Abstract: A time base management system facilitates early analysis, detection, and status messages (e.g., early warnings) concerning the operation of time bases in a device. In addition, the time base management system may adapt the time bases in the device according to the anticipated, selected, or actual operating conditions of the device. As one example, if the time base management system knows that a cell phone will switch to a high data rate (e.g., 4G or LTE) operation mode, the time base management system may configure a time base in the cell phone to operate with increased precision or accuracy, or otherwise meet any applicable time base operational profile for high data rate operation.

Abstract: One or more processors and/or one or more circuits may be operable to configure one or more virtual machines and a hypervisor for controlling the one or more virtual machines. The virtual machines and the hypervisor may be distributed across a plurality of network devices. A sub-hypervisor may be configured within each of the virtual machines utilizing the hypervisor. Load information of the network devices may be communicated to the hypervisor utilizing the sub-hypervisors. The virtual machines may include threads, may be load balanced utilizing the hypervisor, dynamically configured utilizing the hypervisor based on changes in the network devices, and scaled by the distribution of the virtual machines across the network devices. Information from the processing of data may be received in the virtual machines. The network devices may include a plurality of: servers, switches, routers, racks, blades, mainframes, personal data assistants, smart phones, desktop computers, and/or laptop devices.

Abstract: A switching fabric, within a network switching device, may comprise a plurality of dedicated interface modules to enable the switching fabric to interface with a plurality of switching support subsystems. The switching support subsystems may comprise a memory subsystem, a content address memory (CAM) subsystem, a packet processing subsystem, and a physical layer (PHY) subsystem. The switching fabric may be operable to determine capacity and/or capability of each of the plurality of switching support subsystems; and to configure each of the plurality of dedicated interface modules based on the determined capacity and/or capability of a corresponding switching support subsystem. The switching fabric also comprises an inter-switch interface module to enable coupling the network switching device to a plurality of other network switching devices, to form a multi-device switching mesh that enable sharing of resources and/or aggregation of switching capabilities of the network switching devices.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may provide energy management service within a home network. The energy management service may enable reducing and/or enhancing energy consumption within the home network. The energy management service may comprise managing one or more devices in the home network by the broadband gateway. The energy management service may be performed based on energy-related information associated with devices, and the information may be stored by the broadband gateway. At least some of the energy-related information may be acquired from the managed devices. The energy management service may comprise controlling and/or configuring the managed devices, and/or communications between the managed devices within the home network. The broadband gateway may track actual energy usage by the managed devices. Information corresponding to energy-related activities and/or usage may be displayed via a user interface. The information may also be reported to entities external to the home network.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for control of energy efficient operation of a networked device. In one embodiment, among others, a method includes determining that transmissions to a network device will be reduced for a period of time and transmitting a code or signaling to the network device that indicates a low power state for a subsystem above a physical layer of the network device without a reduction in physical layer activity. In another embodiment, a method includes obtaining a code or signaling defining a low power state and initiating the low power state in response to the transmitted code or signaling. In another embodiment, a method includes obtaining a code or signaling defining a wakeup state allowing a subsystem above a physical layer to enter a low power state without idling the entire physical layer and initiating the wakeup state for the physical layer in response to the transmitted code.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may manage confidential data associated with users in a home network managed and/or serviced by the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may store the user confidential data broadband gateway in a distributed manner, wherein the confidential data may be divided into a plurality of portions and stored separately in multiple storage locations or devices. When users authorize the transfer of the confidential data, all portions may be communicated to enable aggregating them such that the confidential data may be obtained. The user confidential data may be encrypted. The broadband gateway may securely communicate and/or share the user confidential user data. This may be achieved by tracking communication of the user confidential data, by using tags incorporated into the data. The broadband gateway may also ensure that communicated confidential data is rendered unusable under certain conditions, based on use for various timing tags for example.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to provide multi-tier billing services in a home network. The broadband gateway may determine whether a transaction requested from the broadband gateway is performable in a plurality of steps, may associate a charge and/or a credit with each of the determined plurality of steps, and may perform the requested transaction based on the associated charges and/or credits. The broadband gateway may determine a plurality of cost combinations for performing the requested transaction based on the determined associated charges and/or credits, and may offer the generated plurality of cost combination for selection by user. The transaction may comprise obtaining content for consumption by devices serviced by the broadband gateway. In this regard, a charge and/or a credit may also be associated with one or more criteria associated with obtaining content. The broadband gateway may communicate with users during multi-tier billing services via a user interface.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to authorize transactions associated with one or more accounts, which may be associated with a user of the broadband gateway. The transaction may be handled by the broadband gateway. The authorizations may be performed based on information associated with the accounts, whose storage may be controlled by the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may block and/or terminate transactions failing authentication and/or validation, which may be performed based on the stored information. The transactions may be initiated within a network serviced by the broadband gateway. The transactions may also be initiated outside the serviced network. The stored information may comprise a user profile, which may comprise a plurality of settings for controlling and/or managing authorization performed by the broadband gateway. The user profiles may be configurable by users, wherein configuration may comprise initializing and/or modifying one or more of the transaction related settings.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may provide energy management service within a home network. The energy management service may enable reducing and/or enhancing energy consumption within the home network. The energy management service may comprise managing one or more devices in the home network by the broadband gateway. The energy management service may be performed based on energy-related information associated with devices, and the information may be stored by the broadband gateway. At least some of the energy-related information may be acquired from the managed devices. The energy management service may comprise controlling and/or configuring the managed devices, and/or communications between the managed devices within the home network. The broadband gateway may track actual energy usage by the managed devices. Information corresponding to energy-related activities and/or usage may be displayed via a user interface. The information may also be reported to entities external to the home network.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may provide energy efficient management of services delivered to a home network. The energy efficient service management may enable reducing and/or enhancing energy consumption within access networks utilized during the managed services. The energy management service may comprise determining energy-related costs associated with providing services, based on use of external physical layer connections. The services may then be provisioned based on energy-related costs associated with the services. The service provisioning may comprise controlling and/or adjusting bitrate selection, physical (PHY) layer selection, and/or service level agreement (SLA) parameters. The broadband gateway may negotiate with the network access service providers during the provisioning of the services. This may comprise negotiating and/or configuring micro-leases for use in providing the services.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may be used to provide peer-to-peer communications with other broadband gateways. One or more peer-to-peer connections may be configured with each of the other broadband gateway, for use in peer-to-peer communications, which may be utilized to communicate shared content among the broadband gateways. Users may receive incentives for participating in peer-to-peer communications, comprising sharing credits and/or reduced charges. The broadband gateway may track and/or aggregate sharing credits based on communication of shared content. Peer-to-peer connections may be configured using at least one physical layer connection utilized by the broadband gateway in communicating with corresponding access network service provider. Peer-to-peer connections may also be configured using direct connections and/or links between the broadband gateways. The broadband gateway may generate a directory for use in conjunction with peer-to-peer operations. The directory may be presented via a user interface.

