METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING TRANSCEIVER POWER VIA A VARIABLE NUMBER OF CHANNELS

• US 20080225894A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40136 Nodes adapting their rate to the physical link properties LAN switches H04L49/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for reducing transceiver power via a variable number of channels are provided. In this regard, utilization and/or availability of network and/or device resources may be determined and a configuration of channels utilized for transmitting data may be determined based on the determined utilization and/or availability of resources. Accordingly, the number of channels over which data is communicated may be altered based on determined thresholds for the utilization and/or availability of resources. Moreover, the configuration of channels utilized for communicating data may be dynamically altered by monitoring changes to the utilization and/or availability of resources. For example, the number of channels may be altered based on available bandwidth on one or more channels, based on capacity and/or available space of one or more buffers, and/or based on available power or desired power consumption of a transmitter.

Claims

1. A method for communicating in a network, the method comprising:

determining utilization and/or availability of resources that enable transmission by an Ethernet transmitter; and

transmitting data by said Ethernet transmitter via a variable number of channels based on said determined utilization and/or availability of resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising reducing said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is below a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising increasing said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is above a threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said resources and/or availability comprise network resources and device resources.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Ethernet transmitter communicates at data rates greater than or equal to 1 Gigabit per second.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining said number of channels based on an available bandwidth of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining said number of channels based on a capacity of one or more buffers utilized by said Ethernet transmitter to store said data.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining said number of channels based on one or more of a packet error rate, and a bit error rate of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting said data by said Ethernet transmitter via said variable number of channels based on utilization and/or availability of power.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising dynamically varying said number of channels based on dynamic changes to said utilization and/or availability of resources.

11. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for communicating in a network, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

determining utilization and/or availability of resources that enable transmission by an Ethernet transmitter; and

transmitting data by said Ethernet transmitter via a variable number of channels based on said determined utilization and/or availability of resources.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for reducing said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is below a threshold.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for determining said number of channels based on an available bandwidth of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for determining said number of channels based on a capacity of one or more buffers utilized by said Ethernet transmitter to store said data.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for determining said number of channels based on one or more of a packet error rate, and a bit error rate of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for transmitting said data by said Ethernet transmitter via said variable number of channels based on utilization and/or availability of power.

20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for dynamically varying said number of channels based on dynamic changes to said utilization and/or availability of resources.

21. A system for communicating in a network, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that determines utilization and/or availability of resources that enable transmission by an Ethernet transmitter; and

said one or more circuits enables transmission of data by said Ethernet transmitter via a variable number of channels based on said determined utilization and/or availability of resources.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for increasing said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is above a threshold.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said resources and/or availability comprise network resources and device resources.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said Ethernet transmitter communicates at data rates greater than or equal to 1 Gigabit per second.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits reduces said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is below a threshold.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits increases said number of channels when said utilization and/or availability of said resources is above a threshold.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said resources and/or availability comprise network resources and device resources.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said Ethernet transmitter communicates at data rates greater than or equal to 1 Gigabit per second.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits determines said number of channels based on an available bandwidth of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits determines said number of channels based on a capacity of one or more buffers utilized by said Ethernet transmitter to store said data.

28. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits determines said number of channels based on one or more of a packet error rate, and a bit error rate of a communication link utilized by said Ethernet transmitter.

29. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits transmits said data by said Ethernet transmitter via said variable number of channels based on utilization and/or availability of power.

30. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits dynamically varies said number of channels based on dynamic changes to said utilization and/or availability of resources.