System and method for active detection of connection to a network
First Claim
1. A system for detecting the presence of an active connection to a data transmission network, including a network medium, to a computing device, the system comprising:
- means for establishing a connection to the network medium;
means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard;
means for signaling a computing device when any signal found on the network medium is an active network signal; and
wherein the network medium comprises a positive signal electrical conductor and a negative signal electrical conductor and the means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard compares the signals regardless of the connection orientation of the positive signal electrical conductor and the negative signal electrical conductor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting a connection to a data transmission network functions by detecting the network signal energy on a network cable while avoiding the problems of excessive power consumption and generation of excessive electrical noise. By monitoring the receive network lines and determining if there is electrical energy on the cable in the form particular to the type of network supported by the network adaptor card, the host computing device can power-down the transceiver associated with the network adaptor card until an active network connection is detected.
44 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A system for detecting the presence of an active connection to a data transmission network, including a network medium, to a computing device, the system comprising:
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means for establishing a connection to the network medium;
means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard;
means for signaling a computing device when any signal found on the network medium is an active network signal; and
wherein the network medium comprises a positive signal electrical conductor and a negative signal electrical conductor and the means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard compares the signals regardless of the connection orientation of the positive signal electrical conductor and the negative signal electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for detecting the presence of an active connection to a data transmission network, including a network medium, to a computing device, the system comprising:
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means for establishing a connection to the network medium;
means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard;
means for signaling the computing device when any signal found on the network medium is an active network signal; and
wherein the means for comparing any signal found on the network medium to a predetermined standard comprises a first comparator and a second comparator, the first and the second comparators comprising open drain comparators having their outputs connected together. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a filtering device to receive an input signal from a network medium;
an electrical isolation device to provide electrical isolation from the network medium; and
a network signal detection device to selectively indicate whether the input signal is an active network signal in response to a comparison with a reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An apparatus comprising:
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a filtering device to receive an input signal from a network medium;
an electrical isolation device to provide electrical isolation from the network medium; and
a network signal detection device to selectively indicate whether the input signal is an active network signal in response to a comparison with a reference signal, wherein;
the input signal comprises first and second signals, and the network signal detection device comprises a first comparator and a second comparator, wherein;
the first comparator comprises logic circuitry to compare the first signal with the reference signal and to provide a comparison at an output terminal of the first comparator, the second comparator comprises logic circuitry to compare the second signal with the reference signal and to provide a comparison at an output terminal of the second comparator, and the first and the second comparators comprise open drain comparators having output terminals coupled together.
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31. An apparatus comprising:
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a filtering device to receive an input signal from a network medium;
an electrical isolation device to provide electrical isolation from the network medium; and
a network signal detection device to selectively indicate whether the input signal is an active network signal in response to a comparison with a reference signal, wherein the network medium comprises;
a positive signal electrical conductor and a negative signal electrical conductor and wherein the network signal detection device compares the input signal with the reference signal regardless of a connection orientation of the positive signal electrical conductor and the negative signal electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method comprising:
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receiving an input signal from a network medium;
providing electrical isolation from the network medium;
comparing the input signal with a predetermined standard; and
selectively signaling when the input signal is an active network signal in response to the comparison between the input signal and the predetermined standard. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method comprising:
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receiving an input signal from a network medium;
providing electrical isolation from the network medium;
comparing the input signal with a predetermined standard; and
selectively signaling when the input signal is an active network signal in response to the comparison between the input signal and the predetermined standard, wherein the input signal comprises a differential signal.
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37. A system comprising:
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a media access controller to perform MAC processing operations; and
a medium attachment unit to interface a network medium with the media access controller, wherein the medium attachment unit comprises;
a filtering device to receive an input signal from the network medium, an electrical isolation device to provide electrical isolation from the network medium, and a network signal detection device to selectively indicate whether the input signal is an active network signal in response to a comparison with a reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification