Method And System For Triggering Training For Ethernet Channels To Support Energy Efficient Ethernet Networks

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.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A method for networking over an Ethernet link comprising one or more active channels and one or more silent channels, said method comprising:
 determining a maximum allowable time between refreshing said one or more silent channels;   triggering an updating of a plurality of parameters of said one or more silent channels in response to said one or more silent channels remaining silent for said maximum allowable time;   updating said plurality of parameters according to said triggering and after an initial configuration of said plurality of parameters of said one or more silent channels.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising triggering said updating of said plurality of parameters at fixed times. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising triggering said updating of said plurality of parameters at periodic or aperiodic time intervals. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising triggering said updating of said plurality of parameters based on a random timer or a pseudorandom timer. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising triggering said updating of said plurality of parameters based on one or more physical conditions within said Ethernet link environment. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising triggering said updating of said plurality of parameters based on programming. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising updating said plurality of parameters for one or more of an echo canceller, a far-end crosstalk canceller, and a near-end crosstalk canceller corresponding to said one or more silent channels. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising activating one or more of said silent channels subsequent to said updating said plurality of parameters. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34 , comprising returning one or more of said silent channels to a silent mode subsequent to said updating said plurality of parameters. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said updating comprises transmitting one or more pulses across one or more of said silent channels. 
     
     
         44 . A system for networking over an Ethernet link comprising one or more active channels and one or more silent channels, said system comprising:
 one or more circuits in a link partner coupled to said Ethernet link, said one or more circuits configured to:
 determine a maximum allowable time between refreshing said one or more silent channels; 
   trigger an updating of a plurality of parameters of said one or more silent channels in response to said one or more silent channels remaining silent for said maximum allowable time;
 update said plurality of parameters according to said triggering and after an initial configuration of said plurality of parameters of said one or more silent channels. 
   
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to trigger said update of said plurality of parameters at fixed times. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to trigger said update of said plurality of parameters at periodic or aperiodic time intervals. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to trigger said update of said plurality of parameters based on a random timer or a pseudorandom timer. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to trigger said update of said plurality of parameters based on one or more physical conditions within said Ethernet link environment. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to trigger said update of said plurality of parameters based on programming. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits update said plurality of parameters for one or more of an echo canceller, a far-end crosstalk canceller, and a near-end crosstalk canceller corresponding to said one or more silent channels. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to activate one or more of said silent channels subsequent to said update said plurality of parameters. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to return one or more of said silent channels to a silent mode subsequent to said update said plurality of parameters. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more circuits are configured to perform said update by transmitting one or more pulses across one or more of said silent channels.