Network energy consumption reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10725522-B2
Application number	US-201816202957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

In some aspects, the disclosure is directed to methods and systems for a device including a physical interface with electrical connection to a communication channel, and circuitry configured to detect energy received at the physical interface, wait a predetermined length of a time until the beginning of a time slot, monitor the physical interface during the time slot for a predefined pattern from the communication channel, and upon detection of the predefined pattern, transition the device to an increased-power mode.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device comprising:
an interface configured for connection to a communication channel; and
circuitry configured to:
identify, in a passive energy detection stage, a start of a defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence using passive energy detection while the device is in a reduced-power mode, wherein the passive energy detection comprises detecting that energy received at the interface exceeds a threshold;
determine, in an active energy detection stage, responsive to the start of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence being identified, that the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is occurring using active energy detection, wherein the active energy detection comprises periodically transitioning the device from the reduced-power mode to an increased-power mode to check messages in the communication channel; and
transition the device to an operational power mode responsive to a determination that the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence has completed.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence comprises a plurality of portions, and
wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
detect, in a pre-warn stage, two or more portions of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence in two or more of a plurality of predetermined time slots; and
provide, in the pre-warn stage, a notification that a power mode transition is imminent responsive to detecting the two or more portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence in the two or more of the plurality of predetermined time slots.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence include at least three portions, and the plurality of predetermined time slots include at least three time slots.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is equivalent to each other.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein at least one portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is different from other portions of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform at least two additional stages of detection prior to transitioning the device into the operational power mode, and wherein the device transitions from a first additional stage to a second additional stage with an incremental power mode transition as a probability that the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is occurring increases.

7. A system comprising:
a first network node comprising a first media access controller (MAC) and a first physical interface device (PHY); and
a second network node comprising:
a second MAC; and
a second PHY configured to transmit, to the second MAC, a defined media independent interface (MII) message indicating that a power mode transition is beginning,
wherein the second MAC is configured to initiate, responsive to receiving the defined MII message from the second PHY, a defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence through the second PHY to the first PHY in the first network node to signal the first network node to begin the power mode transition, and
wherein the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence comprises a plurality of portions, and each portion is transmitted from the second PHY of the second network node to the first PHY of the first network node in a respective time slot of a plurality of predetermined time slots.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first PHY of the first network node is configured to:
determine that the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence has been received by verifying that each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence satisfies a respective predetermined description for the each portion of the plurality of portions and that each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is received within the respective time slot of the plurality of predetermined time slots; and
responsive to determining that the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence has been received, notify the first MAC of the first network by sending a pattern detected message.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first network node is a telematics module in a vehicle, and the second network node is an audio module in the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first network node and the second network node are network nodes in a vehicle, and wherein the first MAC is a first host Ethernet MAC in the first network node in the vehicle, and the second MAC is a second host Ethernet MAC in the second network node in the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first network node and the second network node are network nodes in a vehicle, and wherein the first PHY comprises a first multi-port bridge in the first network node in the vehicle, and the second PHY comprises a second multi-port bridge in the second network node in the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein a first port of the first multi-port bridge in the first network node in the vehicle is connected to the first MAC, and a second port of the first multi-port bridge is connected to a first port of the second multi-port bridge in the second network node in the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second port of the first multi-port bridge in the first network node in the vehicle is connected to the first port of the second multi-port bridge in the second network node in the vehicle using daisy chaining.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second PHY transmits the defined MII message indicating that the power mode transition is beginning to the second MAC via an integrated switch in a vehicle.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence include at least three portions, and the plurality of predetermined time slots include at least three time slots.

16. The system of claim 7 , wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is equivalent to each other.

17. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is different from other portions of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a media access controller (MAC); and
a physical interface device (PHY) configured to:
receive a plurality of portions of a defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence via a communication channel from another PHY of another device, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is transmitted from the another PHY in a respective time slot of a plurality of predetermined time slots;
perform a first verification that each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence satisfies a respective predetermined description for the portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence;
perform a second verification that each portion of the plurality of portions of the defined power-mode-transition signaling sequence is received within a re

Assignees

• Avago Tech Int Sales Pte Lid

Inventors

• Tazebay Mehmet Vakif
• Chini Ahmad
• Lin Xiaotong

Classifications

• Y02D30/50

  in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate · CPC title

• G06F1/3209 Primary

  Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections · CPC title

• H04L12/12

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• Y02D50/40

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic