Interoperability of communication devices
AssigneeMarvell Asia Pte Ltd
InventorsWhay Sing Lee, Lenin Kumar Patra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a communication network operating according to a communication protocol that defines a link establishment procedure having i) a negotiating procedure and ii) a training procedure, a first communication device performs the link establishment procedure with a second communication device. During the negotiating procedure, the first communication device negotiates one or more new parameter values for the link establishment procedure that are different than one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol. During the link establishment procedure, the first communication device uses the one or more new parameter values instead of using the one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol.
Claims20
A first communication device for use in a communication network operating according to a communication protocol, the communication protocol defining a link establishment procedure that includes i) a negotiating procedure and ii) a training procedure, wherein the communication protocol specifies mandated parameter values that are to be used for the link establishment procedure, the first communication device comprising:
- physical layer (PHY) circuitry having a transceiver that is configured to transmit and receive via a communication link;
- a negotiation controller configured to control the PHY circuitry to i) perform the negotiation procedure, and ii) during the negotiating procedure, control the PHY circuitry to communicate with a second communication device via the communication link to negotiate one or more new parameter values for the link establishment procedure that are different than one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol, the one or more new parameter values being relaxed as compared to the one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol, the one or more mandated parameter values including at least one default initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure, and the one or more new parameter values including at least one new initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure that is different as compared to the at least one default initial PHY parameter;
- and
- a training controller that is configured to control the PHY circuitry, during the link establishment procedure, to use the one or more new parameter values instead of using the one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol so that one or more constraints on the link establishment procedure mandated by the communication protocol are relaxed, including using the at least one new initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure instead of using the at least one default initial PHY parameter.
A link establishment method in a communication network operating according to a communication protocol, the communication protocol defining a link establishment procedure that includes i) a negotiating procedure and ii) a training procedure, wherein the communication protocol specifies mandated parameter values that are to be used for the link establishment procedure, the method comprising:
- performing, by the first communication device, the link establishment procedure, including:
- during the negotiating procedure, communicating, by the first communication device, with a second communication device via the communication link to negotiate one or more new parameter values for the link establishment procedure that are different than one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol, the one or more new parameter values being relaxed as compared to the one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol, the one or more mandated parameter values including at least one default initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure, and the one or more new parameter values including at least one new initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure that is different as compared to the at least one default initial PHY parameter;
- and
- during the link establishment procedure, using, by the first communication device, the one or more new parameter values instead of using the one or more mandated parameter values specified by the communication protocol so that one or more constraints on the link establishment procedure mandated by the communication protocol are relaxed, including using the at least one new initial PHY parameter for starting the training procedure of the link establishment procedure instead of using the at least one default initial PHY parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.