The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) has introduced a system that is good news to anyone who has mislaid their car keys or the television remote.

The technology — Bluetooth Channel Sounding — will enable a number of applications. Perhaps the most compelling, for consumers, are its “Find My” capabilities, which will enable people to know the distance they are from keys, remote controls, and any other item to which tags are attached.

The company’s announcement says the new technology also will enhance the security of digital key solutions by  only allowing a digitally controlled lock to be activated when a device authorized by Channel Sounding is in the vicinity.

“Bluetooth technology has become an ingredient of everyday life,” Bluetooth SIG CEO Neville Meijers said in a press release. “When connected devices are distance-aware, a range of new possibilities emerge. Adding true distance awareness to Bluetooth technology exemplifies the ongoing commitment of the Bluetooth SIG community to continuously enhance our connection with our devices, one another, and the world around us.”

Bluetooth Channel Sounding uses phase-based ranging (PBR) to enable centimeter-level accuracy between Bluetooth connected devices. It uses robust, multi-layer security that includes a secondary ranging method — round-trip time (RTT) based distance bounding — to add an extra layer of protection to deal with man-in-the-middle (MITM) relay attacks.

The organization says that developers will be able to add true distance awareness to Bluetooth connected devices without having to design for additional radio technology.

The Bluetooth SIG was founded in 1998 and now has more than 40,000 member companies. Bluetooth is embedded in more than five billion products each year.