Claims
- 1. In a peer-to-peer environment that includes a plurality of members coupled to said environment including a member that broadcasts information to at least one member whose operating voltage is switched off, a method for powering-on the switched off member, the method including the following steps:
- providing each said member with an interface coupled to receive said information, at least a portion of said interface receiving operating voltage at all times and including a decoder, a comparator, and a power control unit;
- said decoder decoding a first type information included in said information;
- said comparator comparing decoded said first type information with at least one stored information pattern representing a power-on condition, said comparator outputting a power-on signal to said power control unit when said stored information pattern matches the decoded said first type information;
- said power control unit coupled to provide operating voltage to said switched off member upon receipt of said power-on signal.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said interface stores at least a first information pattern representing a subset of members of said environment, and a second information pattern representing a subset of said subset of members of said environment;
- wherein said comparator outputs said power-on signal when the decoded said first type information matches either of said first information pattern or said second information pattern.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said member is Energy Star complaint, and wherein collectively said decoder and said comparator consume less than 30 watts of operating power.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said environment further includes a second member, receiving said information broadcast by the broadcasting member, whose operating voltage is switched-off, said method powering-on each said member;
- said second member including a second interface coupled to receive said information, at least a portion of said second network interface receiving operating voltage at all times, said interface including a second decoder, a second comparator, and a second power control unit;
- said second decoder decoding said first type information included in said information;
- said second comparator comparing decoded said first type information with at least one stored information pattern representing a power-on condition, said second comparator outputting a power-on signal to said second power control unit when said stored information pattern matches the decoded said first type information;
- said second power control unit coupled to provide operating voltage to said second member upon receipt of said power-on signal;
- wherein each member is powered-on simultaneously when said decoded said first type information matches said stored information pattern.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information includes packets of binary data.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first type information includes binary address information.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparator includes a hashing algorithm executed within said interface.
- 8. In a peer-to-peer environment that includes a plurality of members coupled to said environment including one of said members that broadcasts information to at least a first member and a second member, each of said first and second member including an interface, at least of portion of which is operative at all times, each said interface able to store at least one type of information, and having a decoder that decodes at least one type of information, and having a power control unit controllably able to provide operating voltage to the associated said member, each of said first and second member having operating voltage switched off, a method for powering-on at least a chosen one of said first and said second member, the method including the following steps:
- storing in each said interface at least one of a first type of information and a second type of information;
- causing each said decoder to decode broadcast said information:
- causing each said decoder to compare decoded said broadcast information against information stored in said decoder's associated said interface; and
- causing said each said power control unit to power-on each said member whose decoder comparison shows a match between information stored in said decoder's associated said interface said first type of information, wherein said first type of information when decoded and successfully compared commands powering-on.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first type of information pattern represents a subset of members of said environment, and said second type of information pattern represents a subset of said subset of members of said environment;
- wherein each said comparator outputs said power-on signal when the decoded first type of information matches either of said first information pattern or said second information pattern.
- 10. The method of claim 8, wherein each said member is Energy Star complaint, and wherein collectively each said decoder and associated said comparator consume less than 30 watts of operating power.
- 11. The method of claim 8, wherein said information includes packets of binary data.
- 12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first type information includes binary address information.
- 13. The method of claim 8, wherein each said comparator includes a hashing algorithm executed within an associated said interface.
- 14. In a peer-to-peer environment that includes a plurality of members coupled to said environment and includes a member that broadcasts information to at least one of said members whose operating voltage is switched off, a system for powering-on a switched off said member, the system comprising:
- an interface coupled to receive said information, said interface including a decoder, a comparator, and a power control unit, said decoder, comparator and power control unit each receiving operating voltage at all times;
- decoder decoding at least a first type of information included in said information;
- said comparator comparing decoded said first type information with at least one stored information pattern representing a power-on condition, said comparator outputting a power-on signal to said power control unit when a said stored information pattern matches the decoded said first type information;
- said power control unit coupled to provide operating voltage to said switched off member upon receipt of said power-on signal.
- 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said interface stores at least a first information pattern representing a subset of members of said environment, and a second information pattern representing a subset of said subset of members of said environment;
- wherein said comparator outputs said power-on signal when the decoded said first type of information matches either of said first information pattern or said second information pattern.
- 16. The system of claim 14, wherein each said member is Energy Star complaint, and wherein collectively for each interface said decoder and said comparator consume less than 30 watts of operating power.
- 17. The system of claim 13, wherein said environment further includes a second member, receiving said information broadcast by the broadcasting member, whose operating voltage is switched-off, said method powering-on each said member;
- said second member including a second interface coupled to receive said information, at least a portion of said second network interface receiving operating voltage at all times, said second interface including a second decoder, a second comparator, and a second power control unit;
- said second decoder decoding said first type information included in said information;
- said second comparator comparing decoded said first type information with at least one stored information pattern representing a power-on condition, said second comparator outputting a power-on signal to said second power control unit when said stored information pattern matches the decoded said first type information;
- said second power control unit coupled to provide operating voltage to said second member upon receipt of said power-on signal;
- wherein each member is powered-on simultaneously when said decoded said first type information matches said stored information pattern.
- 18. The system of claim 14, wherein said information includes packets of digital data.
- 19. The system of claim 14, wherein said first type information includes binary address information.
- 20. The system of claim 14, wherein said comparator includes a hashing algorithm executed within said interface.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/499,085, filed Jul. 6, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,313.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
92302925 |
Apr 1992 |
EPX |
92305570 |
Jun 1992 |
EPX |
93304075 |
May 1993 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
499085 |
Jul 1995 |
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