US Patent 7577451 Extending personal area networks

A pair of shorter range radio frequency networks may be linked together using a longer range communication protocol that is not based on the same radio frequency protocol utilized by the shorter range radio frequency networks. Enumeration data from one of the shorter range networks may be exchanged over a longer range network to combine the two shorter range networks using proxy devices such as cellular telephones. This may allow devices in a shorter range network to communicate over a longer range.