electrical power to Bluetooth radio chip  240 , channel  220 , and all other electrical components in wireless telephone  200 .  
         [0046]    It should be noted that control chip  700  controls on/off circuit  250 . When switched on, circuit  250  would allow wireless telephone  200  to originate or receive long-range wireless communications. When switched off, circuit  250  would prevent wireless telephone  200  from originating or receiving long-range wireless communications. Although on/off circuit  250  is shown in its preferred position of controlling signals to or from antenna  221 , on/off circuit  250  could be located in many other strategic locations in wireless telephone  200 . Such alternate strategic locations in wireless telephone  200  could include controlling electrical power from battery  230  to channel  220 , keyboard  213 , or microphone  216  and speaker  211 . Even when open wireless communication is prohibited by Bluetooth controller  1000 , it is possible that computer chip  700  would allow certain telephone numbers to be dialed on a highly selective basis, such as the 911 emergency number.  
         [0047]    On/off circuit  250  is preferably a power transistor. Examples of power transistors are LM195, LM395, and LP395; which are manufactured by National Semiconductor Corporation. These power transistors directly interface with CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) or TTL (Transistor to Transistor Logic) signals from control chip  700 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 4 shows a flow chart  400  for the control of wireless telephone  200  by Bluetooth. The process begins at step  401 , when the telephone is first turned on. In step  402 , process asks whether wireless telephone  200  has been contacted or has itself contacted a Bluetooth controller  1000 . If not, the process flows from step  402  to step  410 , where the wireless telephone  200  waits time period T1 before recontacting Bluetooth controller  1000  in step  402 . During this time, wireless telephone  200  continues to execute its previous instructions. In the absence of any contact with Bluetooth controller  1000 , the default instruction would be to allow open wireless communications. Time period T1 could vary between a very short time interval of 15 seconds and a significantly longer time interval of 10 or more minutes.  
         [0049]    If a Bluetooth controller  1000  was contacted in step  402 , the process flows to step  404 , where Bluetooth establishes whether or not open wireless communication is allowed. If yes, the process flows to step  408  where open wireless communication is fully allowed by control chip  700  via control of on/off circuit  250 . During this period of open wireless communications, the process flows to step  410 , where wireless telephone  200  waits time period T1 before attempting to recontact a Bluetooth controller  1000 .  
         [0050]    If in step  404 , open wireless communications is not allowed, the process flows to step  418  where open wireless communications are not allowed by control chip  700  via control of on/off circuit  250 . The user has T3 seconds to complete his or her conversation before on/off circuit  250  is switched to the off position. Time T3 may range from 10 to 60 seconds. From step  418 , the process flows to step  420 , where access to an emergency telephone number such as 911 is determined. If yes, the process flows to step  421  where dialing 911 is permitted. From step  421 , the process goes back to step  410 . If access to an emergency telephone number such as 911 is denied in step  420 , the process flows to step  422 . In step  422 , Bluetooth controller  1000  has sent instructions as to whether to put wireless telephone  200  to sleep. If in step  422  the answer is yes, the process flows to step  424  where wireless telephone  200  is put to sleep for time period T 2 . Time period T2 is typically longer than time period T1. Time period T2 may range from 5 minutes to up to several hours during a transatlantic flight or over 12 hours for a flight crossing the Pacific ocean. After pausing to sleep at step  424  for time T 2 , the process flows to step  410 . If on the other hand, if the answer to entering a sleep mode is no in step  422 , the process flows to step  410  directly without entering a sleep mode.  
         [0051]    Bluetooth controller  1000  may specify that wireless telephone  200  announce to its user the status of whether open wireless communications were allowed; whether access to the emergency 911 telephone number is allowed; whether the wireless telephone  200  would be put to sleep and for how long; and if the user has to hang up, how much time the user has to do so.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 5 shows computer  500 . Computer  500  may be a personal computer (PC), desktop computer, laptop computer, palmtop, or game such as Nintendo. Computer  500  has microprocessor  501  and memory  502 . Memory  502  may be random access memory (RAM) or erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). Computer  500  typically has a display  503 . Display  503  may be liquid crystal device. However, display  503  could also be a LED (light emitting diode) display or an electroluminescent display. Although typically an output device, display  503  may be a touch-screen and thus capable of providing input to computer  500 . Additionally, computer  500  may have a dedicated input device  504  such as a keyboard or a mouse, as well as an I/O device  505 , such as a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, or a DVD drive.  
         [0053]    Computer  500  also has Bluetooth radio chip  540 , which has its own antenna  541  for communications with Bluetooth controller  1000 . Bluetooth radio chip  540  is in bidirectional communication with control chip  700  which is further elaborated upon in FIG. 7, to process commands received from Bluetooth radio chip  540  or to send information to Bluetooth radio chip  540 .  
         [0054]    Via power bus  520 , power supply  530  supplies electrical power to microprocessor  501 , memory  502 , display  503 , dedicated input device  504 , I/O device  505 , as well as to Bluetooth radio chip  540  and control chip  700 .  
         [0055]    It should be noted that control chip  700  controls on/off circuit  550 . When switched on, circuit  550  would allow computer  500  to process data or play games. However, once switched off, circuit  550  would prohibit activity on computer  500 . On/off circuit  550  is preferably a power transistor. Examples of power transistors are LM195, LM395, and LP395; which are manufactured by National Semiconductor Corporation. These power transistors directly interface with CMOS or TTL signals from control chip  700 .  
         [0056]    Computer  500  also has data bus  521 , which allows bidirectional communications between microprocessor  501  and memory  502 , display  503 , dedicated input device  504 , I/O device  505 , and control chip  700 . Thus, when Bluetooth radio  540  receives instructions that activity on computer  500  is forbidden, control chip  700  can send instructions to microprocessor  510  to stop processing data and save all calculations to memory  502  or I/O device  505  before shutting down computer  500 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 6 shows a flow chart  600  for the control of a computer, laptop, palmtop, or game  500  by Bluetooth. The process begins at step  601 , when computer  500  is first turned on. In step  602 , process asks whether computer  500  has been contacted or has itself contacted a Bluetooth controller  1000 . If not, the process flows from step  602  to step  610 , where computer  500  waits time period T4 before recontacting Bluetooth in step  602 . Time period T4 could vary between a very short time interval of 15 seconds and a significantly longer time interval of 10 or more minutes. Time period T4 in FIG. 6 may equal time period T1 in FIG. 4, as a matter of programming convenience.  
         [0058]    If a Bluetooth controller was contacted in step  602 , the process flows to step  604 , where Bluetooth establishes whether or not activity is allowed on computer  500 . If yes, the process flows to step  608  where activity is allowed by control chip  700  via control of on/off circuit  550 , or by explicit instructions given to microprocessor  501 . During this activity, the process flows to step  610 , where computer  500  waits time period T4 before attempting to recontact a Bluetooth controller  1000 . During this time, computer  500  continues to execute its previous instructions. In the absence of any contact with Bluetooth controller  1000 , the default instruction would be to allow microprocessor activity.  
         [0059]    If in step  604 , activity is not allowed, the process flows to step  618  where activity is not allowed by control chip  700  via either commands directly to microprocessor  601  and/or control of on/off circuit  550 . Computer  500  would be instructed to stop processing data and to save required data in memory  502  or I/O device  505  before shutting down. From step  618 , the process flows to step  622 . In step  622 , Bluetooth has sent instructions as to whether to put computer  500  to sleep. If in step  622  the answer is yes, the process flows to step  624  where computer  500  is put to sleep for time period T5 via either commands directly to microprocessor  601  and/or control of on/off circuit  550 . Time period T5 is typically longer than time period T4. Time period T5 may range from 5 minutes to up to several hours. After pausing to sleep at step  624  for time T5, the process flows to step  610 . If on the other hand, if the answer to entering a sleep mode is no in step  622 , the process flows to step  610  directly without entering a sleep mode.  
