1

I am playing around with a TI CC2541 chip, and was wondering if it is possible to send a "keypress" over BLE. This would be similar to the new Muku Shutter for iOS and Android, because I am trying to figure out a way to interface with a mobile device without installing a 3rd party application. Essentially, I would press the button on the CC2541 chip, and then it would emulate a keypress of volume up?

I have been researching for a while now, and all solutions to handle this have included writing a 3rd party application to map the commands in the BLE packet to a system command.

Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thank you!

blin
  • 11
  • 1

1 Answers1

1

On iOS the answer is no

Edit:

Exception: You might be able to set up your BT chip as a Bluetooth keyboard.

You could certainly write an app that talks with a remote BLE device and uses an agreed-upon protocol to pass key presses to your app, and then you could interpret those messages using code in your app.

However, Apple enforces a "sandbox" on its apps, and apps are not allowed to interact directly with the system except through very tightly controlled set of APIs. If there is not an official interfere to do something, it is not allowed.

If you were to run on a jailbroken device then the answer would likely be different. I can't help you there however.

Edit:

@OliverMason says in a comment that iOS shutter buttons are apparently single-key BlueTooth keyboards that emulate the volume up button, which the camera app recognizes as a way to trigger a photo. Thus my answer above isn't quite accurate.

Duncan C
  • 128,072
  • 22
  • 173
  • 272
  • I am curious, there are a few working remote shutters for iOS out in the market. They can take photos in the native iOS camera app. Is this ability something that Apple opens only to the ones enrolling MFi? I am not familiar with MFi program. – reTs Nov 06 '13 at 07:47
  • 1
    Shutter buttons are a mini BT keyword; they emulate a keypress on the volume button, which the iOS camera app accepts as a trigger for taking a photo. – Oliver Mason Feb 10 '23 at 14:13