Patent ID: 7613425

Claim:
Bluetooth range extending apparatus for extending the range of Bluetooth communication between a master device and an associated slave device, the apparatus comprising a first communication module which, in use, receives incoming Bluetooth signals carrying data and which extracts the carried data, and a second communication module which, in use, re-encodes the extracted data and transmits corresponding outgoing Bluetooth signals, wherein the first communication module is a transceiver module which is arranged to transmit Bluetooth signals as well as to receive Bluetooth signals, and the second communication module is a transceiver module which is arranged to receive Bluetooth signals as well as to transmit Bluetooth signals and one communication module is preconfigured as a Bluetooth slave, and the other communication module is preconfigured as a Bluetooth master, wherein the first communication module comprises a Bluetooth serial adapter which is arranged to act as a translator between Bluetooth signals and serial signals, and the second communication module comprises a Bluetooth serial adapter which is arranged to act as a translator between Bluetooth signals and serial signals, wherein one Bluetooth serial adapter is preconfigured as a slave and the other Bluetooth serial adapter is preconfigured as a master, wherein the two Bluetooth serial adapters incorporate a plurality of connectors; at least two connectors are connected so that a serial output of one of the adapters forms a serial input to the other Bluetooth serial adapter.