1. A method of providing customer premise equipment (CPE) code to one or more pieces of CPE in a cable network having one or more headend units for delivering signals to a plurality of pieces of CPE, the method comprising:
compiling the CPE code at a national code repository (NCR);
associating metadata with the CPE code to specify transmission protocols required by one or more headend units for delivering the CPE code to the one or more pieces CPE; and
transporting the CPE code and metadata to one or more headend units for delivery to the one or more pieces of CPE.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining one or more transport types supported by the one or more headend units transported the CPE code, selecting the metadata associated with the CPE code to support the one or more transport types supported by the one or more headend units.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising issuing a transport type inquiry from the NCR to the one or more headend units transported the CPE code to determine the transport types supported therewith.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising issuing a CPE code request from one or more of the headend units transported the CPE code prior to transporting the CPE code thereto, wherein the CPE code request specifies the one or more transport types supported by the headend unit issuing the CPE code request.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the CPE code transported to the one or more headend units with local code prior to transporting the CPE code to one of the one or more pieces of CPE.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining CPE device controller information for one or more headend units transported the CPE code, the CPE device controller information specifying operating parameters for the one or more pieces of CPE supported by the one or more headend units transported the CPE code, and selecting the metadata associated with the CPE code to support the operating parameters of the one or more pieces of CPE of the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically delivering the CPE code from the one or more headend units to the one or more pieces of CPE according to instructions included within the metadata so as to alleviate manual processing of the CPE code at the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein compiling the CPE code includes testing and verifying the CPE code so as to alleviate testing and verifying of the CPE code at the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the CPE code from a vendor of a cable service provider for compiling so that the vendor need not deliver the CPE code to each headend unit.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising compiling updated CPE code at the NCR for transport to one or more pieces of CPE.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising associating updated metadata with the updated CPE code to specify transmission protocols required by one or more headend units for delivering the updated CPE code to the one or more pieces of CPE.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising transporting the updated CPE code and metadata to one or more headend units for delivery to the one or more pieces of CPE.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the CPE code and the updated CPE code on a database associated with the NCR.
14. A system for providing customer premise equipment (CPE) code to CPE in a cable network having one or more headend units for delivering signals to a plurality of pieces of CPE, the system comprising:
a national code repository (NCR) for compiling the CPE code and associating metadata with the CPE code, the metadata specifying transmission protocols required by the one or more headend units for delivering the CPE code to the one or more pieces of CPE; and
a local download manager for operation at each headend unit and in communication with the NCR for transporting the CPE code to the one or more pieces of CPE associated therewith according to instructions provided in the metadata.
15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a local interface at each headend unit for locally manipulating the CPE code transported thereto.
16. The system of claim 14 further the comprising a CPE device controller at each headend unit for controlling operating parameters of the CPE supported therewith, each CPE device controller issuing CPE device controller information for specifying operating parameters for the one or more pieces of CPE, the operating parameters for use by the NCR in selecting the metadata associated with the CPE code so that the selected metadata supports the operating parameters of the one or more pieces of CPE of the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
17. A method of providing customer premise equipment (CPE) code to CPE in a cable network having one or more headend units for delivering signals to a plurality of pieces of CPE, the method comprising:
associating metadata with the CPE code at a national code repository (NCR), the metadata including instructions for transporting the CPE code to the one or more pieces of CPE; and
transporting the CPE code and metadata from the NCR to one or more headend units for delivery to the one or more pieces of CPE.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising modifying the CPE code transported to the one or more headend units with local code prior to transporting the CPE code to one of the one or more pieces of CPE.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining CPE device controller information for one or more headend units transported the CPE code, the CPE device controller information specifying operating parameters for the one or more pieces of CPE supported by the one or more headend units transported the CPE code, and selecting the metadata associated with the CPE code to support the operating parameters of the one or more pieces of CPE of the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
20. The method of claim 17 further comprising automatically delivering the CPE code from the one or more headend units to the one or more pieces of CPE according to instructions included within the metadata so as to alleviate manual processing of the CPE code at the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein compiling the CPE code includes testing and verifying the CPE code so as to alleviate testing and verifying of the CPE code at the one or more headend units transported the CPE code.
22. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving the CPE code from a vendor of a cable service provider for compiling so that the vendor need not deliver the CPE code to each headend unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. 1. A replaceable-blade knife, comprising:
upper and lower body portions forming a knife handle, the portions being secured together to define a recess therebetween, the lower body portion having an extended front surface configured to receive a cutting blade;
a blade-clamping bar mounted on the lower body portion adjacent the upper body portion, and movable between a closed position over the cutting blade, and an open position in which the cutting blade can be removed, repositioned, or replaced;
clamping means for tightly securing the blade-clamping bar in the closed position against the cutting blade, the clamping means being releaseable to enable the bar to be moved to the open position;
a spare-blade holder mounted in the recess between the upper and lower body portions, and adapted to hold spare cutting blades, the holder being movable between a closed position in which the spare blades are protectively concealed within the handle, and an open position in which the spare blades are accessible for removal or replacement;
locking means on the spare-blade holder and an adjacent position of the blade-clamping bar for locking the holder in the closed position when the bar is in its closed position, and releasing the holder for movement to its open position when the bar is in its open position.
2. The knife of claim 1, in which the locking means comprises a lug on the blade-clamping bar and extending toward an adjacent portion of the spare-blade holder, and a recessed seat on the holder which receives the lug when the bar and holder are in closed positions to lock the holder in the closed position, the lug moving away from the seat when the bar is moved to the open position to enable movement of the holder to an open position.
3. The knife of claim 2, in which the clamping means is a threaded fastener with an enlarged head bearing on the blade-clamping bar, and threaded into the extended front surface of the lower body portion.
4. The knife of claim 3, in which a resilient O-ring is positioned around a shank of the fastener in a recess beneath the clamping bar, and is compressed when the fastener is tightened, the compressed O-ring urging the blade-clamping bar and lower body position apart when the fastener is loosened.
5. The knife of claim 4, in which the threaded fastener has enlarged head fitting in a recess in the clamping bar, the enlarged head including a D-ring handle.
6. The knife of claim 5 in which the blade is configured for cutting carpet.