Method and system for a low-power client in a wide area network

• US 8,711,750 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Inventors: Ling, Curtis, Gallagher, Timothy, Ramesh, Sridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US13/553,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/431, 370/458, 455/343.1, 455/574, 713/320, 725/111, 725/130, 725/150
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0033 Correction by delay
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• 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

A network device may be operable to receive an indication from a cable modem termination system (CMTS) that media access control (MAC) management messages will be transmitted by the CMTS at fixed intervals. Subsequent to receiving the indication, the network device may be operable to power down one or more components of the network device and set a sleep timer to a value equal to an integer multiple of the fixed interval minus a transition period. The network device may power up the one or more components of the network device upon expiration of the sleep timer. The network device may power up the one or more components of the network device upon an amount of traffic in a buffer of the network device reaching a threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a network device;

connecting and registering with a cable modem termination system (CMTS);

sending a sleep request to said CMTS;

receiving a first message from said CMTS that indicates that a media access control (MAC) management message will be transmitted by said CMTS after a predetermined time interval;

subsequent to receiving said first message, powering down one or more components of said network device and setting a sleep timer to a value equal to the duration of said predetermined time interval minus a transition period; and

powering up said one or more components of said network device upon expiration of said sleep timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said network device is a cable modem, cable set-top-box, or cable gateway;

said MAC management message is a media access plan (MAP) message;

said first message indicates that indicates that said MAP message will be sent upon expiration of said predetermined time interval; and

said network device does not listen to communications from said CMTS during said predetermined time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said powering up occurs if said network device desires to receive said MAP message, otherwise said one or more components of said network device remain powered down upon expiration of said sleep timer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said duration of said predetermined time interval is based on past traffic statistics and/or patterns.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said duration of said predetermined time interval is based on drift of one or more clocks of said network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more components comprise an amplifier, a mixer, a filter, a data converter, a modulator, and/or a demodulator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more components comprise a media access controller.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to expiration of said sleep timer, powering up said one or more components, resynchronizing to a signal from said CMTS, and again powering down said one or more components.

9. A system comprising:

circuitry for use in a network device, said circuitry being operable to;

connect and register with a cable modem termination system (CMTS);

send a sleep request to said CMTS;

receiving a first message from said CMTS that indicates that a media access control (MAC) management message will be transmitted by said CMTS after a predetermined time interval;

subsequent to reception of said first message, power down one or more components of said network device and setting a sleep timer to a value equal to the duration of said predetermined time interval minus a transition period; and

power up said one or more components of said network device upon expiration of said sleep timer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said network device is a cable modem, cable set-top-box, or cable gateway;

said MAC management message is a media access plan (MAP) message;

said first message indicates that said MAP message will be sent upon expiration of said predetermined time interval; and

said network device does not listen to communications from said CMTS during said predetermined time interval.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said power up occurs if said network device desires to receive said MAP message, otherwise said one or more components of said network device remain powered down upon expiration of said sleep timer.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said duration of said predetermined time interval is based on past traffic statistics and/or patterns.

13. system of claim 9, wherein said duration of said predetermined time interval is based on drift of one or more clocks of said network device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more components comprise an amplifier, a mixer, a filter, a data converter, a modulator, and/or a demodulator.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more components comprise a media access controller.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said circuitry is operable to, prior to expiration of said sleep timer, power up said one or more components, resynchronize to a signal from said CMTS, and again power down said one or more components.