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US 8,286,007 B2Granted
Hybrid technique in energy efficient ethernet physical layer devices
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsWael William Diab, Howard Frazier, Scott Powell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid technique in energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) physical layer devices (PHYs). A hybrid approach is defined that combines multiple low power modes. In one embodiment, the hybrid approach uses low power idle (LPI) and subset PHY techniques that can be selectively activated.
Claims18
An energy efficiency method, comprising:
- operating a physical layer device in an active power mode;
- identifying a first link utilization level during operation of said physical layer device;
- if said identified link utilization level is within a first range, then transitioning said physical layer device from said active power mode to a subset physical layer device mode;
- monitoring said link utilization level while said physical layer device is in said subset physical layer device mode;
- and
- if said monitored link utilization level enters a second range that is lower than said first range, then transitioning said physical layer device from said subset physical layer device mode to a low power idle mode.
3 more elements
An energy efficiency system, comprising:
- a physical layer device that supports multiple subrating operation modes, wherein each of said multiple subrating operation modes represent different levels of power saving modes by said physical layer device;
- and
- a control module that generates a control signal based on an analysis of a link utilization level, said control signal being used to select between said multiple subrating operation modes that are supported by said physical layer device, said selection enabling said physical layer device to operate in a power saving mode that is identified by said analysis of said link utilization level, wherein said multiple subrating operation modes includes a low power idle mode and a subset physical layer device mode.
An energy efficiency method, comprising:
- receiving one or more link parameters;
- generating a physical layer device control signal based on a link utilization level indicated by said one or more link parameters;
- and
- selecting between a plurality of physical layer device subrating modes based on said generated physical layer device control signal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.