Patent ID: 7013204

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing power consumption of a network device, the method comprising: at a remote manager that is separate from the network device, determining whether one or more state change criteria for the network device are satisfied; if the one or more state change criteria for the network device are satisfied, then the remote manager signaling the network device over a communications network to cause the network device to change from a first operational state in a plurality of operational states to a second operational state in the plurality of operational states, wherein the network device consumes a different amount of power when operating in the second operational state relative to when the network device is operating in the first operational state; at the remote manager that is separate from the network device, determining whether one or more other state change criteria for the network device are satisfied; if the one or more other state change criteria for the network device are satisfied, then the remote manager signaling the network device over a communications network to cause the network device to change from the second operational state to a third operational state in the plurality of operational states, wherein the network device consumes a different amount of power when operating in the third operational state relative to when the network device is operating in the second operational state; and wherein: in the first operational state, power is provided to an electronic controller in the network device but power is not provided to a mechanical module in the network device, in the second operational state, power is provided to both the electronic controller and the mechanical module to allow the mechanical module to operate at a first level of operation, and in the third operational state, power is provided to both the electronic controller and the mechanical module to allow the mechanical module to operate at a second level of operation, wherein the mechanical module consumes relatively more power when operating at the second level of operation relative to when the mechanical module is operating at the first level of operation.