Patent ID: 7016888

Claim:
A method of establishing rules for device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising: detecting a change of state of a first device; in response to detecting the change of state, broadcasting a change of state message to the plurality of devices, the message including an indication of the change of state and an identification of the first device; detecting a change of state of a second device subsequent to broadcasting the change of state message; and creating a rule that includes the detected change of state of the second device associated with the change of state of the first device received in the change of state message, wherein the first device performs VCR functions and the second device performs TV functions and wherein the change of state of the first device includes playing a tape, wherein the change of state of the second device includes tuning to channel 3, and wherein the rule created at the TV is that the TV automatically tunes to channel 3 when the TV receives a message that the VCR is beginning to play a tape.