1. An Ethernet device having multiple lanes, the Ethernet device comprising:
a lane state setting unit to set each lane to either an active or inactive state; and
a block distribution unit to distribute data blocks to the respective lanes, and to allocate a dummy block to a lane, based on the lane being set to inactive.
2. The Ethernet device of claim 1, wherein the lane state setting unit transmits a lane status message containing lane state information.
3. The Ethernet device of claim 2, wherein the lane status message is defined based on a link fault message specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 standards.
4. The Ethernet device of claim 1, wherein the lane state setting unit is formed in a reconciliation sub-layer (RS) and the block distribution unit is formed in a physical coding sub-layer (PCS).
5. The Ethernet device of claim 1, wherein the distribution unit distributes the data blocks to the respective lanes based on a round robin scheme.
6. The Ethernet device of claim 5, wherein before the distribution unit distributes the data blocks, checking is performed to determine whether each lane to be allocated with a data block is set as inactive and allocating the dummy block to each lane that is set to inactive.
7. An Ethernet device having multiple lanes, the Ethernet device comprising:
a lane state determination unit to detect a lane which is set to an inactive state and to which a dummy block is allocated; and
a block elimination unit to eliminate the dummy block.
8. The Ethernet device of claim 7, wherein the lane state determination unit receives a lane status message containing lane state information and determines a state of the lane based on the received lane status message.
9. The Ethernet device of claim 8, wherein the lane status message is defined based on a link fault message specified by IEEE 802.3 standards.
10. The Ethernet device of claim 8, wherein the determination unit detects the inactive lane based on a lane identifier included in the lane status message.
11. The Ethernet device of claim 8, wherein the determination unit detects the inactive lane based on a data format of the dummy block included in the lane status message.
12. The Ethernet device of claim 7, wherein the lane state determination unit is formed in a reconciliation sub-layer (RS) and the block elimination unit is formed in a physical coding sub-layer (PCS).
13. The Ethernet device of claim 7, wherein the block elimination unit transmits all data blocks, not including the dummy block, which is removed to a decoding unit and the decoding unit decodes the data blocks and transmits the decoded data to a reconciliation sub-layer (RS).
14. A method of operating multiple lanes of Ethernet device, the method comprising:
generating a lane status message containing lane state information and transmitting the generated lane status message;
setting at least one or more lanes to an inactive state according to the generated lane status message; and
distributing data blocks to the respective lanes and allocating a dummy block to each of the lanes set to inactive.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lane status message is processed in a reconciliation sub-layer (RS) of the Ethernet device.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the lane status message is defined based on a link fault message specified by IEEE 802.3 standards.
17. A method of operating multiple lanes of an Ethernet device, the method comprising:
receiving a lane status message containing lane state information;
detecting a lane set to an inactive state, to which a dummy block is allocated, based on the received lane status message; and
eliminating the dummy block.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lane status message is processed in a reconciliation sub-layer (RS) of the Ethernet device.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the lane status message is defined based on a link fault message specified by IEEE 802.3 standards.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A local coil unit for a magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:
a coil adapted to receive magnetic resonance signals from an examination subject;
a deformable section, carrying at least a portion of said coil, adapted for placement on the examination subject; and
a bending mechanism connected to said deformable section that is activatable to deform said deformable section to adapt said deformable section to a contour of the examination subject.
2. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bending mechanism deforms said deformable section to cause said deformable section to naturally nestle against said contour.
3. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deformable section has a substantially non-deformed rest shape, and wherein said deformable section is returnable, after deformation of said deformable section, to said rest shape.
4. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 comprising a non-deformable section connected to said deformable section.
5. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein said bending mechanism is attached to both of said non-deformable section and said deformable section.
6. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bending mechanism comprises at least one adjustment element that curves said deformable section.
7. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said adjustment element is a device for exerting a pulling force on said deformable section.
8. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said pulling device exerts said pulling force in a direction along said contour.
9. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bending mechanism comprises at least one bending element.
10. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 9 wherein said bending element is mechanically coupled with said deformable section.
11. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 9 wherein said deformable section has a substantially non-deformed rest shape, and wherein said bending element returns said deformable section to said rest shape after deformation of said deformable section.
12. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 9 wherein said bending element comprises at least one plastic strip.
13. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein said bending mechanism comprises a pulling device for applying a pulling force in a pull direction to said plastic strip, and wherein said plastic strip is aligned along said pull direction.
14. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein said bending mechanism comprises a pulling device, manually operable by a hand wheel, to apply a pulling force to said plastic strip, said pulling device comprising a gear wheel, co-rotatable with said hand wheel, having a plurality of gear teeth, and wherein said plastic strip has a plurality of teeth engaging said gear teeth.
15. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 14 wherein said plastic strip is a first plastic strip, and comprising at least one second plastic strip disposed between said teeth and an end of said first plastic strip, and wherein said local coil unit comprises a non-deformable section, with said second plastic strip being fastened to said non-deformable section.
16. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein said deformable section comprises a guide for accepting said first and second plastic strips.
17. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 16 wherein said guide comprises a pocket in said deformable section.
18. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bending mechanism comprises a plurality of bending elements.
19. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 18 wherein said plurality of bending elements are mechanically coupled to said deformable section.
20. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 19 wherein said bending mechanism comprises an adjustment element that curves all of said bending elements to deform said deformable section.
21. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 comprising a non-deformable section connected to said deformable section, and at least one further deformable section also connected to said non-deformable section.
22. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 21 wherein said non-deformable section has opposite sides, and wherein said deformable section and said further deformable section are respectively connected to said opposite sides of said non-deformable section.
23. A local coil unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least a portion of said coil is integrated in said deformable section.