Importance

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Abstract

A method of directing communication between addressable, electronically-controllable appliances using a generalized pointing device is provided. The pointing device can communicate with dissimilar types of target appliance, and each appliance is associated with an appliance interface that makes the target appliance compatible with the pointing device. Use of the method to direct communication between appliances is believed to allow the convenience associated with the use of a computer's graphical user interface (GUI) to be realized in communication with physical objects, i.e., the target appliances. In particular, the 'drag-and-drop' method of using a GUI may be analogous to the pointer-mediated interaction between appliances provided herein. An embodiment of the method includes using the pointing device for: transmitting a selection signal to the first appliance, transmitting a command instructing the first appliance to transmit data, transmitting a selection signal to a second appliance, and transmitting a command instructing the second appliance to receive the transmitted data. The data transmitted between appliances may be sent along a pointer-independent transmission path between the appliances, such as over a network. Additionally or alternatively, data may be transmitted from one appliance to the pointer, and then from the pointer to the other appliance.

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First Claim