Data interface power consumption control

A method comprising:

• determining whether a data transfer module, which enables transfer of data and comprises components that have respective timing characteristics indicative of a powering up time for each component to transition between a reduced power state of the component and a normal operating state of the component, is to be used in transferring data;
• and
• selectively moving each component of the data transfer module that has a powering up time that is less than a threshold into its reduced power state in response to a determination that the data transfer module is not to be used in transferring data.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for determining whether a data transfer module, which enables transfer of data and comprises components that have respective timing characteristics indicative of a powering up time for each component to transition between a reduced power state of the component and a normal operating state of the component, is to be used in transferring data;
• and
• means for selectively moving each component of the data transfer module that has a powering up time that is less than a threshold into its reduced power state in response to a determination that the data transfer module is not to be used in transferring data.

An apparatus comprising:

• a multi-connection interface supporting transmission of data over multiple connections;
• and
• a controller that determines whether transmission of data over any of the multiple connections can be disabled, and, in response to a determination that transmission of data over any of the multiple connections can be disabled, disables transmission of data over one or more of the connections, maintains at least one of the connections in an enabled state for transmission of data, and transmits control information through the enabled connection to a remote interface that is operatively coupled to the interface through the multiple connections, the control information causing reception of data over the one or more connections to be disabled at the remote interface.

An apparatus comprising:

• a data transfer module that enables transfer of data, the data transfer module comprising components that have respective timing characteristics indicative of a time for each component to transition between a reduced power state of the component and a normal operating state of the component and respective power consumption characteristics indicative of power consumption of each component;
• and
• a controller that determines whether the data transfer module is to be used in transferring data and selectively moves components of the data transfer module into their reduced power states based on the respective timing characteristics and the respective power characteristics in response to a determination that the data transfer module is not to be used in transferring data.