Universal remote control with macro command capabilities

In a universal remote control comprising a keyboard having a plurality of pushbuttons including a macro pushbutton and a library of codes and data for use in transmitting operating commands to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers, a method comprising:

• matching the universal remote control to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers such that selected codes and data from the library are used to transmit operating commands to the matched home appliances in response to activation of selected pushbutton of the keyboard, the pushbutton of the keyboard being activated to directly identify each of the plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers to which the universal remote control is to be matched;
• and
• assigning to the macro pushbutton a subset of the selected codes and data from the library whereafter activation of the macro pushbutton causes the universal remote control to use the subset of selected codes and data from the library to transmit a plurality of operating commands to one or more of the matched home appliances.

In a universal remote control comprising a keyboard having a plurality of pushbuttons and a library of codes and data for use in transmitting operating commands to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers, a method comprising:

• matching the universal remote control to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers such that selected codes and data from the library are used to transmit operating commands to the matched home appliances in response to activation of selected pushbutton of the keyboard;
• and
• using activation of one or more pushbuttons of the keyboard to directly identify each of the plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers to which the universal remote control is to be matched.