System and method of managing power consumption of communication interfaces and attached devices
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsKevin Marks, Gary Kotzur
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Abstract
A system and method of managing power consumption of communication interfaces and attached devices is disclosed. In one form of the disclosure, a communication module can include a communication interface operable to receive link utilization information of a plurality of communication channels of the communication interface. The communication module can also include a processor operable to determine a percent utilization of the plurality of communication channels using the link utilization information. The processor can also be operable to initiate issuing a power management request of at least one of the plurality of communication channels in response to comparing the percentage of link utilization to a threshold level.
Claims19
A method of operating a communication module, the method comprising:
- obtaining a first link utilization of a first communication channel coupled to a first communication interface;
- enabling power management of the first communication interface;
- determining in a processor a first utilization total of the first communication interface;
- determining a percentage of total utilization of the communication interface;
- determining a number of active communication channels of the communication interface;
- determining a quotient between the percentage of total utilization and the number of active communication channels;
- comparing the quotient to a utilization threshold level;
- and
- modifying operation of the first communication channel using the first utilization total in response to comparing the quotient to the utilization threshold level.
A communication module comprising:
- a communication interface operable to receive link utilization information of a plurality of communication channels of the communication interface;
- and
- a processor operable to determine a percent utilization of the plurality of communication channels using the link utilization information, the processor operable to initiate issuing a power management request of at least one of the plurality of communication channels in response to comparing the percentage of link utilization to a threshold level.
An information handling system comprising:
- a first communication interface operably coupled to a processor operable to initiate power management of the communication interface;
- a plurality of communication interfaces coupled to the first communication interface, the plurality of communication interfaces responsive to a power management request communicated by the first communication interface;
- and
- a threshold monitor that initiates altering use of at least one of a plurality of communication channels in response to determining a percent utilization relative to a threshold level of at least one of the plurality of communication interfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.