Method and apparatus for a bluetooth-enabled ethernet interface

An apparatus comprising:

• means for determining when a first Bluetooth relay arrangement is available to pair with a Bluetooth-capable endpoint, the first Bluetooth relay arrangement being arranged to wirelessly communicate with the Bluetooth-capable endpoint, the first Bluetooth relay arrangement further being arranged to communicate over an Ethernet network;
• means for authenticating the Bluetooth-capable endpoint with respect to the first Bluetooth relay arrangement when it is determined that the first Bluetooth relay arrangement is available to pair with the Bluetooth-capable endpoint;
• and
• means for pairing the Bluetooth-capable endpoint with the first Bluetooth relay arrangement if the Bluetooth-capable endpoint is authenticated with respect to the first Bluetooth relay arrangement, wherein the means for pairing the Bluetooth-capable endpoint with the first Bluetooth relay arrangement include means for causing the Bluetooth-capable endpoint and the first Bluetooth relay arrangement to engage in Bluetooth communications and means for causing the first Bluetooth relay arrangement to engage in Ethernet communications over the Ethernet network.

A computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed, configured to:

• determine when a first relay arrangement is available to pair with an endpoint, the first relay arrangement being arranged to wirelessly communicate with the endpoint, the first relay arrangement further being arranged to communicate over a wired network;
• authenticate the endpoint with respect to the first relay arrangement when it is determined that the first relay arrangement is available to pair with the endpoint;
• and
• pair the endpoint with the first relay arrangement if the endpoint is authenticated with respect to the first relay arrangement, wherein the computer code configured to pair the endpoint with the first relay arrangement includes computer code configured to enable the endpoint and the first relay arrangement to engage in wireless communications and computer code configured to enable the first relay arrangement to engage in wired communications over the wired network.

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface, the network interface being configured to interface with a wired network and to engage in communications with the wired network;
• a Bluetooth interface, the Bluetooth interface being configured to engage in Bluetooth communications with an endpoint;
• and
• a first module, the first module being configured to cooperate with the endpoint to determine when the apparatus is appropriate to provide support for the endpoint, the first module further being configured to determine when to handoff the support for the endpoint.