User-assisted programmable appliance control

A method of activating an appliance, the appliance controlled by a radio frequency activation signal, the method comprising:

• if a user indicates that the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, transmitting a sequence of different rolling code activation signals until the user indicates a successful rolling code transmission, then storing data representing a rolling code scheme used to generate the successful rolling code transmission;
• if the user indicates that the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, using a fixed code word to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals until the user indicates a successful fixed code transmission, then storing data representing the fixed code word and a fixed code scheme used to generate the successful fixed code transmission;
• and
• in response to an activation input, generating and transmitting an activation signal based on stored data.

A method of programming a programmable remote control, the remote control programmable to one of a plurality of appliance activation schemes, the method comprising:

• receiving user type input specifying activation signal type;
• if the user type input specifies variable code type, transmitting variable code activation signals using different appliance activation schemes until receiving user success input indicating a target appliance has been activated;
• if the user type input specifies fixed code type, receiving user fixed code input providing a fixed code and transmitting fixed code activation signals using different appliance activation schemes each based on the user fixed code input until receiving user success input indicating the target appliance has been activated;
• and
• storing information specifying an activation signal for activating the target appliance based on the received user success input.

A system for wirelessly activating an appliance, the appliance responding to one of a plurality of transmission schemes, the system comprising:

• a radio frequency transmitter;
• memory holding data describing the plurality of transmission schemes;
• and
• control logic in communication with the transmitter and the memory, the control logic operative to
• (a) store a fixed code,
• (b) if a fixed code is stored, transmit a sequence of fixed code activation schemes, based on the fixed code and data held in the memory, until input indicating activation of the appliance is received,
• (c) if no fixed code is stored, transmit a sequence of rolling code activation schemes, based on data held in the memory, until input indicating activation of the appliance is received,
• (d) store an indication as to which activation scheme activated the appliance based on the received input indicating activation of the appliance, and
• (e) generate an activation signal based on the stored indication and a received activation input.