Systems and methods for operating an appliance control device for an appliance

A non-transitory computer-readable storage unit on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a control unit to control at least one of a plurality of appliances in which each appliance has a respective individual protocol associated therewith that is different for each service with respect to the respective appliance, causing the control unit to:

• acquire a list identifying each function executable due to a respective service by a first appliance, the list including information of the respective individual protocol indicative of a corresponding protocol corresponding to each said function with respect to each said service of the first appliance, said first appliance being operable to provide a number of services each having a number of respective functions associated therewith;
• and,
• transmit a request to the appliance for execution of a desired function selected from the list identifying the one or more functions executable by the appliance, the transmitted request being transmitted in accordance with a specified protocol selected from a specified plurality of protocols, the specified protocol being selected from the specified plurality of protocols based on the information in the list indicative of the corresponding protocol corresponding to the desired function,
• in which the control unit is separate from the first appliance, and
• in which the control unit acquires the list including the information of the respective individual protocol from the first appliance in response to a request for the list so as to avoid having the control unit manage an individual protocol which is different for each service with respect to each said appliance such that the control unit is unable to cause the first appliance to execute the desired function until after the list is acquired in response to the request for the list.

A method for operating an appliance control device to control at least one of a plurality of appliances in which each appliance has a respective individual protocol associated therewith that is different for each service with respect to the respective appliance, the method comprising:

• acquiring a list identifying each function executable due to a respective service by a first appliance, the list including information of the respective individual protocol indicative of a corresponding protocol corresponding to each said function with respect to each said service of the first appliance, said first appliance being operable to provide a number of services each having a number of respective functions associated therewith;
• and,
• transmitting, using a processor, a request to the appliance for execution of a desired function selected from the list identifying the one or more functions executable by the appliance, the transmitted request being transmitted in accordance with a specified protocol selected from a specified plurality of protocols, the specified protocol being selected from the specified plurality of protocols based on the information in the list indicative of the corresponding protocol corresponding to the desired function,
• in which the appliance control device is separate from the first appliance, and
• in which the appliance control device acquires the list including the information of the respective individual protocol from the first appliance in response to a request for the list so as to avoid having the appliance control device manage an individual protocol which is different for each service with respect to each said appliance such that the appliance control device is unable to cause the first appliance to execute the desired function until after the list is acquired in response to the request for the list.