Patent ID: 8201006
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: detecting, by a physical interface transceiver (PHY) of a computerized device, an absence of data transmitted from a media access controller (MAC) of the computerized device; in response to detecting the absence of data transmitted from the MAC, transitioning, by the PHY, between a first power state and a second power state, the PHY while in the second power state being configured to draw less power than the PHY while in the first power state and transmitting to a far-end-PHY in electrical communication with the PHY a notification regarding the transition of the PHY between the first power state and the second power state, the notification causing the far-end PHY to transition between a first far-end PHY power state and a second far-end PHY power state, the far-end PHY while in the second far-end PHY power state being configured to draw less power than the far-end PHY while in the first far-end PHY power state; receiving an initial amount of data of a data set transmitted from the MAC; when an amount of time for data associated with the data set to fill a buffer associated with the PHY approaches an amount of time for the far-end PHY to transition from the second far-end PHY power state to the first far-end PHY power state, buffering, by the PHY, a remaining amount of data of the data set transmitted from the MAC and transmitting, by the PHY, the data to the far-end PHY after the far-end PHY transitions between the second far-end PHY power state and the first far-end PHY power state; and when the amount of time for data associated with the data set to fill the buffer associated with the PHY exceeds the amount of time for the far-end PHY to transition from the second far-end PHY power state to the first far-end PHY power state, transmitting, by the PHY, a data delay indicator to the MAC, the data delay indicator configured to preempt the MAC from transmitting the remaining amount of data of the data set to the PHY.