Method And System For Supporting A Variable And Energy Efficient Data Rate Using A Duty Cycling Technique And Multiple Power States On An Ethernet Link

• US 20130163614A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diab, Wael William, Frazier, Howard
• Application Number:
  US13/632,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20130163614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• 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 supporting a variable and energy efficient data rate using a duty cycling technique and multiple power states on an Ethernet link are provided. In this regard, a data rate on a network link may be duty cycled based on characteristics of data communicated over it. The network link may operate at a first data rate for a first portion of the time interval and may operate at a second data rate for a second portion of the time interval. The duration of each portion of the time interval and/or the data rate during each portion of the time interval may be adjusted to control the duty cycling. Power consumed in a device connected to the network link may be controlled based on the duty cycling of the link.

Claims

1. A method for networking, the method comprising:

duty cycling, based on characteristics of data communicated via a network link, a data rate on said network link such that said network link operates at a first data rate for a first portion of a specified time interval and said network link operates at a second data rate for a second portion of said specified time interval.

2-20. -20. (canceled)