Patent ID: 7234115
Filing Date: 2007-06-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating an entertainment system having a controller that controls a plurality of controllable components in response to a plurality of user interface devices, wherein the controllable components are dispersed among a plurality of locations and are interconnected via interconnections, the method comprising: identifying attributes for the controllable components to the controller; identifying locations of the controllable components and interconnections therebetween to the controller; wherein the controller generates graphical user interfaces for the user interface devices containing commands for operating the controllable components, and wherein the commands included in the graphical user interfaces of the user interface devices vary based on locations of the user interface devices as well as at least some of the identified controllable component attributes, locations and interconnections; and controlling the controllable components by executing the commands of the graphical user interfaces; wherein at least some of the identified locations for the controlled components includes locations within one or more mounting racks, wherein the identification of locations to the controller includes identifying a plurality of location rules to the controller, and wherein the controller generates a list of the locations of the controllable components in the one or more mounting racks based upon the identified location rules.