Gates Patents Flipping a Light Switch

[theodp]

Bill Gates is the assignee of a patent issued Tuesday for a 'Method
and system for generating a user interface for distributed devices'
[1], which can be used to control lighting systems, heating systems,
elevators, and various electronic systems (e.g., monitors, cameras,
and CD players) in a large environment, such as a large building, a
factory, or a large house.

[1] http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6,734,879