A controlling device has a configurable key. An insert is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicium representative of a media content provider. An image of the indicium or an image of a QR code associated with the indicium is used to assign one or more commands to the configurable key. The one or more commands are used to cause a controllable device to tune to a channel on which the media content provider is being broadcast, to invoke an app associated with the media content provider, to access a website associated with the media content provider, and the like.

A control device is used to autonomously program a remote control device based on media device information received from a media device. The control device selects a program code set based on the media device information. The control device transmits a program code set to the remote control device and a test command. The test command causes the remote control device to transmit a program code from the program code set based on the test command. The control device monitors the media device and verifies that the program code associated with the test command controlled the associated function of the media device.

Provided is a device control system configured to: acquire user setting relating to a device; generate a phrase for controlling the device based on the acquired user setting; and output data for displaying the generated phrase.

An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus includes: a storage configured to store control code sets corresponding to each of a display apparatus and one or more external electronic apparatuses providing contents to the display apparatus; a communicator comprising communication circuitry configured to communicate with the display apparatus and a remote control apparatus; and a processor configured to determine a source apparatus, providing a content that is currently displayed on the display apparatus, of the display apparatus and the one or more external electronic apparatuses, and controlling the communication circuitry of the communicator to transmit a control code set corresponding to the determined source apparatus to the remote control apparatus.

Improved systems and techniques are disclosed for controlling the security states of anti theft security systems such as product display assemblies using security fobs. The tasks relating to fob authentication are offloaded to a computer system, and these authentications can be based on identifiers for the different security fobs. The computer system can maintain a list of identifiers for authorized security fobs that is easily updated when new security fobs are added to or existing security fobs are de-authorized from the system.

Disclosed is a method for controlling a command input device. The method includes: sensing contact between a home appliance and the command input device; based on sensing the contact between the home appliance and the command input device, determining the home appliance as a target home appliance to be controlled by the command input device; and based on the determination of the home appliance as the target home appliance to be controlled by the command input device, activating a remote controller provided by the command input device and configured to control the target home appliance.

The invention relates to a remote switch (1) comprising a first wireless interface (2) for sending out switch commands. The remote switch (1) has a second wireless interface (3) arranged separate from the first wireless interface (2). The second wireless interface (3) is configured for the wireless transmission of information (19) between the remote switch (1) and an external device (12). The invention also relates to a method for communication between a remote switch (1) and an external device (12). The method involves creating a communication link between a wireless interface (3) of the remote switch (1) and a wireless interface (14) of the external device (12), as well as transmitting information (19) between the remote switch (1) and the external device (12) by means of the established communication link. This allows for simple configuration or maintenance of the remote switch (1) by means of the external device (12) according to the exchanged information (19).

A system and method whereby an user interface editing device is used to create a user interface for a controlling device, the created user interface including user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance. After the created user interface is transferred to the controlling device, the virtual equivalent of an appliance is caused to be linked to an intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.

Methods and systems for associating or pairing a mobile device with a local output device via a central or mobile connect server system are provided. Pairing is performed by initiating a pairing request from an output device that is passed to the mobile connect server for processing. The mobile connect server responds to the request with a pairing code that is displayed by the output device. A user of the mobile device then enters the displayed pairing code in the mobile device. The mobile device transmits the entered pairing code to the mobile connect server and, in response to a match, the mobile device is paired to the output device. Pairing can enable various functions, including an ability to apply stored user preference data to control programming or other information displayed by the output device in response to commands entered in the mobile device.

A system and method whereby an user interface editing device is used to create a user interface for a controlling device, the created user interface including user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance. After the created user interface is transferred to the controlling device, the virtual equivalent of an appliance is caused to be linked to an intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.