Methods and apparatus for dynamic cable network power management

A communications system comprising:

• a cable modem termination system (CMTS), said CMTS including:
• memory, and
• a first processor, said first processor controlling the CMTS to perform the following operations:
• providing, by the CMTS, power to a plurality of wireless base stations via a plurality of cable modems connected to the CMTS, said plurality of wireless base stations including a first wireless base station being powered by the CMTS via a first cable modem and a second wireless base station being powered by the CMTS via a second cable modem;
• receiving, at the CMTS, cable modem power consumption information from cable modems connected to the CMTS, the cable modem power consumption information received from an individual cable modem indicating an amount of power used by the individual cable modem to transmit all data from a fully occupied uplink buffer;
• receiving, at the CMTS, a first reduce power consumption command from a Cable Modem Termination System power management device;
• and
• determining, by the CMTS, based on the received cable modem power consumption information, to which of the plurality of cable modems to send a reduce power consumption message.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a cable modem termination system (CMTS) cause the CMTS to perform the steps of:

• providing, by the CMTS, power to a plurality of wireless base stations via a plurality of cable modems connected to the CMTS, said plurality of wireless base stations including a first wireless base station being powered by the CMTS via a first cable modem and a second wireless base station being powered by the CMTS via a second cable modem;
• receiving, at the CMTS, cable modem power consumption information from cable modems connected to the CMTS, the cable modem power consumption information received from an individual cable modem indicating an amount of power used by the individual cable modem to transmit all data from a fully occupied uplink buffer;
• receiving, at the CMTS, a first reduce power consumption command from a Cable Modem Termination System power management device;
• and
• determining, by the CMTS, based on the received cable modem power consumption information, to which of the plurality of cable modems to send a reduce power consumption message.