Ethernet PHY-MAC communication with in-band wake-up/sleep commands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11966271-B2
Application number	US-202117497997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2021
Priority date	Apr 11, 2019
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An Ethernet communication device includes a data interface and circuitry. The data interface is configured for communicating with a neighbor device. The circuitry is configured to exchange Ethernet data frames with the neighbor device over the data interface, wherein successive data frames are separated in time by an Inter-Packet Gap (IPG) having at least a predefined minimal duration, and to further exchange with the neighbor device, over the data interface, during the IPG between Ethernet frames exchanged on the data interface, a wake-up/sleep command that instructs switching between an active mode and a sleep mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An Ethernet communication device, comprising:
a Media-Independent Interface (MII), comprising:
one or more data lines for communicating with a neighbor device; and
at least a management line for communicating management information with the neighbor device; and

circuitry, configured to:
exchange Ethernet data frames with the neighbor device over the one or more data lines of the MII, wherein successive data frames are separated in time by an Inter-Packet Gap (IPG) having at least a predefined minimal duration; and
further exchange with the neighbor device, over the one or more data lines of the MII and not over the management line of the MII, during the IPG between Ethernet frames exchanged on the data interface, a wake-up/sleep command that instructs switching between an active mode and a sleep mode.

2. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet communication device comprises an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) device, and wherein the neighbor device comprises an Ethernet Medium Access Control (MAC) device.

3. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet communication device comprises an Ethernet Medium Access Control (MAC) device, and wherein the neighbor device comprises an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) device.

4. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the wake-up/sleep command and to insert the generated wake-up/sleep command in the IPG, for transmission to the neighbor device over the one or more data lines of the MII.

5. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 4 , wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit an idle pattern during the IPG, when not transmitting the wake-up/sleep command.

6. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the wake-up/sleep command from the neighbor device during the IPG, to decode the received wake-up/sleep command, and to cause a Medium Access Control (MAC) device to wake-up from sleep mode or to enter sleep mode in response to the wake-up/sleep command.

7. The Ethernet communication device according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to distinguish between the wake-up/sleep command and an idle pattern, which is transmitted by the neighbor device during the IPG when not transmitting the wake-up/sleep command.

8. A method for Ethernet communication, comprising:
exchanging Ethernet data frames with a neighbor device over one or more data lines of a Media-Independent Interface (MII), wherein successive data frames are separated in time by an Inter-Packet Gap (IPG) having at least a predefined minimal duration;
exchanging management information with the neighbor device over at least a management line of the MII; and
further exchanging with the neighbor device, over the one or more data lines of the MII and not over the management line of the MII, during the IPG between Ethernet frames exchanged on the data interface, a wake-up/sleep command that instructs switching between an active mode and a sleep mode.

9. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 8 , wherein exchanging the Ethernet data frames and the wake/up command comprises exchanging the Ethernet data frames and the wake/up command with an Ethernet Medium Access Control (MAC) device.

10. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 8 , wherein exchanging the Ethernet data frames and the wake/up command comprises exchanging the Ethernet data frames and the wake/up command with an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) device.

11. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 8 , wherein exchanging the wake/up command comprises generating the wake-up/sleep command and inserting the generated wake-up/sleep command in the IPG, for transmission to the neighbor device over the one or more data lines of the MII.

12. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 11 , further comprising transmitting an idle pattern during the IPG, when not transmitting the wake-up/sleep command.

13. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 8 , wherein exchanging the wake-up/sleep command comprises receiving the wake-up/sleep command from the neighbor device during the IPG, and further comprising decoding the received wake-up/sleep command, and causing a Medium Access Control (MAC) device to wake-up from sleep mode or to enter sleep mode in response to the wake-up/sleep command.

14. The method for Ethernet communication according to claim 13 , wherein exchanging the wake-up/sleep command comprises distinguishing between the wake-up/sleep command and an idle pattern, which is transmitted by the neighbor device during the IPG when not transmitting the wake-up/sleep command.

Assignees

• Marvell Asia Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Dance
• Mash Christopher
• Hoot Daryl J
• Chou Hong Yu

Classifications

• G06F1/3287 Primary

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• H04L12/10

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• H04L12/12 Primary

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

• H04L12/40039

  Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus · CPC title

• Y02D30/50

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