Patent ID: 8234510

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, in a first interface of an intermediary device, information from a network interface device in a computing device, said received information providing an indication to said intermediary device that said computing device has entered a sleep state, said received information also informing said intermediary device of a message that can awaken said computing device from said sleep state; transitioning, in response to said receiving, said first interface from an active state to an energy saving state; while said first interface is in said energy saving state, determining whether communication received from a network via a second interface of said intermediary device that is destined for said computing device includes said message; transitioning said first interface from said energy saving state to said active state when it is determined that said communication from said network that is destined for said computing device includes said message; and buffering said message in said intermediary device until said first interface has returned to said active state.