Patent ID: 8392637

Claim:
An energy efficiency method, comprising: detecting, by an energy efficiency control policy module that is implemented in a physical layer device contained within a network device, a need for transitioning of said physical layer device from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode different from said first power consumption mode; in response to said detection, generating a control signal by said energy efficiency control policy module in said physical layer device; and initiating, by a pause generating module in said physical layer device in response to said control signal generated by said energy efficiency control policy module, a transmission of a pause frame from said physical layer device upstream to a media access control device contained in said network device, said transmitted pause frame being used to facilitate a transition by said physical layer device from said first power consumption mode to said second power consumption mode, wherein said transmitted pause frame initiated by said pause generating module is used by a flow control module in said media access control device to buffer downstream traffic and cease further transmissions by said media access control device downstream to said physical layer device to accommodate said transition in said physical layer device from said first power consumption mode to said second power consumption mode.