Patent ID: 8924768

Claim:
A method of managing power by a communications circuit, the method comprising: monitoring at least one transmission signal on a communication interface within the communications circuit, wherein the communications interface is coupled to an external device; monitoring at least one receive signal on the communication interface; determining if data is present on the communication interface on the at least one transmission signal and on the at least one receive signal, wherein said determining is performed by delaying a synchronization signal conveyed between the communications interface and the external device and checking for a presence of at least one transmission signal or at least one receive signal subsequent to said delaying; resetting a count responsive to determining that data is present on the at least one transmission signal or the at least one receive signal; incrementing a count responsive to determining that both the at least one transmission signal and the at least one receive signal are not present; sending a command to an integrated circuit coupled to the communications circuit to enter a low power state responsive to the determination that the count has reach a pre-determined value; and scaling a clock signal down to a lower frequency responsive to the determination that the count has reached a pre-determined value.