The Bluetooth SIG and the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) announced a partnership today that aims to produce smart wireless charging stations. 

As a first step, the Bluetooth SIG has issued what a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) to the A4WP for adoption in its baseline system specification (BSS). The A4WP BSS utilizes the Bluetooth Smart radio standard to carry the session management and power control between an A4WP charging station and an A4WP-certified device. 

Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, president of the A4WP, acknowledged that Bluetooth Smart as a foundation technology for A4Wp. 

“By combining Bluetooth Smart with magnetic resonant wireless power transfer technology, the A4WP delivers a next-generation user experience that features one charging station to many simultaneous devices, freedom of placement on tabletops, desktops and automotive environments, and charging solutions that scale seamlessly from wireless headsets to smartphones, to tablets and laptops,” Grajski said in a statement. 

As Grajski described, the project should result in devices initiating a charge more quickly when coming into contact with charging surfaces, as well as improved power control features such as giving one device prioritized charging when multiple devices are charging at the same time. 

The groups said that OEMs and developers will be able to create a new class of applications to leverage these smart wireless charging stations (e.g., mobile payments, location based services).