CONTROL SYSTEM AND USER INTERFACE FOR NETWORK OF INPUT DEVICES

摘要

Apparatus, methods, and systems for centrally and uniformly controlling the operation of a variety of devices, such as communication (48), consumer electronic (22), audio-video (32), analog (33), digital (34), 1394 (47), and the like, over a variety of protocols within a network system (11) and, more particularly, a control system (12) and uniform user interface (52) for centrally controlling these devices in a manner that appears seamless and transparent to the user. In a preferred embodiment, a permutation sensitive control (60), enables the user to transparently control multiple input devices (30, 32, etc.) over a variety of protocols while operation on a single control layer of an input command device (20). In an alternative embodiment, the control system also enables gated signal pass-through control while avoiding signal jamming.