Techniques for controlling appliances

A controller, comprising:

• a user interface;
• a wireless communication device;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to:
• detect a first starting of an activity;
• track the state of one or more appliances involved in the activity;
• detect a first ending of the activity;
• analyze state data for the one or more appliances obtained at least partially between the first starting and the first ending;
• at least one of generate, or update, an end-state data associated with the activity for the one or more appliances based on the analysis of the state data;
• detect a second starting of the activity;
• access the end-state data associated with the activity;
• access current-state data for the one or more appliances involved in the activity;
• and
• generate a macro, executable by the controller, and configured to modify a state of the one or more appliances based on the second starting of the activity, the current-state data, and the end-state data.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions for configuring one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a command on a control device to start an activity involving one or more appliances;
• detecting a first starting of the activity;
• tracking the state of one or more appliances involved in the activity;
• detecting a first ending of the activity;
• analyzing state data for the one or more appliances obtained at least partially between the first starting and the first ending;
• at least one of generating, or updating, an end-state data associated with the activity for the one or more appliances based on the analysis of the state data;
• detecting a second starting of the activity;
• accessing the end-state data associated with the activity;
• and
• modifying a state of the one or more appliances based on the second starting of the activity and the end-state data.