Patent ID: 6983312

Claim:
A method of establishing communications with one or more devices located in an environment using a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising a short-range transceiver and a long-range transceiver, the short-range transceiver of the wireless communication device being able to communicate with a short-range transceiver located in the environment, the method comprising: a) receiving a communication from the short-range transceiver of the wireless communication device, the communication including a request to establish communications with one or more device located in the environment; b) transmitting a request to an environment directory server to determine if a user associated with the wireless communication device has permission to access any of the devices in the environment; c) receiving a response from the environment directory server in response to the request, wherein said step of receiving a response from the environment directory server includes: c1) providing an indication as to whether access to the devices in the environment is transient; and c2) if so, providing dates and times at which the wireless communication device can access the devices in the environment; and d) communicating to the short-range transceiver of the wireless communication device whether the device can communicate with any of the devices in the environment.