Patent ID: 11909554
Assignee: MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G  Y | IPC G  H

Claim 9:
10. A method of operating a network device, the network device including a transceiver for coupling to a link partner transceiver over a wired bidirectional channel, the transceiver including a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising communicating between the network device and the link partner transceiver over the wired bidirectional channel in a plurality of operating periods, and the communicating including:
transmitting first data signals during a first operating period in which the transmitter is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals from the transmitter to the link partner transceiver along a downstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a first signaling rate;
receiving, during a second operating period in which the receiver is configured in a low-power mode of operation, low-power refresh signals that are encoded with information, the low-power refresh signals received along an upstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate;
decoding the information from the low-power refresh signals during the second operating period; and
controlling, during the second operating period, an operation of the transceiver in response to the information.