Patent ID: 7310344

Claim:
A system comprising: a router having a Local Area Network (LAN) interface for coupling to one or more general purpose computers located in a private home network, the router configured to perform address translation on packets exchanged between the general purpose computers located in the private home network and a wide area network; the router having a home automation interface for coupling to one or more remote home appliances, the home automation interface separate from the LAN interface and configured to communicate with the remote home appliances using a home automation protocol; the router configured to send one or more communications over the wide area network for logging into an instant messenger application as a client in response to receiving an event signal from one of the home appliances, the router logging into the instant messenger application as the client independently of the general purpose computers and regardless of whether all general purpose computers located in the private home network are deactivated; the router configured to notify a user of the event signal using the instant messenger application; and the router configured to control the appliance that sent the event signal according to an instant message received over the wide area network.