Patent ID: 7464035

Claim:
A system for controlling a home automation system by voice input comprising: a telephone unit, the telephone unit receiving voice input and transmitting a voice signal representative of the voice input via a telephone network; a voice portal server receiving the voice signal transmitted by the telephone unit, the voice portal processing the voice signal to interpret the voice input, generating a command signal for controlling a home device in the home automation system based on the interpreted voice input, and transmitting the command signal via the telephone network; a home interface for receiving the command signal transmitted by the voice portal server and controlling the home device in accordance with the received command signal; and a database storing user profiles having voice data and command signal information and relating the voice data with the command signal information; wherein the voice portal server is configured to: determine whether the home automation system includes a home computer gateway by consulting the user profiles; if the determination is that the home automation system includes the home computer gateway, send the command signal to the home computer gateway via a data network; and if the determination is that the home automation system does not include the home computer gateway, send the command signal to the home automation system via the telephone network.