Patent ID: 7013339

Claim:
A method to control a controllable device with a control device in a network comprising several control devices, comprising: reserving the controllable device with a first control device as a primary controller; and preventing a second control device or a further control device from overruling primary control of the first control device with secondary control commands, the second control device being able to reserve the controllable device after the reservation of the first control device as a secondary controller so that the further control device can not overrule secondary control of the second control device with further control commands, the controllable device sending a rejection to the second control device working as the secondary controller trying to overrule the first control device working as the primary controller or to the further control device trying to overrule the first control device working as the primary controller, or the second control device, working as the secondary controller, and said rejection including a list of all primary or secondary controllers, or both the primary and secondary controllers.