         [0060]    Bluetooth controller  1000  may specify that computer  500  print a message on display  503  to its user the status of whether microprocessor activity is allowed and whether the computer  500  would be put to sleep, as well as for how long.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 7 shows control chip  700  which would store the algorithms in FIGS. 4 and 6, as well as all necessary Bluetooth related microcode instructions. Control chip  700  may be a RAM, an EPROM, or an ASIC chip, etc. The exterior of chip  700  shows a typically square or rectangular body  701  with a plurality of electrical connectors  702  along the perimeter of body  701 . There is typically an alignment dot  703  at one corner of chip  700  to assist with the proper alignment of chip  700  on a card. Within body  701 , chip  700  consists of a number of interconnected electrical elements, such as transistors, resistors, and diodes. These interconnected electrical elements are fabricated on a single chip of silicon crystal, or other semiconductor material such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) or nitrided silicon, by use of photolithography. One complete layering-sequence in the photolithography process is to deposit a layer of material on the chip, coat it with photoresist, etch away the photoresist where the deposited material is not desired, remove the undesirable deposited material which is no longer protected by the photoresist, and then remove the photoresist where the deposited material is desired. By many such photolithography layering-sequences, very-large-scale integration (VLSI) can result in tens of thousands of electrical elements on a single chip. Ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) can result in a hundred thousand electrical elements on a single chip.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 8 shows a typical disk cartridge  800  which could be used hold the microcode used in processing Bluetooth instructions. Disk cartridge  800  consists of cartridge body  801  and shutter  802 . Shutter  802  has an opening  803 , so that I/O can be performed on the data on disk  900  inside of the cartridge body  801 . Additional information about disk  900  is provided in FIG. 9. Cartridge body  801  has an opening  804  so that the hub  805  of the disk  900  can be rotated by a disk drive, for the purposes of I/O. The disk  900  inside of cartridge  800  could be an optical DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an optical CD-ROM disk, a magneto-optical disk, a hard disk such as used in Iomega&#39;s Jaz drive, or a floppy disk, such as used in lomega&#39;s Zip drive.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 9 shows a typical floppy disk  900  which could be contained in disk cartridge  800 , but need not be contained in cartridge  800 . Disk  900  has an circular outer perimeter  901 . The algorithms such as in FIGS. 4 and 6, as well as all necessary Bluetooth related microcode instructions would be recorded in circular or spiral tracks  903  between the inner data radius  904  and the outer data radius  902 . Hub  905  may be used to rotate the disk  900  so that I/O can be performed on the data in tracks  903 .  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 10 shows Bluetooth controller  1000 . Bluetooth controller  1000  may be a personal computer (PC), desktop computer, laptop computer, or palmtop. Bluetooth controller  1000  has microprocessor  1001  and memory  1002 . Memory  1002  may be random access memory (RAM) or erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). Bluetooth controller  1000  typically has a display  1003 . Display  1003  may be liquid crystal device. However, display  1003  could also be a LED (light emitting diode) display or an electroluminescent display. Although typically an output device, display  1003  may be a touch-screen and thus capable of providing input to Bluetooth controller  1000 . Additionally, Bluetooth controller  1000  may have a dedicated input device  1004  such as a keyboard, mouse or voice recognition system, as well as an I/O device  1005 , such as a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, or a DVD drive.  
         [0065]    Bluetooth controller  1000  also has Bluetooth radio chip  1040 , which has its own antenna  1041 . Bluetooth radio chip  1040  is in bidirectional communication with control chip  700 , to process commands received from Bluetooth radio chip  1040  or to send information to Bluetooth radio chip  1040 .  
         [0066]    Via power bus  1020 , power supply  1030  supplies electrical power to microprocessor  1001 , memory  1002 , display  1003 , dedicated input device  1004 , I/O device  1005 , as well as to Bluetooth radio chip  1040  and control chip  700 .  
         [0067]    Bluetooth controller  1000  also has data bus  1021 , which allows bidirectional communications between microprocessor  1001  and memory  1002 , display  1003 , dedicated input device  1004 , I/O device  1005 , and control chip  700 .  
         [0068]    Bluetooth controller  1000  has a range of about 10 meters or 30 feet. Bluetooth controller  1000  would be placed in the center or other strategic locations in a restaurant, theater, meeting room, or aircraft for the express purpose of controlling the communications and microprocessor activity in those structures. Bluetooth controller  1000  can control wireless communications and microprocessor based activity separately. This control is essential for safety reasons, during aircraft takeoff and landing; for security reasons, during business meetings; and for politeness and courtesy, during meals at a restaurant or performances at a theater. This control would preferably use Bluetooth and TCS (Telephony Control Specification) binary protocol  131 . However, other Bluetooth protocols shown in FIG. 1 could equally be used, such as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)  112  or RFCOMM  117 .  
         [0069]    Via the template  1100  shown in FIG. 11, which would be displayed on display  1003 , the user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can change the status of whether wireless communications are allowed  1101  and whether microprocessor activity in computers, laptops, palmtops, and games is allowed  1111 . Input to template  1100  could come from touchscreen display  1003 , dedicated input device  1004  such as a keyboard, mouse or voice recognition system, as well as an I/O device  1005 , such as a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, or a DVD drive.  
         [0070]    If wireless communications is not allowed  1101 , the user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can decide whether to allow access to the emergency 911 number or its equivalents  1102 . The user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can also decide whether to put all wireless communications to sleep  1103 . Then the user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can set values for times T1  1104 , T2  1105 , and T3  1106 .  
         [0071]    If microprocessor activity in computers, laptops, palmtops, and games is not allowed  1111 , the user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can decide whether to put all microprocessor based computers, laptops, palmtops, and games to sleep  1113 . Finally the user of Bluetooth controller  1000  can set values for times T4  1114  and T5  1115 .  
         [0072]    While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood to those skilled in the art, that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.