The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 08, 1997
N Patrick Kelly, Sacramento, CA (US);
David W Vogel, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Level One Communications, Inc., Sacramento, CA (US);
Abstract
A Physical Layer Device is disclosed having power savings features operable during auto-negotiation for multiple technologies. Excessive power consumption is alleviated by decreasing the power required by the receiver(s) during parallel detection. The Physical Layer Device includes at least one port, with each port including a parallel detection receiver for receiving data and messages from a connected device, the data and messages including autonegotiation fast link pulses indicating a technology capability of the connected device, a cycler for enabling the parallel detection receiver for a fraction of an autonegotiation period and a controller for controlling the cycler. The enabling of the receiver for each port, whether a multiple or single port device, is staggered to prevent more than one receiver from being enabled at one time. Accordingly, the receivers are enabled for a brief period of time to check for the presence of the required signals, and then disabled for a much greater period of time before being enabled again. Further, the Physical Layer Devices contains multiple ports that can stagger the enabling of their receivers so that only one port's receiver is active at any given time.