Abstract: A broadband gateway may provision services requested in a home network managed and/or serviced by the broadband gateway by a user associated with the broadband gateway, based on determination of criteria related to the requested service. The requested service may comprise obtaining and/or delivering content for consumption by one or more of a plurality of devices serviced by the broadband gateway in the home network. The criteria may comprise device related data, user preference related information, service performance related parameters, payment related information, and/or energy use related information. The broadband gateway may store information associated with the determined criteria. Provisioning requested services may comprise negotiating with at least one remote resource that may support at least a portion of the requested service. The negotiation may comprise brokering and/or arbitrating a plurality of options of remote resources utilized for providing the at least a portion of the requested service.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for energy efficiency synchronization packet based networks are provided. In this regard, an amount that a clock of a network device drifts between consecutive communications of one or more synchronization packets may be determined, and transitions of the network device into and/or out-of an energy-saving mode of operation may be controlled based on the determination. Additionally or alternatively, the transitions may be controlled based on a number of times that synchronization packets are communicated between the network device and a link partner. An average difference between the clock of the network device and a reference clock may be calculated, and the transitions may be controlled based on the calculated average.

Abstract: One or more processors and/or one or more circuits in a user device may be operable to communicate a request for desired content to content and service providers. Bids may be received, responsive to the request, for providing the desired content to the user device and/or other devices. The request may initiate a parallel bidding process between the content and service providers. Bids to provide and/or deliver the desired content may be received from content and/or service providers by the user device. A profile of the end user device may be configured for automatically generating the capability and/or requirements in the request, and may be stored in the end user device. The end user device may include a handheld wireless device. Delivery of the content may be at a desired price and/or at a desired time. The request for content may be submitted via a website.

