POWER CONTROLLED NETWORK DEVICES FOR SECURITY AND POWER CONSERVATION

• US 20110072286A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enterasys Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: GRAHAM, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3676 for coverage analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides method and systems for activating or deactivating network devices by managing the power of the network device. By controlling the power for network devices, the size and coverage of the network can be adjusted to meet the needs for the current usage. This can be particularly advantageous in wireless networks where multiple wireless access points may be provided to provide coverage during peak usage but present the additional security concern of the network being accessible to unauthorized users. Being able to power down unneeded wireless access points during off-peak usage allows for the minimization of such potential security concerns.

Claims

1. A method for managing power of a network device, the method comprising the steps of,

determining one or more operational characteristics of a network associated with the network device;

and

managing power of the network device based on the one or more operational characteristics of the network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises determining the presence of one or more users of the network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of managing comprises controlling the state of the network device

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of managing further comprises the step of, powering down the network device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of managing further comprises the step of, instructing the network device to enter a reduced power mode to manage the power level of the network device.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of managing further comprises the step of powering up the network device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the parameters of the network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein power to the network device is provided by Power Over Ethernet (POE).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises determining redundancy in the network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises determining a security event.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is a wireless network

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining one or more operational characteristics of a network associated with the network device comprises determining the state of wireless connectivity provided by the network.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the network comprises multiple network devices and the step of managing comprises managing power of each of the multiple network devices based on the one or more operational characteristics of the network.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the network device is a wireless network device.

14. A network device comprising,

a port adapted to receive a transmission medium for transmitting a power signal,

a power module having circuitry to manage power consumption of said network device and an input to receive a control signal;

and

a control module having an output to assert said control signal in response to a change in one or more operational characteristics of a network associated with said network device,

wherein the circuitry in response to receipt of the control signal takes an action to change a level of power consumption of said network device to provide a selected level of service based on the change in the state of the network.

15. The network device of claim 14 further comprising functionality to provide network services.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the control module asserts the control signal upon detecting the presence of one or more users of the network.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein in response to the receipt of the control signal the circuitry changes the state of the network device.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the s wherein the control module asserts the control signal upon detecting redundancy in the network.