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:
Oct. 15, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 07, 2001
Behrooz Rezvani, Pleasanton, CA (US);
John Zhongxuan Zhang, Fremont, CA (US);
Dale Smith, Fremont, CA (US);
Caesar Seehoi Wong, Fremont, CA (US);
Ikanos Communications, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for reducing power requirements in X-DSL and other communication protocols is disclosed. The apparatus may be applied with equal advantage in wired and wireless media Power is supplied selectively to input lines in which input signals exceed selected threshold levels. The apparatus is configured to support statistical multiplexing of the input signal lines across a plurality of amplification means which support amplification at up to either of at least two power levels. This reduces overall power requirements for the combined input lines. In an embodiment of the invention an apparatus for providing amplification of input signals on corresponding ones of a plurality of input signal lines is disclosed. The apparatus includes primary amplifiers and at least one secondary amplifier with higher output levels than the primary amplifier which can be statistical multiplexed to whichever of the input signal lines requires additional amplification. In an alternate embodiment of the invention each input signal line is coupled to a corresponding amplifier which can be statistically multiplexed to a power supplies of varying output levels depending on the amplification requirements of each of the input signal lines.