Abstract: A system for measuring aspects of a network having a plurality of network components, includes a monitor configured to gather operational characteristics of at least one of the plurality of network components and an analyzer. The analyzer is configured to analyze the gathered operational characteristics received from the monitor and estimate characteristics of an unmonitored one of the plurality of network components based on the gathered operational characteristics.

Abstract: An environment, such as an industrial environment, may include a control network with multiple network devices. A network device in the control network may have groups of communication ports servicing upstream and/or downstream network traffic. The group of communication ports may have, for example, two communication ports. Transmission parameters of the communication ports may be dynamically configured based on a first network port configuration and a second network port configuration for the first and second communication ports, respectively. The first network port configuration may have different transmission parameters than the second network port configuration. The first network port may forward data packets over the control network according to the first network port configuration, while the second network port may forward data packets to the next hop device utilizing the second network port configuration.

Abstract: An industrial process environment uses selective power-over-network (PoN) techniques to facilitate configuration, operation, communication, and other operations for the industrial nodes in the environment. The network may be an Ethernet network, and the environment may selectively deliver power-over-Ethernet as well as command, configuration, or other data over the network connection. The environment may perform the techniques over other types of networks or combinations of networks in addition to or instead of Ethernet networks.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing quality of service via a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, a broadband gateway that supports one or more first QoS protocols may determine, based on communications with a plurality of communication devices, whether each of the plurality of communication devices supports the one or more first QoS protocols. The gateway may communicate a result of the determination to a content provider and/or service provider. In this manner, the content provider and/or service provider may determine whether to utilize one or more second QoS protocols to deliver content to a particular one of said plurality of communication devices based on whether said particular of communication devices based on whether said particular one of said plurality of communication devices supports the one or more first QoS protocols. The gateway may be operable to map between QoS protocols.

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.

Abstract: System and method for energy efficient Ethernet with asymmetric traffic profiles. A low power mode such as a low power idle mode is typically leveraged when both direction of a link do not have data traffic to transmit. Where only one direction of a link has data traffic to transmit, a physical layer device can transition from a full duplex mode to a simplex mode to produce energy savings (e.g., disabling cancellation circuitry).

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for service mobility via a femtocell infrastructure are provided. In this regard, a mobile cellular enabled communication device may detect a femtocell operable to deliver content for one or more services to the mobile cellular enabled communication device, where the one or more services may be provided via a set-top-box communicatively coupled to the femtocell. The mobile cellular enabled communication device may communicate a user profile to the femtocell, wherein information in the profile may be utilized by the set-top-box to authenticate and/or authorize access to the services by the mobile cellular enabled communication device and thus the mobile cellular enabled communication device may receive the content from the set-top-box based on the authentication and/or authorization. The content may comprise voice, video, data, text and/or still images.

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 device in an industrial environment may adapt communications to account for industrial noise in the industrial environment. The device may send a first communication to a destination device in the industrial environment using a first communication technology. The device may access noise prediction data for the industrial environment, and the noise prediction data may indicate predicted noise for one or more portions of the industrial environment, including a communication pathway to the destination device using the first communication technology. The device may adapt a subsequent communication to the destination device to account for the predicted noise along the communication pathway.

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: A broadband gateway may be operable to receive network topology information to enable peer-to-peer communications between a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. A communication link which may bypass core layer network components and/or resources for enabling the peer-to-peer communications between the first communication device and the second communication device may be established by the broadband gateway, based on the received network topology information, a location of the first communication device and a location of the second communication device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may receive different content from different sources, may combine the content to produce a combined content, and may communicate the combined content to a device connected to the broadband gateway. The content may be automatically and/or manually synchronized. The synchronization may be based on a clock signal received from the device, a clock signal from another device connected to the broadband gateway, and/or a clock signal received through one or more network access service providers. The content may be video image data and/or audio data. Moreover, user-generated content may be received and combined by the broadband gateway when in a peer-to-peer communication configuration with the source of the content. When more than two different content are received, the broadband gateway may be utilized to select which contents to combine.

Abstract: An energy efficient sleep signature in power over Ethernet. In one embodiment, a signature of a powered device is first detected. It is then determined whether the detected signature is indicative of an unknown powered device. In one example, a detected signature of an approximately 25 k? impedance is indicative of an unknown powered device. Where the detected signature is indicative of an unknown powered device a normal PoE startup powering process can be used that includes a conventional detection, classification and powering process. Where the detected signature is indicative of a powered device that was previously known to the PSE, then powering of the PD can proceed with a fast-restart powering method that retains previous powering parameters.

Abstract: A proxy device for a network of devices may include memory, a device status module, a data intercept module, a network interface, and an emulation module. The memory may be configured to store an emulation policy for emulating a device in a network, where the policy includes a status criterion that indicates a status of the device for which the policy applies. The device status module may be configured to monitor the status of the device. The data intercept module may be configured to intercept action requests directed to the device. The network interface may be configured to forward the intercepted action requests to the device when the status of the device fails to satisfy the status criterion. The emulation module may be configured to emulate the device, and respond to the action request without accessing the device, when the status of the device satisfies the status criterion.

Abstract: A system and method for using energy-efficient Ethernet to control energy efficiency in lower layers. In one example, an energy-efficiency control policy in a first Ethernet device can be configured to determine a need for transitioning of at least a part of the first Ethernet device into an energy saving state. Based on such a determination, an energy-efficiency control signal can be transmitted from the first Ethernet device to a first non-Ethernet device. The receipt of the energy-efficiency control signal by the first non-Ethernet device is used to initiate a transition by the first non-Ethernet device into an energy saving state, which in turn may initiate a transition by downstream non-Ethernet devices into an energy saving state. This process creates a single unified energy-efficiency policy domain.

Abstract: Automotive area networks (AAN) have a substantially fixed network topology, meaning that the physical media used for communications between devices included in the AAN is known. For example, the physical connections within an AAN, sometimes provided by wiring harnesses, can include fixed lengths of twisted pairs of wire (“twisted pairs”). Pre-compensation parameters related to characteristics of the twisted pairs can be determined at the factory, and loaded into the memory of devices connected to the AAN. These pre-compensation parameters are used to improve the fast wake up and link acquisition times of connected devices. Various characteristics of the physical communication channel are measured or estimated as a function of mechanical, ingress, climactic, and environmental variations (MICE), and used to update the pre-compensation parameters.

Abstract: A temporary work group system may include one or more network devices and one or more working devices. The network device can allocate an access point in a network to provide network access to a temporary work group. Working devices may be selectively identified by the network device as being available for inclusion in the temporary work group based on a first predetermined criteria that includes proximity to the access point and authentication of each of the working devices. Selectively identified working devices can be associated with the temporary work group based on a second predetermined criteria that includes a respective relative location of the working devices and respective functionality of the working devices. The system may preempt working devices from association with the work group session until such devices meet both the first predetermined criteria and the second predetermined criteria.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for network communications via a configurable multi-use Ethernet PHY are provided. In this regard, an Ethernet PHY may be configured based on characteristics of a network link over which the Ethernet PHY communicates, energy efficiency considerations, etc. In one embodiment a first Ethernet PHY, a first MAC, a second Ethernet PHY, and a second MAC can be integrated within a network device. Data can be received by the second Ethernet PHY, buffered in a queue, and transmitted by the first Ethernet PHY, where the second Ethernet PHY receives the data at a rate that may be different than the rate at which the first Ethernet PHY transmits the data. In some instances, the second Ethernet PHY may be operable to request that a link partner pause or slow down transmission of data based on a status of the queue.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for symmetric transmit and receive latencies in an energy efficient PHY are provided. In this regard, a delay introduced by a PHY of a network device for outbound traffic and a delay introduced by the PHY for inbound traffic may be controlled such that a transmit delay of the network device is equal, within a tolerance, to a receive latency of the network device. The delays may be controlled based on whether one or more energy efficiency features are enabled in the PHY. The delay introduced by the PHY for outbound traffic may be controlled based on an amount of buffered inbound traffic. The delay introduced by the PHY for inbound traffic may be controlled based on an amount of buffered outbound traffic. The delays may be controlled such that said receive latency and the transmit latency are approximately constant regardless of a mode of operation of the network device.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for energy-efficiency-based packet classification are provided. In this regard, a network link for communicating a packet may be selected based, at least in part, on an amount of energy required to communicate the packet over the network link, and based, at least in part, on an energy efficiency class to which the packet is assigned. The energy efficiency class may be determined based on one or more fields of the packet, wherein the fields may comprise one or more of an Ethertype field, a type of service header of an IP datagram, and a field pre-pended or appended to a payload of the packet. In this regard, during or subsequent to generation of the packet, the packet may be marked such that a network path traversed by the generated packet may be determined based on the energy required to communicate the packet over the network path.