Patent ID: 6856236

Claim:
An automation system for controlling and monitoring devices comprising: a plurality of devices to be controlled, each device comprising: a radio frequency receiver for receiving signals, a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting signals, a processor for administering the reception and transmission of signals, a first memory adapted to hold a device identifier identifying the device, and means for providing an output to, or receiving an input from, an appliance operationally connected to the device, a first controller comprising: a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting signals, a radio frequency receiver for receiving signals, a first memory comprising an organized data structure holding device identifiers of devices controlled by the first controller, a second memory holding a controller identifier identifying the first controller, and a processor for administering the reception and transmission of signals and being adapted to store one or more device identifiers in the first memory, the processor comprising means for generating a first signal comprising one or more destination identifiers corresponding to device identifiers of one or more destination devices, information related to the operation of the appliances connected to said destination devices, and, if necessary, repeater identifiers corresponding to one or more signal repeating devices, wherein one or more of the plurality of devices are adapted to act as signal repeating devices in that the processors of each of said one or more devices comprises means for, upon reception or a first signal, processing said information in its processor if one of the one or more destination identifiers corresponds to the device identifier of the device, and means for, upon reception of a first signal, transmitting a second signal holding at least said destination identifiers and said information if one of the one or more repeater identifiers corresponds to the device identifier of the device, and act as I/O devices in that the processors of each of said one or more devices comprises means for generating an event signal in response to input received from an appliance or user, the event signal comprising one or more destination identifiers corresponding to controller or device identifiers of one or more destination controllers or destination devices.