Patent ID: 7183940

Claim:
A system for controlling an appliance comprising: a radio receiver operative to receive radio frequency control signals for controlling the appliance, the controlling radio frequency signals having predetermined receiver characteristics; at least one existing radio frequency transmitter, each existing transmitter specifically designed to transmit wireless radio frequency control signals having the predetermined receiver characteristics to the radio receiver; a new wireless radio frequency transmitter having predetermined transmitter characteristics, at least one predetermined transmitter characteristic not compatible with the radio receiver; and a radio relay operative to (a) learn the receiver characteristics from one of the at least one existing transmitter, (b) learn at least one transmitter characteristic from the new transmitter, (c) receive an appliance radio frequency activation command from the new transmitter, the activation command exhibiting transmitter characteristics, and (d) transmit a new radio frequency appliance activation command based on the received appliance activation command, the new appliance activation command having the receiver characteristics.