Remote control of device by telephone or other communication devices

Abstract

A communication device, such as a telephone or a personal computer, controls one or more remotely controlled devices solely over a signaling path, without necessarily establishing an audio path, thus eliminating the need for the remotely controlled device, or its controller, to include DTMF detection hardware or software or an RTP stack. The communication device can include authentication information, which the communication device uses to authenticate itself to the remotely controlled device, so a user of the communication device can remotely control the device without necessarily entering additional authentication information, such as a passcode. The remotely controlled device (or a controller that controls the device) can register with an element that detects user interactions, such as keypad button presses, with the communication device. The registration can identify one or more patterns of user input. If the element detects the specified pattern of user input in a user interaction with the communication device, the element notifies the remotely controlled device (or the controller). Optionally, other application servers can also register with the element to be notified if the user enters the same or a different pattern of input in a user interaction with the communication device.