Patent ID: 7693935

Claim:
A method for providing user interfaces in a network of distributed appliances, the method comprising steps of: providing a first user interface for an appliance to be controlled, the first user interface including a first set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled and a first list of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the appliance to be controlled; enabling user selection of the first list providing a second user interface for the appliance to be controlled in response to the user selection of the first list, the second user interface including the first list and a second set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled different from the first set of control elements; enabling user selection of one of the appliances from the first list in the second user interface; and providing a third user interface with control elements for the selected appliance in response to the user selection of the appliance, the third user interface including a second list of one or more of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the selected appliance.