Patent ID: 8391265

Claim:
A system comprising: a wireless access point operable to communicate with a portable computing device in a wireless fashion, wherein the portable computing device is configured to transmit identification information indicating a user of the portable computing device, and wherein the access point is configured to detect the portable computing device and, after detection of the portable computing device, the wireless access point is further operable to receive the identification information transmitted by the portable computing device and transmit one or more advertisements of goods or services to the portable computing device in the wireless fashion, wherein the one or more advertisements includes an identification of a location relative to the wireless access point of a provider of the advertised goods or services, and wherein the one or more advertisements is dependent upon a known location of the wireless access point and the identification information indicating the user of the mobile unit; and a network, wherein one or more information providers are coupled to the network, and the network is operable to transmit the known location of the wireless access point and the identification information indicating the user of the mobile unit to a first information provider of the one or more information providers, and wherein the network is operable to transmit the one or more advertisements to the wireless access point for wireless transmission to the portable computing device, wherein the one or more advertisements has been selected by the first information provider based on the known location of the wireless access point and the identification information indicating the user of the mobile unit.