Abstract: A gateway network device may establish secure connections to a plurality of remote network devices using tunneling protocols to distribute to the remote network devices multimedia content received from one or more content providers. The consumption of the multimedia content may originally be restricted to local network associated with the gateway network device. The secure connections may be set up using L2TP protocol, and the L2TP tunneling connections may be secured using IPSec protocol. Use of multimedia content may be restricted based on DRM policies of the content provider. DRM policies may be implemented using DTCP protocol, which may restrict use of the multimedia content based on roundtrip times and/or IP subnetting. Each content provider may use one or more VLAN identifiers during communication of the multimedia content to the gateway network device, and the gateway network device may associate an additional VLAN identifier with each secure connection.

Abstract: A communication device may be operable to configure a power management profile for the communication device and/or for one or more devices communicatively coupled to the communication device based on determined location corresponding to the communication device. The power management profile may comprise one or more operational parameters for a plurality of power sources, and may be utilized to control power usage in the communication device and/or the one or more devices. The communication device may be integrated into or be coupled with a hybrid vehicle. The location determination may be performed based on GNSS functions. The power management profile may enable creating and/or modifying operation control data for chargeable power storage devices based on location related data. The operation control data for the chargeable power storage devices may pertain to consumption of power from and/or recharging of the chargeable power storage devices.

Abstract: One or more processors and/or one or more circuits may be operable to configure one or more virtual machines and a hypervisor for controlling the one or more virtual machines. The virtual machines and the hypervisor may be distributed across a plurality of network devices. A sub-hypervisor may be configured within each of the virtual machines utilizing the hypervisor. Load information of the network devices may be communicated to the hypervisor utilizing the sub-hypervisors. The virtual machines may include threads, may be load balanced utilizing the hypervisor, dynamically configured utilizing the hypervisor based on changes in the network devices, and scaled by the distribution of the virtual machines across the network devices. Information from the processing of data may be received in the virtual machines. The network devices may include a plurality of: servers, switches, routers, racks, blades, mainframes, personal data assistants, smart phones, desktop computers, and/or laptop devices.

Abstract: A switching fabric, within a network switching device, may comprise a plurality of dedicated interface modules to enable the switching fabric to interface with a plurality of switching support subsystems. The switching support subsystems may comprise a memory subsystem, a content address memory (CAM) subsystem, a packet processing subsystem, and a physical layer (PHY) subsystem. The switching fabric may be operable to determine capacity and/or capability of each of the plurality of switching support subsystems; and to configure each of the plurality of dedicated interface modules based on the determined capacity and/or capability of a corresponding switching support subsystem. The switching fabric also comprises an inter-switch interface module to enable coupling the network switching device to a plurality of other network switching devices, to form a multi-device switching mesh that enable sharing of resources and/or aggregation of switching capabilities of the network switching devices.

Abstract: Hypervisor functions, which may control operations of one or more virtual machines, may be distributed across a plurality of network devices. State information may be stored for the virtual machines on network devices for fault tolerance and resilience. The virtual machines may retrieve stored state information to recover from a fault. The hypervisor may control the storage of the state information. Resources of the network devices may be allocated for fault tolerance and resilience of the virtual machines based on network device parameters, which may include storage capacity, processor usage, access time, communication bandwidth, and/or latency. The state information may include program content, cache content, memory content, and/or register content information, may be stored on a continuous, periodic, or an aperiodic basis, and may be shared among the network devices to enable the processing of data by the virtual machines when a fault occurs, and may be incrementally updated.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for link adaptive Ethernet communications are provided. In this regard, characteristics of a cable attached to a network device may be determined, and the network device may be configured based on the determined characteristics. One or more of a plurality of Ethernet PHYs within the network device may be selected to be utilized for communicating over the cable based on the determined characteristics of the cable. The selected Ethernet PHYs may be configured based on the determined characteristics. A modulation scheme utilized by the selected Ethernet PHYs may be configured based on the determined characteristics. A modulation scheme utilized by each of the selected Ethernet PHYs may be configured independently from a modulation scheme utilized by other ones of the selected Ethernet PHYs.