Patent ID: 8736427

Claim:
A method for pairing a first remote controller with a first electronic device in communication with at least one other electronic device, the method comprising: receiving, at the first electronic device, from a second electronic device of the at least one other electronic device, a transmission comprising an attribute associated with reception of a pairing request from the first remote controller by the second electronic device; determining whether the first electronic device has received the pairing request from the first remote controller, wherein the first electronic device is configured to respond to remote controller commands from any of a plurality of remote controllers comprising the first remote controller, wherein: if the first electronic device determines that the first electronic device has received the pairing request from the first remote controller: detecting, with the first electronic device, a second attribute associated with the reception of the request by the first electronic device; comparing, with the first electronic device, the second attribute with the first attribute; in response to the comparing, determining that the second attribute is larger than the first attribute; and in response to the determining, pairing the first remote controller with the first electronic device, wherein the pairing comprises configuring the first electronic device to respond to remote controller commands from only the first remote controller; and if the first electronic device determines that the first electronic device has not received the pairing request from the first remote controller: ignoring, by the first electronic device, subsequent transmissions received from the first remote controller.