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.

Date of Patent:
Jan. 24, 2017

Filed:

Aug. 21, 2014
Applicant:

International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);

Inventors:

Daniel Mark Dreps, Austin, TX (US);

Frank D. Ferraiolo, Naples, FL (US);

Anand Haridass, Bangalore, IN;

Prasanna Jayaraman, Bangalore, IN;

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 29/08 (2006.01); G06F 13/40 (2006.01); G06F 13/42 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 13/4027 (2013.01); G06F 13/4221 (2013.01); H04L 69/321 (2013.01); H04L 69/323 (2013.01); Y02B 60/1228 (2013.01); Y02B 60/1235 (2013.01);
Abstract

A communications technique using spare bit-lanes to communicate changes in interface physical link layer bandwidth and/or active width provides for dynamic adjustment of power consumption of interface links without requiring a separate control path for exchanging the change information. One or more spare bit-lanes are used to communicate an indication of the operating frequency/active width change to the physical link layer of the remote side of the interface and an acknowledgement is sent back to provide complete handshaking of the operating characteristic change. The method can determine whether or not a spare bit-lane is available and prevent making the change if a spare bit-lane is not available until the interface is repaired and a spare bit-lane can then be used for communicating operating changes in operating frequency/active width.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…