# US 2021/0243001 A1 · Method and apparatus for asymmetric ethernet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243001 A1 - Document ID: US20210243001A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/146,299 - Filed: 2021-01-11 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-07 - Assignees: Marvell Asia Pte Ltd - Applicants: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd. - Inventors: Kamal Dalmia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243001A1 ## CPC - H04L 5/0044: {Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH} - H04L 5/14: Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex - G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode - H04B 1/40: Circuits - H04L 12/12: Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof - H04L 12/40039: {Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus} - H04W 52/0229: {where the received signal is a wanted signal} - H04W 52/0258: {controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day} - H04W 52/028: {switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks} - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - 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) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - 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 A bidirectional transceiver integrated circuit (IC) includes a transmit circuit configured to transmit during a data transfer mode of operation first data over a first bidirectional communication channel to a link partner. The transmit circuit is configured, during a low power mode of operation, to transmit an encoded refresh signal over the first bidirectional communication channel to the link partner. A receiver circuit is configured to receive during the data transfer mode of operation second data independent of the first data over the first bidirectional communication channel. An encoder is configured, during the low power mode of operation, to encode third data into a refresh signal to generate the encoded refresh signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 An integrated circuit (IC), comprising: a transceiver circuit, comprising: control circuitry configured to generate mode control signals for controlling portions of the transceiver circuit in one or both of a data transfer mode of operation and a low power mode of operation; and a transmit circuit coupled to the control circuitry, the transmit circuit being configured: in response to receiving a first mode control signal, to enter the data transfer mode of operation, and transmit first data over the first communication channel to a link partner; and in response to receiving a second mode control signal to enter the low power mode of operation and selectively encode information into a refresh signal, the refresh signal for maintaining the first communication channel in an alive state with the link partner, the encoded information comprising information signals other than that required to maintain the first communication channel alive during the low power mode of operation, the transmit circuit to transmit the refresh signal including the encoded information over the first communication channel to the link partner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The IC of claim 2, wherein the transmit circuit is configured: to transmit the first data at a first power consumption level; and to transmit the refresh signal at a second power consumption level that is less than the first power consumption level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The IC of claim 2, wherein the transmit circuit is configured: during the low power mode of operation, to selectively encode second data different from the first data as the information into the refresh signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The IC of claim 4, wherein the transmit circuit is configured: to transmit the first data at a first data rate; and to transmit the second data at a second data rate that is less than the first data rate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The IC of claim 4, wherein: the transmit circuit is configured during the low power mode of operation to selectively encode non-pseudo data as the second data into the refresh signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The IC of claim 4, wherein: the transmit circuit is configured during the low power mode of operation to generate the refresh signal as a sequence of bits, and to selectively encode the second data into the sequence of bits. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The IC of claim 4, further comprising: a receiver circuit coupled to the power control circuitry and responsive to a second mode control signal to operate in the data transfer mode of operation, the receiver circuit configured to receive during the data transfer mode of operation third data over the first communication channel from the link partner. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The IC of claim 8, wherein: the receiver circuit receives the third data from the first communication channel concurrent with the transmit circuit transmitting the encoded refresh signal to the first communication channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The IC of claim 2, embodied as a BASE-T Ethernet transceiver circuit. ### Claim 11 An integrated circuit (IC), comprising: a first Ethernet transceiver circuit, comprising: control circuitry configured to generate mode control signals for controlling portions of the transceiver circuit in one or both of a data transfer mode of operation and a low power mode of operation; and receiver circuitry coupled to the control circuitry, the receiver circuitry being configured: in response to receiving a first mode control signal, to enter the data transfer mode of operation, and to receive first data over a first wired coupling from a link partner; and in response to receiving a second mode control signal, to enter the low power mode of operation and receive at least one refresh signal, the refresh signal for maintaining the first wired coupling in an alive state with the link partner, the refresh signal including encoded information comprising information signals other than that required to maintain the first wired coupling alive during the low power mode of operation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The IC of claim 11, wherein: the first Ethernet transceiver circuit is configured during the data transfer mode of operation to receive the first data at a first power consumption level; and the first Ethernet transceiver circuit is configured during the low power mode of operation to receive the at least one refresh signal at a second power consumption level that is less than the first power consumption level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The IC of claim 11, wherein the first Ethernet transceiver circuit is configured: during the low power mode of operation, to selectively decode second data different from the first data from the encoded information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The IC of claim 13, wherein: the first Ethernet transceiver circuit is configured during the low power mode of operation to selectively decode non-pseudo data as the second data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The IC of claim 13, wherein: the first Ethernet transceiver circuit is configured during the low power mode of operation to receive the at least one refresh signal as a sequence of bits, and to selectively decode the second information from the sequence of bits. ### Claim 16 A method of operation in an integrated circuit (IC) transceiver, the method comprising: generating mode control signals with control circuitry to control portions of the IC transceiver in one or both of a data transfer mode of operation and a low power mode of operation; receiving a first mode control signal from the control circuitry with a transmit circuit; operating the transmit circuit in the data transfer mode of operation in response to receiving the first mode control signal; transmitting during the data transfer mode of operation first data over the first communication channel to a link partner; receiving a second mode control signal from the power control circuitry with the transmit circuit; operating the transmit circuit in the low power mode of operation in response to receiving the second mode control signal; selectively encoding information into a refresh signal during the low power mode of operation, the refresh signal for maintaining the first communication channel in an alive state with the link partner, the information comprising information signals other than that required to maintain the first communication channel alive during the low power mode of operation; and transmitting the refresh signal including the encoded information over the first communication channel to the link partner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the selectively encoding information comprises: selectively encoding second data different from the first data as the information into the refresh signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the selectively encoding second data comprises: selectively encoding non-pseudo data as the second data into the refresh signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the selectively encoding second data comprises: generating the refresh signal as a sequence of bits; and selectively encoding the second data into the sequence of bits.