Systems and methods for providing a MoCA power management strategy

• US 9,112,717 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Philippe, Kliger, Avraham, Ohana, Yitshak
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US12/511,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 725/78, 725/79, 725/80, 725/82, 713/300, 713/320, 713/323
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0222 in packet switched networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing a method for reducing power consumption in MoCA devices that are connected via a coax network are provided. One method according to the invention includes, in a home network having a plurality of network modules, one of said plurality of network modules being a network controller, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, communicating over the coax backbone between the plurality of network modules. The method further includes using the master module to receive requests sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules for bandwidth to transmit bursts. The master module may establish an order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone. The method may also include using the master module to toggle each of the networked modules between a running power state and a standby power state. The standby power state may include an active mode and an idle mode. In the active mode, a networked node is configured to transmit and/or receive packets of information. In the idle mode, the networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network while powering down a portion of the circuit blocks, thereby reducing power consumption of the networked node.

Claims

1. A network over coaxial cable, the network comprising:

a network controller;

a plurality of networked nodes, each of the networked nodes comprising an integrated circuit, each of the integrated circuits comprising a plurality of circuit blocks;

wherein each of the networked nodes has a power state and is configurable to change the power state between;

a running power state; and

a standby power state, the standby power state including an active mode and an idle mode,

wherein;

the running power state is associated with higher power consumption than the active mode and the idle mode;

the active mode is associated with higher power consumption than the idle mode;

in the active mode, a networked node is configured to transmit and/or receive packets of Information, wherein the packets of information include at least one Media Access Plan (MAP), and the networked node is configured to receive the at least one MAP;

in the idle mode, the networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network while powering down a portion of the circuit blocks, thereby reducing power consumption of the networked node, and the networked node is configured to ignore MAPs; and

at least one of the networked nodes is configurable to;

send a request to the network controller to change the power state of the at least one of the networked nodes,

receive a grant from the network controller in response to the request, and

change the power state of the at least one of the networked nodes in response to receiving the grant.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein each of the networked nodes is configurable to:

switch from the idle mode to the active mode after a pre-determined number of MAPs, and

receive an interrupt signal via the link to the network.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein each of the networked nodes is configurable to switch from the idle mode to the active mode following a network beacon signal.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the portion of the circuit blocks includes a clock portion that provides a clock signal to a digital physical layer.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein the portion of the circuit blocks includes a clock portion that provides a clock signal to a Media Access Controller layer.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein, in the active mode and the idle mode, the networked node is configured to receive a network beacon signal.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the networked node is configured to participate in a link maintenance operation (LMO).

8. The network of claim 1, wherein, during a link maintenance operation (LMO), in the active mode, the networked node is configured to receive at least one probe from an LMO node.

9. In a home network having a plurality of network modules each of said plurality of network modules having a power state, one of said plurality of network modules being a network controller, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, a method for communicating over the coax backbone between the plurality of network modules, the method comprising:

using the network controller to receive at least one request, said request being sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules, said request for changing the power state of at least one of the network modules and for requesting bandwidth to transmit bursts;

using the network controller to establish an order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone; and

using the network controller to respond to the request to change the power state of at least one of the network modules between a running power state and a standby power state, the standby power state including an active mode and an idle mode;

wherein;

the running power state is associated with higher power consumption than the active mode and the idle mode;

the active mode is associated with higher power consumption than the idle mode;

in the active mode, a networked node is configured to transmit and/or receive packets of information, wherein the packets of information include at least one Media Access Plan (MAP), and the networked node is configured to receive the at least one MAP; and

in the idle mode, the networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network while powering down a portion of the networked node, thereby reducing power consumption of the networked node, and the networked node is configured to ignore MAPs.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

switching a network module from the idle mode to the active mode after a pre-determined number of MAPs, and

switching the network module from the idle mode to the active mode following a network beacon signal.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising configuring a network module to receive an interrupt signal via the link to the network.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising gating a clock signal that is provided to a digital physical layer.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising gating a clock signal that is provided to a Media Access Controller (MAC) layer clock signal.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the network controller to send a network beacon signal to the at least one of the networked modules.

15. A method for operating a networked node on a network over coaxial cable, the network comprising a network controller and a plurality of networked nodes, each of the networked nodes comprising an integrated circuit, each of the integrated circuits comprising a plurality of circuit blocks, the networked node having a power state, the method comprising:

configuring a power state of a first networked node to be in a running power state; and

changing the power state to a standby power state or changing the power state to a sleep power state,

wherein the changing the power state or the standby power state comprises;

using the first networked node to request from the network controller a change in the power state to the standby power state, wherein the standby power state includes an active state and an idle state;

in response to the request to change to the standby power state from the running power state, receiving a first signal from the network controller, and in response to receiving the first signal from the network controller, switching the first networked node to the standby power state;

wherein the changing the power state to the sleep power state comprises;

using the first networked node to request from the network controller a change in the power state to the sleep power state; and

in response to the request to change to the sleep power state from the running power state, receiving a second signal from the network controller, and, in response to receiving the second signal from the network controller, switching the first networked node to the sleep power state from the running power state after receiving the second signal from the network controller,

wherein;

the running power state is associated with higher power consumption than the active state and the idle state;

the active state is associated with higher power consumption than the idle state;

in the active state, the first networked node is configured to receive at least one Media Access Plan (MAP); and

in the idle state, the first networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network and is configured to ignore MAPs.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the networked nodes is configurable to:

switch from the idle state to the running power state after a pre-determined number of MAPs, and

switch from the idle state to the running power state following a network beacon signal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first networked node is configurable to receive an interrupt signal via a link to the network.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the plurality of circuit blocks comprises a clock portion, and

in the idle state, the first networked node powers down the clock portion that provides a clock signal to a digital physical layer.

19. The method of claim 15:

the plurality of circuit blocks comprises a clock portion, and

in the idle state, the first networked node powers down the clock portion that provides a clock signal to a Media Access Controller layer.

20. A method for operating a networked node on a network over coaxial cable, the network comprising a network controller and a plurality of networked nodes, each of the networked nodes comprising an integrated circuit, each of the integrated circuits comprising a plurality of circuit blocks having a power state, the method comprising:

configuring a power state of a first networked node to be in a running power state;

changing the power state to a standby power state or changing the power state to an idle power state,

wherein the changing the power state to the standby power state comprises;

using the first networked node to request from the network controller a change in the power state to the standby power state;

in response to the request to change to the standby power state from the running power state, receiving a first signal from the network controller, and, in response to receiving the first signal from the network controller, switching the first networked node to the standby power state from the running power state after receiving the first signal from the network controller;

wherein the changing the power state to the idle power state comprises;

using the first networked node to request from the network controller a change in the power state to the idle power state; and

in response to the request to change to the idle power state from the running power state, receiving a second signal from the network controller, and, in response to receiving the second signal from the network controller, switching the first networked node to the idle power state from the running power state after receiving the second signal from the network controller,

wherein;

the running power state is associated with higher power consumption than the standby power state and the idle power state;

the standby power state is associated with higher power consumption than the idle power state;

in the standby power state, the first networked node is configured to receive at least one Media Access Plan (MAP); and

in the idle power state, the first networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network and is configured to ignore MAPs.