System and method for optimized appliance control

1. A method for controlling a functional operation of an intended target appliance, comprising:

in response to a detected presence of the intended target appliance within a logical topography of controllable appliances using identity information associated with the intended target appliance to automatically add to a graphical user interface of a controlling device an icon representative of the intended target appliance and to create at a Universal Control Engine a listing of communication methods for use in controlling each one of plural functional operations of the intended target appliance; and

in response to a sensed activation of the icon representative of the intended target appliance as added to the graphical user interface of the controlling device causing the controlling device to be placed into an operating state appropriate for controlling functional operations of the intended target appliance while causing the Universal Control Engine to use at least one of a plurality of communication methods in the listing of communication methods that has been associated with at least one of the plural functional operations of the intended target appliance to transmit to the intended target appliance at least one command to control the at least one of the plural functional operations of the intended target appliance wherein performance of the at least one of the plural functional operations by the intended target appliance functions to place the intended target appliance into an operating state that was pre-associated with the icon representative of the intended target appliance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the identity information includes icon metadata that is provided to the controlling device from the intended target appliance and wherein the controlling device uses the icon metadata to automatically add the icon representative of the intended target appliance to the graphical user interface of the controlling device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the identity information includes icon metadata that is provided to the controlling device from a remotely located server device and wherein the controlling device uses the icon metadata to automatically add the icon representative of the intended target appliance to the graphical user interface of the controlling device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein, in response to the sensed activation of the icon representative of the intended target appliance as added to the graphical user interface of the controlling device, the Universal Control Engine is caused to execute an automatically generated macro command sequence to place at least one additional controllable appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances into an operating state that was pre-associated with the icon representative of the intended target appliance.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein placing the controlling device into an operating state appropriate for controlling functional operations of the intended target appliance comprises causing the controlling device to display a graphical user interface page having activable icons representative of controllable functions of the intended target appliance.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the activable icons of the graphical user interface page comprise activable icons having logos representative of media content that is accessible via the intended target appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the logos representative of media content that is accessible via the intended target appliance are automatically populated on the activable icons via use of the identity information associated with the intended target appliance.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the controlling device comprises a smart phone.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the controlling device comprises a tablet computing device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the controlling device to detect the presence of the intended target appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein a communication exchanged via use of a Bluetooth communication protocol is used by the controlling device to detect the presence of the intended target appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , comprising placing the intended target appliance into a predetermined state to facilitate detection of the intended target appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising detecting by an appliance having the Universal Control Engine the presence of the intended target appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein a communication exchanged via use of a Bluetooth communication protocol is used by the appliance having the Universal Control Engine to detect the presence of the intended target appliance within the logical topography of controllable appliances.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising prompting a user to provide data indicative of the identity information associated with the intended target appliance in response to a detected presence of the intended target appliance within a logical topography of controllable appliances.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the intended target device comprises the Universal Control Engine.