Patent ID: 6415023
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A method for setting programmable features of an appliance comprising the steps of:providing an interactive site on a global computer network; providing a graphical user interface at the interactive site, said graphical user interface having a virtual appliance that graphically depicts programmable features of a corresponding real appliance; establishing a connection between a user's computer and the interactive site; entering data with the user's computer to set programmable features of the virtual appliance at the interactive site; providing a portable transfer device separate from the user's computer having an optical sensor and an output port; downloading the appliance set-up data from the interactive site to the user's computer; modulating at least a portion of a display coupled to the user's computer; sensing the modulation with the optical sensor of the transfer device so as to receive the appliance set-up data; downloading the appliance set-up data from the output port of the transfer device to the real appliance, wherein the real appliance is in a location remote from the user's computer.