Patent ID: 7191247
Filing Date: 2007-03-13
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for connecting a wireless device to a remote location on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: a) transmitting a beacon signal from a beacon unit disposed at a first geographic location, the beacon signal including components indicative of a first code and of a second code, the first code being associated with a remote location on a computer network and the second code being associated with an attribute of the beacon unit; b) receiving the beacon signal using a beacon signal receiver circuit disposed in association with a wireless device at a second geographic location, and extracting from the received beacon signal the first code and the second code; c) automatically sending, in response to receiving the beacon signal and without user intervention, control signals indicative of the first code and the second code from the beacon signal receiver circuit to the wireless device; d) automatically transmitting, in response to receiving the control signals and without user intervention, an RF signal constituting a first message packet from the wireless device to an intermediate location on the computer network, the first message packet being indicative of the first code and the second code; e) receiving the first message packet at the intermediate location on the computer network extracting the first code and the second code therefrom; f) accessing a computer database from the intermediate location, the database including a plurality of routing information for remote locations on the computer network and a plurality of first codes and associating each of the routing information with at least one of the first codes, and retrieving the routing information associated with the first code received in the beacon signal; g) transmitting a reply packet including the routing information associated with the first code from the intermediate location across the computer network to the wireless device; and h) transmitting, in response to receiving the reply packet, a second message packet from the wireless device to a remote location on the network using the routing information just received, thereby connecting the wireless device to the associated remote location.