Patent ID: 7787887

Claim:
A computer system for providing location-based services to a client wireless device within an ad-hoc wireless network zone, the system comprising: an information server configured to provide a plurality of location-based services by broadcasting, within the ad-hoc wireless network zone, location-based information regarding the plurality of location-based services, wherein the information server broadcasts the location-based information using a plurality of different pre-determined network ports, wherein the plurality of location-based services are assigned respective different pre-determined network ports of the plurality of different pre-determined network ports, and wherein the plurality of location-based services are a plurality of different location-based services; and a wireless network adapter used by the information server to broadcast the location-based information within the ad-hoc wireless network zone, wherein a communication range of the wireless network adapter establishes the ad-hoc wireless network zone; wherein the client wireless device automatically connects, in ad-hoc mode, to the wireless network adapter used by the information server when the client wireless device enters the ad-hoc wireless network zone and determines that the ad-hoc wireless network zone provides the plurality of location-based services, wherein the client wireless device determines that the ad-hoc wireless network zone provides the plurality of location-based services based on an SSID of the wireless network adapter used by the information server, wherein the SSID of the wireless network adapter of the used by the information server is a pre-determined SSID, wherein the client wireless device is configured, via one or more preferences, to listen on one or more network ports of the plurality of different pre-determined network ports, wherein the client wireless device is configured, via the one or more preferences, to not listen on one or more other network ports of the plurality of different pre-determined network ports, and wherein, after connecting, the client wireless device: receives broadcast location-based information regarding one or more location-based services which are assigned to the one or more network ports for which the client wireless device is listening; and does not receive broadcast location-based information regarding one or more location-based services which are assigned to the one or more other network ports for which the client wireless device is not listening.