Patent ID: 7835299
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: in a device on a network, the device comprising a set of subcomponents, the device, its components and respective subcomponents each capable of operating in an active power state and a low power state, wherein the device comprises a host to run an application and a network controller to interface with the network, the network controller comprising a host interface logic to interface with the host, a packet processing logic to process network maintenance data packets, and a filter to classify data packets, classifying in the filter a received data packet having an associated destination by destination; and if the packet may be processed by the packet processing logic and the packet is a network maintenance packet, sending the received data packet to the packet processing logic; if the destination of the packet is the host and the host interface is operating in the low power state, configuring the host interface logic to operate in the active power state; and if the packet destination is the host, sending the data packet from the filter to the host interface logic.