Patent ID: 6859197

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a hand-held wireless controller comprising a memory storing a plurality of command codes for use in commanding operations of a plurality of types and makes of consumer appliances; a first transmitter for transmitting signals representative of command codes directly to one or more of the plurality of consumer appliances; a receiver for receiving data to be printed; a display module comprising a touch panel through which a user selects at least one of the plurality of command codes to transmit to the one or more of the plurality of consumer appliances via the first transmitter and for displaying an image representative of the data to be printed; and a second transmitter for transmitting data; a printer; a gateway device; and a base station in communication with the printer and the gateway device, the base station comprising a receiver for receiving the data transmitted via the hand-held wireless device and a controller for routing the data, the data being routed to the printer when the print controller determines that the data comprises the data to be printed otherwise routing the data to the gateway device.