System and method for retrieving information while commanding operation of an appliance

Abstract

Media rendering system including a remote control device and associated docking station. The remote control device interfaces with a remote server to stream media content for local and/or external playback. The remote control device may interface with a docking station to playback rendered media on one or more entertainment appliances. The portable device preferably has standard remote control capability in order to enable advanced features and functions for media playback.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a hand-held, portable device; and   a docking station adapted to releasably receive the hand-held, portable device having a machine readable identifier;   wherein programming of the hand-held, portable device is adapted to read the identifier when the hand-held, portable device is received within the docking station and to use the identifier as read from the docking station to cause the hand-held, portable device to be automatically configured to remotely control functional operations of a plurality of different appliances wherein the plurality of different appliances were caused to be associated with the identifier at a time prior to the hand-held, portable device being releasably received therein.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the docking station recharges a battery of the hand-held, portable device when the hand-held, portable device is received within the docking station. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the programming of the hand-held, portable device further causes the hand-held, portable device to transmit one or more remote control commands to at least one of the plurality of appliances in response to the hand-held, portable device being received into the docking station at a time subsequent to the hand-held, portable device being automatically configured. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the programming of the hand-held, portable device causes the hand-held, portable device to transmit one or more remote control commands to at least one of the plurality of appliances in response to the hand-held, portable device being removed from the docking station at a time subsequent to the hand-held, portable device being automatically configured. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an appliance adapted to render media in communication with the docking station wherein the hand-held portable device exchanges communications directly with both the docking station and the appliance adapted to render media and wherein the programming of the hand-held portable device causes the hand-held, portable device to automatically route media that is currently being rendered by the hand-held portable device to the appliance adapted to render media, via the docking station, for rendering by the appliance adapted to render media in lieu of the hand-held, portable device in response to the hand-held, portable device being be received into the docking station. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises an address assigned to the docking station. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different appliances were caused to be associated with the identifier by causing data representative of the identifier to be mapped to a command code set for each of the plurality of different appliances.