Data communications between short-range enabled wireless devices over networks and proximity marketing to such devices
A method for allowing short-ranged communication devices to communicate with each other using the Internet. Cell servers are provided in a first and second zones linked to the Internet and adapted for transmitting voice and other digital data over the Internet such as using VoIP. The method includes registering users of short-range enabled devices, such as Bluetooth cell phones, with a communication system and storing a device identifier along with a user ID and password. A contact list is stored for each registered user. The method includes a registered user entering a cell serviced by a server, the server discovering the user's device, logging the user into the system based on the device identifier and an entered user ID and password, receiving a communication request to chat with one of the listed contacts, and establishing a communication session using time previously awarded to the user for receiving marketing content.
1. A communication method for remote voice communication between short-ranged devices, comprising:
operating a cell server with a short-range transceiver to discover a first client device enabled to communicate with the cell server transceiver;
transmitting media contents to the first client device;
when the media contents are received by the first client device, providing the first client device with an amount of free talk credit time;
receiving a request from the first client device to initiate a chat session with a second client device; and
establishing the chat session including communicatively linking the first and second client devices for a period less than about the amount of free talk credit time, wherein the chat session comprises the first client device wirelessly transmitting data to the cell server and the cell server transmitting the transmitted data in digital form over a network to the second client device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the cell server to retrieve an identifier for the first client device and to receive user identification data from a user of the first client device and further comprising operating a login server to compare the first client device identifier and the received user identification data to user profile information stored in memory, wherein when a match is identified, the login server allows the chat session to be established.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first client device communicates with the cell server using the Bluetooth protocol and the first and second client devices are Bluetooth-enabled devices and wherein the data transmitted from the first client device comprises voice data.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the network comprises the Internet and wherein the cell server support the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the transmitted data includes voice messages received at the cell server from the first client device that the cell server processes according to the VoIP prior to transmitting over the network to the second client device.