System and method for using appliance power awareness to select a remote control command set

In a control device, a method for setting up the control device to command the operations of an appliance, comprising:

• (a) transmitting a command code selected from a first command code set;
• (b) determining if a signal is received from a power monitor associated with the appliance, the signal indicating that the power monitor detected that the transmitted command code caused a change in the current power state of the appliance;
• (c) in response to receipt of the signal, using the command code set which includes the command code to which the appliance responded by changing power states as the command code set for commanding operations of the appliance;
• and
• (d) in response to an absence of the signal, transmitting a command code selected from a next command code set, if any, and repeating steps (b)-(d).

A system for setting up a control device to command the operations of an appliance, comprising:

• a power monitor associated with the appliance, the power monitor having circuitry for determining a current power state of the appliance and a first wireless communication module;
• and
• the control device having a library of command code sets, and at least a second wireless communication module for transmitting data indicative of a command code selected from a command code set corresponding to the appliance,
• wherein the control device has setup mode programming for transmitting data indicative of a command code from one of the command code sets via the second wireless communication module and for receiving from the power monitor via the second wireless communication module a signal which indicates that the transmitted command code caused a change in the current power state of the appliance whereupon the command code set which includes the command code to which the appliance responded by changing power states is selected for use in commanding the operations of the appliance.