System and method for statistical control of power dissipation with host enforcement

1. A system for controlling power in a communication system, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates data;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to monitor data flow through the transceiver during a predefined first time period; and

a processor unit coupled to the DSP and configured to compare the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period with a predefined threshold, the processor unit further configured to generate a control signal, such that when the total data flow monitored by the processor unit during the first time period exceeds the threshold, the processor unit generates the control signal such that data flow through the transceiver is reduced for a portion of a predefined second time period so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor unit further comprises:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a logic module residing in the memory and executed by the processor, the logic module configured to compare the threshold with the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period, and further configured to allocate the difference between the threshold and data flow through the transceiver during the first time period so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver, DSP and processor unit reside in a processing system.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processing system resides at a customer's premise.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the transceiver processor is further configured to power down a transmitter and a receiver residing in the transceiver to effect a slow down in a data flow through the transceiver.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the means for controlling and configured so that a user may specify the predefined time period and the predefined threshold.

7. A system for controlling power in a communication system, comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to transmit and receive communication signals;

at least one means for counting configured to monitor data flow through the transceiver during a predefined first time period; and

a means for controlling coupled to the means for counting and configured to compare the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period with a predefined threshold, the processor unit further configured to generate a control signal,

such that when the total data flow monitored by the means for controlling during the first time period exceeds the threshold, the means for controlling generates the control signal such that data flow through the transceiver is reduced for a portion of a predefined second time period so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver further comprises:

a transmitter configured to transmit a communication signal;

a receiver configured to receive a communication signal; and

a transceiver processor coupled to the means for controlling, the transmitter, the receiver and the means for counting, and further configured to receive the control signal from the means for controlling and generate a transmitter control signal so that data flow through the transmitter residing in the transceiver is reduced during the second time period, and further configured to generate a receiver control signal so that data flow through the receiver residing in the transceiver is reduced during the second time period.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the means for controlling and configured so that a user may specify the predefined time period and the predefined threshold.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver is a modem that resides at a customer's premise.

11. A method for controlling data flow in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring data flow through a transceiver for a predefined first time period;

determining the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period;

comparing the total data flow to a predefined threshold; and

reducing data flow through the transceiver for a predefined second time period so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:

determining a difference between the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the threshold; and

reducing the data flow by the difference during the second time period.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of associating the predefined threshold with a specified total amount of heat to be dissipated by the transceiver during the first time period so that when the total data flow through the transceiver equals the predefined threshold the total amount of heat dissipated substantially equals the specified total amount of heat.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of specifying the first period and the second period.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of specifying the threshold.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of turning off the transceiver for a specified portion of the second time period such that data flow through the transceiver is reduced during the second time period.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of turning off a transmitters residing in the transceiver for a specified portion of the second time period such that data flow through the transceiver is reduced during the second time period.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of operating the transceiver in a low-power idle state for a specified portion of the second time period such that data flow through the transceiver is reduced during the second time period.

19. A system for controlling data flow in a communication system, comprising:

means for monitoring data flow through a transceiver for a predefined first time period;

means for determining the total data flow through the transceiver during the first time period;

means for comparing the total data flow to a predefined threshold; and

means for reducing data flow through the transceiver for a predefined second time period so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising means for turning off a transmitter residing in the transceiver for a specified portion of the second time period such that data flow through the transmitter is reduced during the second time period.

21. A computer readable medium having a program for controlling data flow in a communication system, the program comprising logic configured to perform the steps of:

receiving information corresponding to the total data flow through a transceiver during a predefined first time period;

comparing the total data flow to a predefined threshold; and

determining a control signal such that data flow through the transceiver for a predefined second time period is reduced so that the average of the data flow through the transceiver during the first time period and the second time period is less than the predefined threshold.