Patent ID: 6483906
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: G06F,H04L,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, said real appliance including a removable transfer device having an optical sensor; establishing a connection with the interactive site using a computer with a display screen; interactively setting programmable features of the virtual appliance using the graphical user interface at the interactive site; downloading set-up data for the programmable features from the interactive site to the computer; removing the transfer device from the real appliance; positioning the transfer device in proximity to the display screen; modulating the display screen to transfer the set-up data to the transfer device via the optical sensor; transporting the transfer device to the real appliance; and transferring the set-up data from the transfer device to the real appliance.