System and method for optimizing power consumption in a mobile environment

1. A method for optimizing power consumption in a communication system comprising a network interface and a host computer, the method comprising:

determining, by the network interface, at least one power mode of the host computer from a plurality of possible power modes; and

selecting, by the network interface, at least one network interface power management state from a plurality of possible power management states based on the at least one power mode determined, wherein selecting further comprises:

configuring a PHY layer to restart and negotiate at a predetermined speed; and

increment advertized capabilities until link presence is detected; and

wherein the network interface is operably coupled to the host computer and provides access for the host computer to the network, and wherein the network interface:

locally detects a non-zero volume of traffic received by said network interface; and

locally selects the power management state for the network interface from the plurality of possible power management states based at least in part on the volume of non-zero traffic received by said network interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of possible power management states comprises at lease one of a first, second and third power management states.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein locally selecting comprises operating the communication system at a frequency supporting high bandwidth transmission.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein locally selecting comprises operating at least a portion of the communication system at 62.5 mHz.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein locally selecting further comprises reducing a throughput of the communication system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein locally selecting comprises reducing the throughput of the communication system from about 1000 Base-T to about 10 Base-T.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein locally selecting comprises switching to a slow clock during at least one power management state.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein locally selecting comprises switching to a 6.25 mHz clock.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein locally detecting by the network interface operably coupled to the host computer to provide access to the network, further comprise detecting whether the host computer is using battery or AC power and wherein selecting the power state further comprises selecting the power state at least in part on the detection of whether the host computer is using battery or AC power.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein locally detecting by the network interface operably coupled to the host computer, further comprises detecting absence of traffic on the link, and use of a battery by the host computer; and wherein selecting at state wherein the PHY layer uses polling.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locally detecting by the network interface operably coupled to the host computer, further comprises loss of signal on link and wherein selecting by the network interface further comprises:

switching a clock speed from a MAC layer to the PHY layer.

12. A system for optimizing power consumption in a communication system comprising a network interface and a host computer, the system comprising:

network interface for determining at least one power mode of the host computer from a plurality of possible power modes and selecting at least one network interface power management state from a plurality of possible power management states based on the at least one power mode determined, wherein selecting further comprises:

configuring a PHY layer to restart and negotiate at a predetermined speed; and

increment advertized capabilities until link presence is detected; and

wherein the network interface is operably coupled to the host computer and provides access for the host computer to the network, and wherein the network interface locally detects a volume of non-zero traffic received by said network interface and locally selects the power management state for the network interface from the plurality of possible power management states based at least in part on the volume of non-zero traffic received by said network interface.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of possible power management states comprises at lease one of a first, second and third power management states.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein locally selecting comprises operating the communication system at a frequency supporting high bandwidth transmission.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein locally selecting comprises operating at least a portion of the communication system at 62.5 mHz.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein locally selecting further comprises reducing a throughput of the communication system.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein locally selecting comprises reducing the throughput of the communication system from about 1000 Base-T to about 10 Base-T.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein locally selecting comprises switching to a slow clock during at least one power management state.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein locally selecting comprises switching to a 6.25 mHz clock.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein locally detecting further comprise detecting whether the host computer is using battery or AC power and wherein selecting the power state further comprises selecting the power state at least in part on the detection of whether the host computer is using battery or AC power.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein locally detecting by the network interface operably coupled to the host computer, further comprises detecting absence of traffic on the link, and use of a battery by the host computer; and wherein selecting at state wherein the PHY layer uses polling.

22. The system of claim 12 , wherein locally detecting by the network interface operably coupled to the host computer, further comprises loss of signal on link and wherein selecting by the network interface further comprises:

switching a clock speed from a MAC layer to the PHY later.