Patent ID: 7836199

Claim:
In a communication system using a plurality of data rates, a method for negotiating a link data rate between network-connected devices, the method comprising: in a communication system including a first device network-connected to a second device, mutually generating energy waveforms representing predetermined inquiry signals transmitted in the event that a negotiated data rate has not been determined, with the first device transmitting the inquiry signal at a first data rate and the second device transmitting the inquiry signal at a second data rate, where the first and second data rates are selected from a group consisting of a data rate associated with a single physical medium lane and the resultant data rate associated with combining a plurality of physical medium lanes; in the event of the second device receiving an energy waveform representing an acknowledgement signal at the second data rate, the first and second devices generating energy waveforms representing non-predetermined data transmitted at the second data rate; in the event of the first device receiving an energy waveform representing an acknowledgement signal at the first data rate, the first and second devices generating energy waveforms representing non-predetermined data transmitted at the first data rate; wherein the first and second devices transmitting non-predetermined data at the first data rate includes first and second devices transmitting non-predetermined Ethernet data at a 10 gigabit per second (10 G) data rate via an interface selected from a group consisting of a single physical medium lane at 10 G and 4 physical medium lanes, at 2.5 G per lane; and, wherein the first and second devices transmitting non-predetermined data at the second data rate includes first and second devices transmitting non-predetermined Ethernet data at a 1 gigabit per second (1 G) data rate.