Patent ID: 6980150

Claim:
A system for controlling the operation of a home appliance, comprising: a keypad including a plurality of keys; a memory for storing a command code library for use in commanding the operation of the home appliance wherein at least one command code from the command code library stored in the memory is associated with at least one key of the keypad; a transmitter in communication with the keypad wherein activation of the at least one key of the keypad causes the transmitter to transmit the at least one command code to the home appliance; and a relay unit spaced from the keypad comprising a button corresponding to the at least one key of the keypad wherein activation of the button functions to simulate activation of the at least one key of the keypad to thereby cause the transmitter to transmit to the home appliance the at least one command code from the command code library that is associated with the at least one key of the keypad as if the at least one key of the keypad where activated directly.