Automatic resending of WUP by slave device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12375223-B2
Application number	US-202217658195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2022
Priority date	Apr 7, 2021
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a slave PHY device retransmitting a waking up command to a master PHY device in a low-power mode. After transmitting a wake-up command to the master PHY device, the slave PHY device starts a timer. If the timer reaches a threshold time, the slave device retransmits the wake-up command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for waking up a master PHY from a low-power mode, the master PHY being disposed in a network including at least the master PHY and a slave PHY, the master and slave PHYs being coupled via a communication link, the method comprising:
transmitting a wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY;
in response to transmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY, starting a first timer;
monitoring the communication link at the slave PHY for a transmission, from the master PHY, that includes a signal to begin link training;
determining, based on monitoring the communication link, that the first timer has a value that is greater than a first threshold time;
determining, based on the first timer having a value that is greater than the first threshold time, that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received by the slave PHY;
in response to determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received by the slave PHY, retransmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the first timer has run, without the slave PHY receiving a transmission, from the master PHY, that includes a signal to begin link training for a duration greater than the first threshold time; and
based on determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received by the slave PHY, comparing the value of the first timer with the first threshold time.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
in response to transmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY, incrementing a counter at the slave;
determining that the counter has a value that is greater than a counter threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
in response to determining that the counter has a value that is greater than a counter threshold, preventing further transmissions of wake-up commands.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to retransmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY, starting a second timer;
determining that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time;
in response to determining that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time, again retransmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY from the slave PHY.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining that the second timer has a value that is greater than the second threshold time that is equal to the first threshold time.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining that the second timer has a value that is greater than the second threshold time different the first threshold time.

8. A slave PHY in a network configured to wake up a master PHY from a low-power mode, the slave PHY comprising:
input/output (I/O) circuitry configured to:
transmit a wake-up command to the master PHY in the network coupled to the slave PHY via a communication link; and

processing circuitry configured to:
in response to the I/O circuitry transmitting a wake-up command to the master PHY in the network coupled to the slave PHY via the communication link, start a first timer;
monitor the communication link for a transmission, from the master PHY, that includes a signal to begin link training;
determine, based on monitoring the communication link, that the first timer has a value that is greater than a first threshold time;
determine, based on the first timer having a value that is greater than the first threshold time, that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received by the slave PHY; and
in response to determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received by the slave PHY, retransmit the wake-up command to the master PHY using the I/O circuitry.

9. The slave PHY of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the first timer has run, without receiving a transmission, from the master PHY, that includes a signal to begin link training for a duration greater than the first threshold time;
based on determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received, comparing the value of the first timer with the first threshold time.

10. The slave PHY of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is incapable of establishing the communication link.

11. The slave PHY of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
in response to transmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY, increment a counter;
determine that the counter has a value that is greater than a counter threshold.

12. The slave PHY of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
in response to determining that the counter has a value that is greater than a counter threshold, prevent further transmissions of wake-up commands.

13. The slave PHY of claim 8 , the processing circuitry further configured to:
in response to retransmitting the wake-up command to the master PHY using the I/O circuitry, start a second timer;
determine that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time; and
in response to determining that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time, again retransmit the wake-up command to the master PHY using the I/O circuitry.

14. The slave PHY of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time equal to the first threshold time.

15. The slave PHY of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the second timer has a value that is greater than a second threshold time different from the first threshold time.

16. A system for waking up a master PHY from a low-power mode, the system comprising:
a master PHY;
a slave PHY configured to:
transmit, to the master PHY via a communication link, a wake-up command;
in response to transmitting the wake-up command, start a timer;
monitor the communication link for a transmission, from the master PHY, that includes a signal to begin link training;
determine, based on monitoring the communication link, that the timer has a value that is greater than a threshold time;
determine, based on the first timer having a value that is greater than the first threshold time, that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received; and
in response to determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received, retransmit, to the master PHY, the wake-up command.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the slave PHY is incapable of establishing the communication link between the master and slave PHY.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the slave PHY is further configured to:
based on determining that no transmission that includes a signal to begin link training was received, compare the value of the first timer with the first threshold time.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the slave PHY is further configured to:
in response to transmitting, to the master PHY via a communication link, a wake-up command, increment a counter;
determine that the counter has a value that is greater than a counter threshold.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the slave PHY is further configured to:
in respons

Assignees

• Marvell Asia Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Fung Hon Wai
• Wu Dance
• Zhu Liang

Classifications

• G06F1/3209

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

• H04L12/12 Primary

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

• G06F1/3278

  Power saving in modem or I/O interface · CPC title

• H04W52/028

  switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title