A Patent filed by Apple Computer appears to point towards an invention that would communicate with existing and future devices as well as personal computers. Titled “apparatus and method to facilitate universal remote control”. It appears to be capable of connecting wirelessly to digital lifestyle applications and home appliances.
The device would communicate with devices within range, once detected the remote would request a set of controls from the appliance and make the controls accessible via graphics on the remotes touch-screen.
Each appliance such as iTunes need only be discovered once and added to a list where it remains. If the device happens to be out of range then it will appear greyed out in the listings.
The device seems to simply try to alleviate the confusion of controlling multiple devices and the controls that come with them.
The patent included a number of designs and charts which are pictured below.
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