The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 27, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 25, 1997
Mark Laubach, Mountain View, CA (US);
Paul Baran, Atherton, CA (US);
Ali Raissinia, Monte Sereno, CA (US);
Kenneth Gorman, Danville, CA (US);
Sanford Helton, San Jose, CA (US);
Com21, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for enhancing the functionalities of a subscriber terminal unit (STU) or ADSL terminal unit (ATU) through the use of different types of application interface modules (AIMs). This is accomplished by incorporating a slot in the STU/ATU through which a detachable AIM can be inserted and electrically coupled to the STU/ATU. The STU/ATU has circuitry for determining which particular type of AIM has been inserted. Depending on the type of AIM that has been inserted in the STU/ATU (e.g., installation, telephony, diagnostics, network interface, television, etc.), management information specific to the particular AIM is sent by the STU/ATU upstream to the headend unit. In response, the headend unit provides applications service(s) to the STU/ATU, depending on the particular type of device inserted into the subscriber terminal unit.