System and method for determining the location and/or relative environment of a controlling device

A method for adapting a controlling device to control a one of a plurality of controllable appliances in an environment, comprising:

• receiving by the controlling device from each of a plurality of controllable appliances a scan request packet;
• using a radio frequency connection between the controlling device and the one of the plurality of controllable appliances in the environment to determine that the controlling device is pointing more towards the one of the plurality of controllable appliances relative to remaining ones of the plurality of controllable appliances;
• and
• automatically causing the controlling device to transmit one or more scan response packets having data obtained from the scan request packet received from the one of the plurality of controllable appliances and one or more control codes for commanding a one or more functional operations of the one of the plurality of controllable appliances.