Patent ID: 8300655
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A physical layer communication device, comprising: a receiver; control policy logic that powers down at least part of said receiver in response to a control signal; and a monitoring module that detects a presence of a sequence of a plurality of Ethernet idle signals that are received from a remote device at said receiver, wherein said sequence of said plurality of Ethernet idle signals are transmitted by said remote device when said remote device is in an active communication state for data communication, said Ethernet idle signals being designed to enable said receiver to maintain clock synchronization during said active communication state and being transmitted by said remote device during said active communication state whenever said remote device has no data or control information to transmit to the physical layer communication device, wherein said detected presence of said sequence of said plurality of Ethernet idle signals are monitored relative to a programmable threshold to generate said control signal.