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US 9,001,714 B2Granted
Ethernet physical layer device using time division duplex
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsAhmad Chini, Mehmet Tazebay, Scott Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An Ethernet physical layer device using time division duplex. A time division duplex frame can be defined with uplink and downlink transmission periods. These defined uplink and downlink transmission periods can be adjusted based on bandwidth and latency considerations on the network link.
Claims17
A method in a first Ethernet physical layer device that is coupled to a second Ethernet physical layer device via a single conductor pair network link, comprising:
- receiving transmission control during a first time period, said transmission control providing said first Ethernet physical layer device with use of said single conductor pair network link for transmission to said second Ethernet physical layer device, wherein during said first time period said second Ethernet physical layer device is prevented from transmitting over said single conductor pair network link;
- receiving data that is transmitted by said second Ethernet physical layer device during a second time period following said first time period, wherein during said second time period, transmission control is relinquished to said second Ethernet physical layer device and said first Ethernet physical layer device is prevented from transmitting over said single conductor pair network link, wherein said first time period and said second time period along with two gap periods between transmission by said first and second Ethernet physical layer devices define a repeating time division duplex frame, said first time period and said second time period separated by one of said two gap periods;
- and
- lengthening at least one of said two gap periods when said first Ethernet physical layer devices has no data to send over said single conductor pair network link.
1 more element
An Ethernet physical layer device for use with a single conductor pair cable, comprising:
- a first transmitter coupled to a single conductor pair cable, said first transmitter responsive to a transmission control signal that determines a first assigned time period when data can be transmitted by said first transmitter over said single conductor pair cable and when data cannot be transmitted by a second transmitter in a second physical layer device over said single conductor pair cable;
- and
- a controller that generates said transmission control signal, said controller designed to cooperate with said second Ethernet physical layer device in defining a second assigned time period following said first assigned time period when said first transmitter cannot transmit data over said single conductor pair cable and said second transmitter can transmit data over said single conductor pair cable, wherein said controller lengthens an inter-burst gap period between said first assigned time period and said second assigned time period if said first Ethernet physical layer device has no data to send, wherein said first assigned time period and said second assigned time period along with two gap periods, which include said inter-burst gap period, define a repeating time division duplex frame.
A method in a first Ethernet physical layer device that is coupled to a second Ethernet physical layer device via a network link, comprising:
- transmitting from said first Ethernet physical layer device to said second Ethernet physical layer device during a first of two alternating time periods in which said first Ethernet physical layer device is allowed to transmit over said network link and said second Ethernet physical layer device is not allowed to transmit over said network link;
- receiving at said first Ethernet physical layer device from said second Ethernet physical layer device during a second of two alternating time periods following said first alternating time period in which said first Ethernet physical layer device is not allowed to transmit over said network link and said second Ethernet physical layer device is allowed to transmit over said network link;
- and
- lengthening an inter-burst gap period between said two alternating time periods when said first Ethernet physical layer device has no data to send to said second Ethernet physical layer device, wherein said first of two alternating time periods and said second of two alternating time periods along with two gap periods, which include said inter-burst gap period, define a repeating time division duplex frame.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.