Patent ID: 7139716

Claim:
A home automation system, for controlling a plurality of appliances, each having a unique identity, a zone designation, and is capable of being controlled by an infrared command, within a dwelling having two or more rooms, each room having a ceiling and designated as a zone, each appliance located within one of the zones, comprising: at least two zone controllers, each zone controller is contained within a dome shaped housing that has a lower surface and is ceiling mounted, each zone controller having a zone designation, a control unit, a microphone for receiving voice commands, a command memory for storing recognizable voice commands and associated appliance commands, an infrared transmitter and an RF transmitter, the infrared transmitter located a the lower surface, wherein each zone controller receives and responds to voice commands which identify one of the appliances, such that when the voice command received by the zone controller identifies one of the appliances located within the zone of that zone controller it responds by generating an infrared command to operate that appliance, and when the voice command received identifies one of the appliances having a different zone designation, the zone controller receiving the command generates an RF signal which is received by the zone controller having that different zone designation which responds by transmitting an infrared command to operate that appliance; and wherein at least one of the one controllers has an infrared learning receiver, such that said zone controller can repeat a distinct signal upon the utterance of a certain voice command in order to operate one of the appliances, after being programmed by receiving the distinct signal at the infrared learning receiver and substantially contemporaneously therewith receiving that certain voice command, wherein the infrared learning receiver is oriented directly downwardly from the housing with a narrow, vertical sensitivity pattern, to allow it to receive an infrared signal oriented directly upwardly at the dome shaped housing from immediately therebeneath and reject signals which are horizontally oriented.