What is claimed is:
1. A method for setting programmable features of an appliance comprising the steps of:
providing an interactive site on a global computer network;
providing a transfer device having an input port and an output port;
establishing a connection with the interactive site;
interactively setting programmable features of a virtual appliance at the interactive site;
downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device;
downloading the set-up data from the output port of the transfer device to a real appliance corresponding to the virtual appliance.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input port of the transfer device comprises an optical sensor.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device comprises modulating a portion of a computer display and sensing such modulation with the optical sensor.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the input port of the transfer device comprises a telephonic connection.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device comprises establishing a telephonic connection between the interactive site and the transfer device and sending data telephonically.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device comprises downloading the set-up data to a computer coupled to the input port of the transfer device.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the input port of the transfer device comprises a serial port.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the output port of the transfer device comprises an infra-red transmitter.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating a record of the set-up data.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step, prior to the step of setting programmable features, of entering a serial number of the real appliance.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of extracting information from the set-up data and sending said information to a manufacturer of the real appliance.
12. A method for setting programmable features of an appliance comprising the steps of:
providing an interactive site on a global computer network;
providing a transfer device having an input port for a telephonic connection, a data decoder for decoding data transmitted telephonically and an output port;
establishing a connection with the interactive site;
interactively setting programmable features of a virtual appliance at the interactive site;
establishing a telephonic connection between the interactive site and the transfer device;
telephonically downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the input port of the transfer device;
downloading the set-up data from the output port of the transfer device to a real appliance corresponding to the virtual appliance.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the transfer device comprises a telephone handset.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the transfer device is detachably coupled to a telephone.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the output port of the transfer device comprises an infra-red transmitter.
16. A method for setting programmable features of an appliance comprising the steps of:
providing an interactive site on a global computer network;
establishing a connection with the interactive site;
interactively setting programmable features of a virtual appliance at the interactive site;
establishing a communication link between the interactive site and a real appliance corresponding to the virtual appliance;
downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the real appliance.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the communication link is telephonic.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the communication link comprises a radio frequency link.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the appliance comprises a paging receiver.
20. A method for setting programmable features of a telephone comprising the steps of:
providing an interactive site on a global computer network;
providing a telephone having a data decoder for decoding data transmitted telephonically;
establishing a connection with the interactive site;
interactively setting programmable features of a virtual telephone at the interactive site;
the interactive site establishing a telephonic connection with a real telephone corresponding to the virtual telephone;
telephonically downloading set-up data from the interactive site to the real telephone.
21. An interface device for communicating data to an appliance comprising:
means for coupling the interface device to a global computer network to receive modulated data;
a data demodulator;
a data memory coupled to the data demodulator;
a data output port coupled to the data memory;
control means for initiating transfer of data from the data memory to an appliance via the output port.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the means for coupling the interface device to the global computer network comprises a local computer.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the means for coupling further comprises means for modulating a display screen of the local computer.
24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the means for coupling the interface device to the global computer network comprises a telephonic connection.
25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the data output port comprises an infra-red transmitter.
26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the interface device is a removable module of the appliance.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the interface device comprises electronics for controlling the appliance during operation thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
a nominal vane having a tip portion, a mid-span portion, and a hub portion, the mid-span portion adopting a nominal geometry, the hub portion adopting a common geometry; and
an off-cambered vane having a tip portion, a mid-span portion, and a hub portion, the mid-span portion having a geometry deviating variably with respect to the nominal geometry, at least one of the hub portion and the tip portion adopting the common geometry.
2. The guide vane assembly of claim 1, wherein the nominal geometry is configured to assist directing airflow in a direction parallel to a central axis of the gas turbine engine.
3. The guide vane assembly of claim 2, further comprising lower platforms having identical geometries, the hub portions of the nominal vane and the off-cambered vane each being receivable by a respective one of the lower platforms.
4. The guide vane assembly of claim 3, further comprising equivalent geometries proximal to the adjacent hub portions.
5. The guide vane assembly of claim 3, wherein the common geometry is a nominal geometry.
6. The guide vane assembly of claim 3, wherein the off-cambered vane is configured to assist directing airflow at variable angles with respect to the central axis.
7. The guide vane assembly of claim 3, wherein the tip portion of the off-cambered vane has a geometry that deviates variably with respect to the nominal geometry.
8. The guide vane assembly of claim 3, wherein both the tip portions and the hub portions of the off-cambered vane adopt the common geometry.
9. The guide vane assembly of claim 8, wherein the common geometry is a nominal geometry.
10. The guide vane assembly of claim 8, further comprising upper platforms having identical geometries, the tip portions of the nominal vane and the off-cambered vane each being receivable by a respective one of the upper platforms.
11. An off-cambered vane for a guide vane assembly of a gas turbine engine comprising:
a tip portion;
a mid-span portion having a geometry that deviates variably with respect to a nominal geometry; and
a hub portion adopting the nominal geometry.
12. The off-cambered vane of claim 11, wherein the hub portion is receivable by a lower platform configured to receive a hub portion of a nominal vane.
13. The off-cambered vane of claim 12, wherein the tip portion has a geometry that deviates variably with respect to the nominal geometry.
14. The off-cambered vane of claim 12, wherein the tip portion adopts the nominal geometry.
15. The off-cambered vane of claim 14, wherein the tip portion is receivable by an upper platform configured to receive a tip portion of a nominal vane.
16. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan;
a compressor downstream of the fan;
a combustor downstream of the compressor;
a turbine downstream of the combustor;
a nacelle surrounding the fan, the compressor, the combustor, and the turbine;
a guide vane assembly located between the nacelle and the fan, the compressor, the combustor, and the turbine, the guide vane assembly comprising a nominal vane and an off-cambered vane each having a tip portion, a mid-span portion, and a hub portion, the mid-span portion of the off-cambered vane having a geometry that deviates variably with respect to a nominal geometry, at least one of the hub portion and the tip portion of the off-cambered vane adopting a common geometry; and
lower platforms having identical geometries, each lower platform receiving the hub portion of a respective one of the nominal vane and the off-cambered vane.
17. The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the common geometry is the nominal geometry.
18. The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the tip portion of the off-cambered vane has a geometry that deviates variably with respect to the nominal geometry.
19. The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein both the tip portion and the hub portion of the off-cambered vane adopt the common geometry.
20. The gas turbine engine of claim 19, further comprising upper platforms having identical geometries, each upper platform receiving the tip portion of a respective one of the nominal vane and the off-cambered vane.