Abstract: In an Ethernet network comprising link partners that are coupled via an Ethernet link, an energy efficient network (EEN) communication control policy may be established above a MAC layer. The EEN control policy may determine a power level mode of operation for the link partners. Power level mode control data may be communicated from hardware, software and/or firmware of upper layer protocols to PHY devices. The control data may specify when, where and/or how long to implement the power level mode. The control data may be communicated via a “magic” packet comprising start and/or end of frame delimiters and bits that indicate the power level mode. The PHY devices may detect, parse and/or interpret the “magic” packet and may enter and/or exit a lower power mode of operation. The PHY devices may respond to by generating a magic packet to upper layers.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling legacy media access control (MAC) to do energy efficient Ethernet (EEE). A backpressure mechanism is included in an EEE enhanced PHY that is responsive to a detected need to transition between various power modes of the EEE enhanced PHY. Through the backpressure mechanism, the EEE enhanced PHY can indicate to the legacy MAC that transmission of data is to be deferred due to a power savings initiative in the EEE enhanced PHY.

Abstract: A hybrid technique in energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) physical layer devices (PHYs). A hybrid approach is defined that combines multiple low power modes. In one embodiment, the hybrid approach uses low power idle (LPI) and subset PHY techniques that can be selectively activated.

Abstract: A system and method for carrier deferral for full duplex energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) physical layer devices (PHYs). A carrier deferral signal can be asserted to a media access control layer to indicate to the media access control (MAC) layer that transmission of data is to be deferred due to a power savings initiative in the physical layer device. In one example, the carrier deferral signal is used when a PHY is awakened by the MAC when the MAC has something to transmit. In another example, the carrier deferral signal is used when a PHY is switching link rates.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for duty cycling a network device based on aggregate throughput of the device are provided. In this regard, a limit on aggregate ingress and egress data of a network device during a time interval may be determined. Processing of data by the network device may be duty cycled based on the determination. The device may process data at a first rate during a first portion of the time interval and process data at a second rate during a remaining portion of the time interval. In this regard, portions of the device may be slowed or powered down during the first portion of the time interval. Power consumed by the device during the first portion of the time interval may be less than power consumed by the device during the remaining portion of the time interval.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for a distinct physical pattern on an active channel to indicate a data rate transition for energy efficient Ethernet. In this regard, one or more distinct physical patterns may be transmitted on one or more active channels of a network link during an inter-packet gap to control a data rate on the link. The unique physical pattern may be transmitted instead of or in addition to one or more IDLE symbols. The distinct physical pattern may communicate a data rate to be utilized on the link and/or indicate when a data rate transition should occur on the link. The distinct pattern may be transmitted and/or the data rate transition may occur during a specified inter-packet gap or during a specified packet boundary. The distinct physical pattern may comprise one or more control characters and/or an ordered set of voltage levels, symbols, and/or characters.

Abstract: An Ethernet network may comprise multi-rate link partners that may be coupled via an Ethernet link. The Ethernet link may comprise a plurality of channels wherein one or more may be silent and/or idle channels set to a low(er) power that may enable energy efficiency. Silent channels may be utilized for transmitting signals comprising one or more distinct physical patterns for controlling data rate transitions. For example, symbols may be utilized for generating the distinct physical patterns. The distinct physical patterns may communicate a new data rate, when to transition the data rate, which channel(s) may bear the data rate transition and/or a method for implementing the data rate transition. The method may comprise activating or suspending a data traffic channel, modifying a signal constellation, modifying PAM levels and/or adjusting inter-frame gap. The new data rate may be determined based on past traffic and/or expected traffic on the network link.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for supporting a variable and energy efficient data rate using a duty cycling technique and multiple power states on an Ethernet link are provided. In this regard, a data rate on a network link may be duty cycled based on characteristics of data communicated over it. The network link may operate at a first data rate for a first portion of the time interval and may operate at a second data rate for a second portion of the time interval. The duration of each portion of the time interval and/or the data rate during each portion of the time interval may be adjusted to control the duty cycling. Power consumed in a device connected to the network link may be controlled based on the duty cycling of the link.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for controlling a clock frequency in a network device based on aggregate throughput of the device are provided. In this regard, for a network device comprising one or more network ports, a limit on aggregate throughput of the device during a time interval may be determined and an operating frequency of a clock within the network device may be controlled based on the determined limit on aggregate throughput. The limit on aggregate throughput may be determined based on past, present, and/or expected traffic patterns; how many of the device's network ports are active during the time interval, a data rate at which each of the active network ports operates during the time interval; a type of data communicated via the network ports; and/or one or more applications running on the network device during the time interval.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing an energy efficient network utilizing Audio Video Bridging are provided. In this regard, an Audio Video Bridging timeslot may be designated for handling an energy efficient networking (EEN) transaction and the EEN transaction may be performed during the designated timeslot. Exemplary EEN transactions comprise scheduling a data rate transition, transitioning to a different data rate, training a link partner, and exchanging training related information. It may be determined whether the timeslot may be reserved for conveying an AVB stream prior to designating the time slot for an EEN transaction. In instances that the timeslot may be unreserved, the timeslot may be reserved for EEN transaction(s). Information exchanged during the designated timeslot may enable scheduling a data rate transition and/or training on a network link. In this regard, a subsequent timeslot may be designated for the data rate transition and/or the training.

Abstract: An Ethernet link may comprise one or more link partners that may be communicatively coupled via one or more silent channels. One or more circuits and/or parameters corresponding to silent channels may be retrained, refreshed and/or updated based on various triggers, for example, fixed times, periodic or aperiodic time intervals, random or pseudorandom timer, events, link statistics, physical conditions such as noise, temperature level, cable type and/or cable length, communication from a corresponding link partner and/or based on programming from, for example, a layer above the physical layer. The retraining, refreshing and/or parameter updating may occur for one or more of an echo canceller, a far-end crosstalk canceller and a near-end crosstalk canceller corresponding to the one or more silent channels. Subsequent to the retraining, refreshing and/or parameter updating, the one or more silent channels may be activated and/or may remain silent.

Abstract: An Ethernet link may comprise silent and active channels and may support energy efficient Ethernet communication. Training parameters from the one or more active channels may be utilized for determining and/or adjusting training parameters for silent channels prior to activation. Training parameters for silent channels may be determined based on copying training parameters from active channels. Determination of training parameters for silent channels may be based on a weighted average of the active channel training parameters. A delta between active channel training parameters from a prior time and subsequent time may be utilized to determine a correction factor for adjusting training parameters for a silent channel from a prior time. Silent channels may be adjusted based on active channel training parameters and then subsequently may be trained. Training parameters may be adjusted for one or more of an echo canceller, a near-end crosstalk canceller and a far-end canceller.

Abstract: Aspects of a system for keyboard, sound and mouse (KSM) over LAN A/V bridging and A/V bridging extensions for graphics thin client applications may include an I/O controller within an LAN subsystem, which enables generation of response data based on input signals from a keyboard device and/or mouse device that is coupled to a computing device. The generated response data may be encapsulated within an encapsulating PDU. The encapsulating PDU may comprise an Ethernet frame and/or and IP packet. The encapsulating PDU may be transmitted via a network based on a traffic class designation. The traffic class designation may enable the transmission of the generated response data via the network based on specified latency target values. A time stamp value may be generated for the encapsulating PDU. The encapsulating PDU may include at least one data type identifier, which indicates that the encapsulating PDU contains the generated response data.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing multimedia traffic over Ethernet are provided. In this regard, multimedia traffic comprising one or more Ethernet frames may be identified via one or more headers comprising the frames and processed according to the identification. In this regard, general Ethernet traffic may be multiplexed into egress frames based on the identification. Similarly, ingress Ethernet frames may be demultiplexed into multimedia traffic and general traffic based on the identification. Headers utilized to identify and/or route multimedia traffic and general traffic may comprise Ethertype and/or subtype fields. Headers utilized to identify and/or route multimedia traffic and general traffic may comprise a connection identifier field. Similarly, Headers utilized to identify and/or route multimedia traffic and general traffic may comprise a data type field.

Abstract: Aspects of a system for optimizing fragment size for aggregation at the physical layer may include one more switch ICs and/or physical (PHY) layer ICs that enable reception of data packets via a medium access control layer protocol entity. Each received data packet may be fragmented into a plurality of fragment payloads, wherein a length of each of the plurality of fragment payloads is selected from a plurality of candidate lengths. Each of the plurality of fragment payloads may be sent via a PHY layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of PHY layer protocol entity instances.

Abstract: Aspects of a system for physical layer aggregation may include one or more switch ICs and/or physical (PHY) layer ICs that enable reception of data packets via a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity. Each of the received data packets may be fragmented into a plurality of fragment payloads. Each of the plurality of fragment payloads may be sent to a PHY layer protocol entity instance a physical layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

Abstract: A heart assist system includes an axial-flow blood pump capable of being implanted in the descending thoracic aorta; a pressure-feedback controller connected to the pump, for controlling the pump, the controller capable of being implanted in the body; and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the pump and to the controller, for providing power to the pump, the battery pack capable of being implanted in the body. A method for assisting a failing heart comprises the steps of a) in response to when a measured dP/dT signal increases during systole, signaling an implanted aortic blood pump to go into a systolic mode and pump blood at a first flow rate; and b) in response to when the dP/dT signal peaks in the negative region, signaling the pump to go into a diastolic mode and pump blood at a second flow rate.

Abstract: A method for surgically restoring a coronary artery having an atheroma, to more normal structure by making an arteriotomy incision over the length of the atheroma, extracting plaque, inserting stent into the coronary artery at the incision and closing the coronary artery over the stent with sutures. An extravascular drug delivery material is applied over the stent implantation site to inhibit thrombosis and smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Abstract: A method for surgically restoring a coronary artery having an atheroma, to more normal structure and function, includes the steps of:

Abstract: A balloon is positionable in the patient's descending aorta. The balloon includes a balloon catheter and two pressure sensors that electrically couple to an extra-corporeal controller. The balloon itself also couples pneumatically to the extra-corporeal controller. An extra-corporeal pump electrically couples to the extra-corporeal controller, the pump having an outlet connectable to the patient's infra-diaphragmatic artery. The pump inlet is connectable via a cannula to the patient's supra-diaphragmatic artery.