Patent ID: 8880047

Claim:
A system, comprising (a) a home automation system wirelessly coupled to (i) a cellular phone having a geographic location sensor, and (ii) an appliance coupled to a wireless network interface, wherein the home automation system is configured to receive, from the cellular phone, stored information about the cellular phone via wireless short range communication technology operable when the cellular phone and home automation system are approximately collocated; (b) the home automation system configured to receive command data from the cellular phone for remote control of the home automation system, wherein the command data is received from the cellular phone upon the cellular phone: i. storing a geographic area as a geographic area associated with a user's home location comprising either (i) a point and radius associated with a user's home or (ii) a plurality of points indicating a geometric area in which the user's home is located; ii. determining its approximate current location using its geographic location sensor; and iii. determining that its approximate current location is within the stored geographic area associated with the user's home location; and (c) the home automation system configured to send, in response to receiving the command data, control instructions to the wireless network interface coupled to the appliance.