Patent ID: 8111185

Claim:
A universal remote control device comprising: a user interface; a transmitter arranged to transmit commands to electronic devices; a processor coupled with the user interface and the transmitter; memory associated with the processor; and a database stored in the memory to enable the universal remote control device to provide commands to operate a plurality of electronic devices; the database containing control data which has been collected from a plurality of individual, physical remote control units, where each individual remote control unit is arranged to operate a respective one of the electronic devices; wherein the database contains virtual remote structures in which control data which is common to a number of the physical remote control units is stored; and wherein the database contains at least one physical remote structure which corresponds to a selected one of the physical remote control units and stores control data specific to that physical remote control unit, said one physical remote structure being linked to appropriate ones of the virtual remote structures whereby all the control data for that physical remote control unit can be retrieved.