A wireless communication device of a first device detects a pattern of taps made with a wireless communication device of a second device. A processor of the first device automatically interprets the pattern of taps as a command from a plurality of tap pattern-based commands. Functional elements of the first device automatically perform an operation corresponding to the command to fully execute the command based only on the pattern of taps. Each of the taps comprises the distance between the first device and the second device changing from a first distance to a second distance and returning to at least the first distance within a predetermined period of time, and the first distance is at least twice as large as the second distance. Also, different patterns of taps represent different commands of the tap pattern-based commands.