Patent ID: 7237029

Claim:
A gateway apparatus connected to at least one appliance through a first network, comprising: an appliance control panel information inputting unit which is adapted to acquire appliance control panel information indicating panel parts of the appliance on a display screen and an operational range of the panel parts; a gateway apparatus information memorizing unit which is adapted to memorize gateway apparatus information indicative of whether or not a control instruction, from one of a plurality of control devices through either one of a first network and/or a second network, to the appliance will be allowed to be accepted; and an appliance control command producing unit which is adapted to determine, with reference to the gateway apparatus information, whether or not a control instruction from one of the control devices can be accepted in cases where the control instruction has been received through either one of the first and/or second networks, and for producing a control command on the basis of the appliance panel information in cases where it is determined that the control instruction can be accepted, wherein the appliance is adapted to be operated in response to the control command, wherein the gateway apparatus further comprises appliance operation status inputting unit which is adapted to preserve appliance operation status information, including priority control device ID information and an operation table that comprises a current operation status of the appliance, an operable operation at all statuses that the appliance can take, and an indication of what the status will be after the operation is performed, wherein the control device comprises a first control device that is adapted to output a control instruction indicating a series of operations, and wherein the appliance control command producing unit determines, with reference to the gateway apparatus information and the appliance operation status information, whether or not it is possible for the apparatus to accept the received control instruction, records the control device ID of the first control device as the priority control device ID information of the appliance operation status information when the appliance at a current status requires the appliance control command producing unit to accept in preference the control instruction of the first control device indicating the series of operations, accept in preference the control instruction sent from the first control device on the basis of both a control device ID of each of one or more control devices including the first control device and the priority control device ID information when control instructions sent from the control devices are received, and determines whether to produce a control command that is valid for the desired series of operations, wherein the appliance is adapted to preferably perform the series of operations in response to the control command.