Patent ID: 8817760

Claim:
A modem apparatus configured to provide wireless network access in accordance with at least one first wireless communications standard, the modem apparatus comprising: a hardware sub-system configured in accordance with the at least one first wireless communications standard and comprising baseband processing and Radio Frequency (RF) components; an interface sub-system configured to provide modem services to a client and comprising one or more standardized physical interfaces, wherein the interface sub-system is configured to provide the modem services to at least one of a client external to the device and a client located internally within the device, and wherein the modem apparatus has a modular configuration to be selectively deployed as at least one of a stand-alone apparatus for providing the modem services to the external client and an apparatus co-located with the internal client for providing the modem services to the internal client; and a layered software sub-system comprising an upper software layer and a lower software layer, the upper software layer including a data application configured to provide said modem services and the lower software layer comprising first, second, and third vertical software stacks, wherein any inter-stack communication between software components of the vertical software stacks is disabled, and wherein: the first vertical software stack is configured to provide network access services to the data application in accordance with the at least one first wireless communications standard; the second vertical software stack is configured to provide local data communication services for communication between the modem apparatus and other components or modules of a device incorporating the modem apparatus; and the third vertical software stack is configured to provide operational services for the modem apparatus comprising system control, radio control, and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) access.