Patent ID: 8682252

Claim:
A transmitter apparatus effective for activating a remotely situated appliance, the apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) transmitter which includes radio transmission circuitry and an antenna operably coupled to the transmission circuitry; a rigid housing comprising a rigid material, the housing configured to hold the transmission circuitry and support the antenna; an actuator configured to be operably coupled to the transmitter to effect operation of the transmitter, the RF transmitter and the housing configured to be mounted to a mounting surface having an RF interfering material associated therewith, the transmitter configured to receive via the actuator an actuation by a user to effect wireless transmission of a RF signal to a remotely situated appliance, the antenna being disposed at least partially within the rigid housing, which is configured to be disposed within an opening in the mounting surface, the housing and the antenna having dimensions so as to extend at least partially through the opening to extend into the mounting surface sufficiently such that the antenna extends beyond the RF interfering material, the actuator configured to be disposed on a side of the RF interfering material opposite that of at least a portion of the antenna when the transmitter apparatus is mounted on the mounting surface, the antenna transmitting the signal to the appliance to effect control of operation of the appliance without significant interference or absorption from the mounting surface.