NETWORK DEVICE AND WORKING MODE SWITCHING METHOD

• US 20090268729A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LAI, CHI-CHAO
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A network device includes a timing module, a traffic analysis module, a counting module, a mode switching module and at least one processor. The timing module sets a plurality of continual timing periods. Each of the continual timing periods includes a plurality of timing periods The traffic analysis module analyzes if the traffic transmitted by the network device in each of the timing periods in a continual timing period is less than a predetermined traffic threshold. The counting module counts an amount of the traffic transmitted through the network device is less than the predetermined traffic threshold in the continual timing period, and determines if the counted amount is less than a predetermined threshold. The mode switching module switches the working mode of the network device according to the determination of the counting module. The processor executes the timing module, the traffic analysis module, the counting module, and the mode switching module.

Claims

1. A network device capable of switching working modes according to traffic transmitted through the network device, the network device comprising:

a timing module configured for setting a plurality of continual timing periods, wherein each of the continual timing periods comprises a plurality of timing periods;

a traffic analysis module configured for analyzing if the traffic transmitted through the network device in each of the timing periods in a continual timing period is less than a predetermined traffic threshold;

a counting module configured for counting an amount of the traffic transmitted through the network device is less than the predetermined traffic threshold in the continual timing period, and configured for determining if the counted amount is less than a predetermined threshold;

a mode switching module configured for switching the working modes of the network device according to the determination of the counting module; and

at least one processor for executing the timing module, the traffic analysis module, the counting module, and the mode switching module.

2. The network device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mode determining module configured for determining the working modes of the network device.

3. The network device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mode switching module is configured for switching the working mode of the network device to a sleep mode when the counted amount determined by the counting module is not less than the predetermined threshold, and upon the condition that the mode determining module determines that the network device is in a normal working mode.

4. The network device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mode switching module is configured for switching the working mode of the network device to a normal working mode when the traffic transmitted by the network device in any one of the timing periods is more than the predetermined traffic threshold and the mode determining module determines the network device is not in the normal working mode.

5. The network device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the traffic analysis module is further used for resetting the traffic transmitted through the network device at the end of each timing period.

6. The network device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the counting module is configured for incrementing the counted amount by one, when the traffic transmitted through the network device in the each of the timing periods in the continual timing period is less than the predetermined traffic threshold.

7. The network device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the counting module is configured for resetting the counted amount once the traffic transmitted through the network device in any of the timing periods in the continual timing period is more than the predetermined traffic threshold.

8. The network device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the counting module is configured for resetting the counted amount when the network device is switched to the sleep mode.

9. The network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network device is an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) device.

10. A method for switching working modes according to traffic transmitted through the network device, the method comprising:

initializing a traffic estimation amount indicating that an amount of the traffic transmitted through the network device is less than a predetermined traffic threshold in each of timing periods in a continual timing period;

setting a timing period;

determining if the traffic transmitted through the network device in the timing period is less than the predetermined traffic threshold;

incrementing the traffic estimation amount by one upon the condition that the traffic transmitted through the network device in the timing period is less than the predetermined traffic threshold;

determining if the network device is in a sleep mode according to electrical energy consumption;

determining if the traffic estimation amount is less than a predetermined threshold if the network device is not in the sleep mode; and

switching the network device to the sleep mode upon the condition that the traffic estimation amount is not less than the predetermined threshold.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising resetting the traffic estimation amount after switching the network device to the sleep mode.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising resetting the traffic in the timing period after switching the network device to the sleep mode.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising resetting the traffic in the timing period upon the condition that the network device has been switched to the sleep mode.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

resetting the traffic in the timing period; and

setting a timing period.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising resetting the traffic in the timing period and resetting the traffic estimation amount upon the condition that the traffic transmitted through the network device in the timing period is not less than the predetermined traffic threshold.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising determining if the network device is operating in the normal working mode.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising switching the network device as the normal working mode when the network device is not in the normal working mode.