# US 11,909,554 B2 · Period based bidirectional communication including transfer of control information via low power refresh signaling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,554 B2 - Document ID: US11909554B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/963,463 - Filed: 2022-10-11 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-22 - Assignees: Marvell Asia Pte Ltd - Applicants: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd. - Inventors: Saied Benyamin; Seid Alireza Razavi Majomard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909554B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/40045: {Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus} - H04L 12/4013: {Management of data rate on the bus (systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality H04L1/0001)} - G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - H04L 12/02: Details - H04L 12/12: Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - G06F 1/3209: Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An Ethernet transceiver is disclosed. The Ethernet transceiver includes transceiver circuitry to couple to one end of an Ethernet link. The transceiver circuitry includes transmit circuitry to transmit high-speed Ethernet data along the Ethernet link at a first data rate and receiver circuitry. The receiver circuitry includes adaptive filter circuitry and correlator circuitry. The receiver circuitry is responsive to an inline signal to operate in a low-power alert mode with the adaptive filter circuitry disabled and to receive alert signals from the Ethernet link simultaneous with transmission of the Ethernet data by the transmit circuitry. The alert signals are detected by the correlator circuitry and include a sequence of alert intervals exhibiting encoded data at a second data rate less than the first data rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network device, comprising: a transceiver for coupling to a link partner transceiver over a wired bidirectional channel, the transceiver including a transmitter for communicating with the link partner transceiver over a downstream path of the wired bidirectional channel, and a receiver for communicating with the link partner transceiver along an upstream path of the wired bidirectional channel; and a controller configured to cause the transceiver to communicate with the link partner transceiver during a plurality of operating periods, the operating periods including: a first operating period in which the transmitter is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals to the link partner transceiver along the downstream path at a first signaling rate, and a second operating period in which the receiver is configured in a low-power mode to receive low power refresh signals that are encoded with information from the link partner transceiver, the receiver being configured to receive the information from the low power refresh signals at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate, the controller being responsive to the information to control an operation of the transceiver during the second operating period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to decode the information as a command signal or as a control signal for dispatch to the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the transceiver to communicate with the link partner transceiver during a third operating period in which at least one of the transmitter and the receiver is inactive from data transfers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The network device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to cause the transceiver to communicate with the link partner transceiver during the third operating period in which at least one of the transmitter and the receiver is configured to perform a network operation other than an operation to transmit or receive data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The network device of claim 3, wherein, during the third operating period, the transceiver is configured to operate in an initialization mode of operation for training the transmitter and the receiver to communicate with the link partner transceiver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The network device of claim 3, wherein, during the third operating period, the receiver is configured to operate in a second low-power mode of operation in which the receiver receives other refresh signals from the link partner transceiver along the upstream path to maintain synchronization with the link partner transceiver. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises at least one data generation device, the at least one data generation device being configured to generate data associated with operating a motor vehicle, an aircraft, or a boat. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a network hub that is configured to receive network data from at least one data generation device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The network device of claim 1, wherein: the wired bidirectional channel comprises at least one conductor; and the downstream path and the upstream path comprise the same at least one conductor. ### Claim 10 A method of operating a network device, the network device including a transceiver for coupling to a link partner transceiver over a wired bidirectional channel, the transceiver including a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising communicating between the network device and the link partner transceiver over the wired bidirectional channel in a plurality of operating periods, and the communicating including: transmitting first data signals during a first operating period in which the transmitter is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals from the transmitter to the link partner transceiver along a downstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a first signaling rate; receiving, during a second operating period in which the receiver is configured in a low-power mode of operation, low-power refresh signals that are encoded with information, the low-power refresh signals received along an upstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate; decoding the information from the low-power refresh signals during the second operating period; and controlling, during the second operating period, an operation of the transceiver in response to the information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising performing a network operation other than an operation to transmit or receive data signals during the second operating period with at least one of the transmitter and the receiver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the data signals with the network device, the data signals associated with operating a motor vehicle, an aircraft, or a boat. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein operating at least one of the transmitter and the receiver during the second operating period comprises operating the at least one of the transmitter and the receiver in the low-power mode for transmitting and/or receiving the low-power refresh signals to maintain convergence of adaptive filter coefficient values. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein: the wired bidirectional channel includes at least one conductor; and the communicating between the network device and the link partner transceiver further comprises transmitting the data signals and receiving the low-power refresh signals over the at least one conductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the communicating between the network device and the link partner transceiver further comprises: transmitting the data signals during a first time interval; and receiving the low-power refresh signals during a second time interval that at least partially overlaps with the first time interval. ### Claim 16 A networking system within a closed operating environment, comprising: a wired signaling medium; a network hub comprising a First transceiver coupled to at least one bidirectional channel over the wired signaling medium; and at least one network device, the at least one network device comprising a second transceiver communicatively coupled to the network hub via a respective bidirectional channel over the wired signaling medium, wherein the network hub and the at least one network device are configured to communicate with each other over the bidirectional channel in a plurality of operating periods, the operating periods including a first operating period in which the network device is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals to the network hub along a downstream path over the bidirectional channel at a first signaling rate, and a second operating period in which the network hub is configured in a low-power mode to transmit low-power refresh signals that are encoded with information to the network device along an upstream path over the bidirectional channel at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate, and wherein the network device is configured to decode the information from the low-power refresh signals and is responsive to the information to control an operation of the second transceiver. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The networking system of claim 16, wherein the network hub is configured to communicate with the at least one network device during a third operating period in which at least one of the network hub and the at least one network device is configured to perform updates for a network operation other than transmitting or receiving data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The networking system of claim 16, wherein the closed operating environment comprises an area within a body of a motor vehicle, an aircraft, or a boat. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The networking system of claim 18, wherein the at least one network device comprises at least one data generation device configured to generate data associated with operating the motor vehicle, the aircraft, or the boat.