System and method for facilitating appliance control via a smart device

A system for controlling functional operations of one or more controllable appliances, comprising:

• a smart device having a first remote control application, the first remote control application causing the smart device to transmit a first command for controlling a first functional operation of a controllable appliance in response to a one of a plurality of user interface elements of the smart device being selected wherein the first command transmitted from the smart device is transmitted using a first transmission protocol;
• and
• a bridge device having a second remote control application, the second remote control application causing the bridge device to transmit a second command for controlling a second functional operation of the controllable appliance in response to a one of a plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected and for causing the bridge device to transmit a third command for controlling the first functional operation of the controllable appliance in response to receiving at the bridge device the first command transmitted from the smart device, wherein the second and third commands transmitted from the bridge device are transmitted using a first transmission protocol recognized by the controllable appliance;
• wherein the bridge device is housed in a cylindrically shaped housing, wherein the bridge device comprises a plurality of IR transmitters for transmitting at least the third command to the controllable appliance, wherein the plurality of IR transmitters are spaced about a perimeter of the cylindrically shaped housing of the bridge device to ensure that a transmission of the third command from at least one of the plurality of IR transmitters will be directed generally towards the controllable appliance regardless of an orientation of the bridge device, and wherein a receipt of the first command transmitted from the smart device to the bridge device causes the second remote control application to automatically transition from a first configuration in which a second transmission protocol recognized by an appliance other than the controllable appliance is used when transmitting a command in response to the one of the plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected to a second configuration in which the first transmission protocol recognized by the controllable appliance is used when transmitting the second command in response to the one of the plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected.

A system for controlling functional operations of one or more controllable appliances, comprising:

• a smart device having a first remote control application, the first remote control application causing the smart device to transmit a first command for controlling a first functional operation of a controllable appliance in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the smart device being selected wherein the first command transmitted from the smart device is transmitted using a first transmission protocol;
• an intermediate device for receiving the first command transmitted from the smart device and for forwarding the first command transmitted from the smart device to a further device, wherein the intermediate device transmits the forwarded, first command using a second transmission protocol different than the first transmission protocol;
• and
• a bridge device having a second remote control application, the second remote control application causing the bridge device to transmit a second command for controlling a second functional operation of the controllable appliance in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected and for causing the bridge device to transmit a third command for controlling the first functional operation of the controllable appliance in response to receiving at the bridge device the forwarded, first command transmitted from the intermediate device;
• wherein the second and third commands transmitted from the bridge device are transmitted using a first transmission protocol recognized by the controllable appliance, wherein the plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device selectable to transmit the second command is fewer in number than the plurality of user interface elements of the smart device selectable to transmit the first command, and wherein a receipt of the forwarded, first command transmitted from the intermediate device to the bridge device causes the second remote control application to automatically transition from a first configuration in which a second transmission protocol recognized by an appliance other than the controllable appliance is used when transmitting a command in response to the one of the plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected to a second configuration in which the first transmission protocol recognized by the controllable appliance is used when transmitting the second command in response to the one of a plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected.