Patent ID: 8340057

Claim:
A method of using a mobile device to access peripheral devices networked at a wireless hotspot, said method comprising steps of: authenticating the mobile device to a service provider server using a wireless network at the wireless hotspot; determining the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot that can be accessed by the mobile device, wherein the peripheral devices are determined by the service provider server based on a location of the wireless hotspot; receiving an authorization from the service provider server to the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot; instructing, by the service provider server, the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot to announce their presence via an encrypted message; making announcements of their presence via an encrypted message, by the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot; sending, by the service provider server, a message to the mobile device containing decryption information for decrypting the announcements from the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot; decrypting, by the mobile device, the announcements from the peripheral devices networked at the wireless hotspot using the received decryption information, and displaying the peripheral devices that are able to communicate with the mobile device, and wirelessly accessing services of an authorized peripheral device, selected by a user from the displayed peripheral devices, via the wireless network at the wireless hotspot using the mobile device, wherein the mobile device and the selected authorized peripheral device perform direct communication with each other.