Patent ID: 7460050

Claim:
A controlling device having a plurality of different operating modes for commanding operating functions of a plurality of different appliances, comprising: a plurality of function keys wherein each of the plurality of function keys is used to control at least one operating function associated with at least one of the plurality of different appliances in each of the plurality of different operational modes wherein each of the plurality of function keys has a fixed first indicia indicating a controllable operating function associated with the function key and a variable second indicia indicating at least one of the plurality of different appliances associated with the function key; and a controller for controlling the second indicia wherein the second indicia is based upon a one of the plurality of different operating modes selected and wherein the controller initiates a control signal transmission for at least one of the plurality of different appliances based upon the one of the plurality of different operating modes selected and the controllable operating function associated with a one of the plurality of function keys activated.