System and method for flexible configuration of a controlling device

A method for configuring a controlling device to command functional operations of an intended target appliance, comprising:

• providing to the controlling device a user interface comprised of user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of the intended target appliance wherein the user interface elements comprise at least one n-state widget and the n-state widget comprises a definition of multiple areas of a touch-screen display of the controlling device, one or more images to be displayed within the one or more of the multiple areas of the touch-screen display of the controlling device, one or more actions to be taken by the controlling device in response to user interaction with the one or more of the multiple areas of the touch-screen display of the controlling device, and one or more reactions to be taken by the controlling device in response to a status of the intended target appliance and wherein the one or more actions to be taken by the controlling device in response to user interaction with the one or more of the multiple areas of the touch-screen display of the controlling device comprises the controlling device being caused to transmit commands to control one or more functional operations of the intended target appliance.

A method for configuring a first controlling device to command functional operations of an intended target appliance, comprising:

• receiving at the first controlling device from a second controlling device data indicative of a linkage between a virtual equivalent of an appliance and an intended target appliance used in an operational configuration of the second controlling device;
• and
• causing the first controlling device to use the received data to automatically configure itself whereupon activation of user interface elements of a graphical user interface of the first controlling device that were associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the first controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of an intended target appliance corresponding to the intended target appliance in the operational configuration of the second controlling device.