Patent ID: 6898276

Claim:
A soft network interface device for providing a communications interface across a line of demarcation between a customer premises medium and a public digital broadband communication network, comprising: a broadband network-side interface for communications connection to a broadband medium at an edge of the public digital broadband communication network, the broadband network-side interface providing two-way conversions between signals transported on the medium of the public digital broadband communication network and signals in an internal protocol; a customer-side interface for communications connection to the customer premises medium, the customer-side interface providing two-way conversions between signals transported on the customer premises medium and signals in the internal protocol; an internal link between the broadband network-side interface and the customer-side interface for carrying the signals in the internal protocol between the interfaces; a programmable data processing system in communication with the interfaces for controlling at least some communications operations through the interfaces: and programming logic for controlling operation of the programmable data processing system, the programming logic comprising first logic related to a user programmable application, and second logic separate from the first logic, the second logic relating to a service or service feature provided via the public digital broadband communication network, wherein: the data processing system is capable of receiving network service provisioning data from the public digital broadband communication network via the broadband network-side interface and storing the received network service provisioning data for use by the second logic; the second logic is for causing the data processing system to control an operation of the soft network interface device relating to a service for the customer premises provided by the public digital broadband communication network, based on the received network service provisioning data; the data processing system is capable of receiving user programming from the customer premises via the customer-side interface and storing the received user programming for use by the first logic; and the first logic is for causing the data processing system to control an operation of the soft network interface device at least in part in accord with the received user programming.