Data, power and supervisory signaling over twisted pairs
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting supervisory signals and providing power over a cable having first and second ends, said cable including at least first and second twisted pairs, said method comprising the steps of:
- ac coupling a physical interfaces operative in accordance with a predetermined data communication protocol to each of said twisted pairs at one end of said cable to permit data communication over the respective twisted pair via said predetermined protocol;
generating first and second differential signal components from a first supervisory signal, wherein said first and second differential components are DC isolated from said first supervisory signal;
coupling said first differential signal component to both wires of said first twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said first differential signal component is superimposed on both wires of first twisted pair as a first common mode signal; and
coupling said second differential signal component to both wires of said first twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said second differential signal component is superimposed on both wires of said second twisted pair as a second common mode signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for conveying supervisory signaling and power over the same twisted wire pairs in a cable as are used to carry data communications in accordance with a predetermined communications protocol. Supervisory signals having first and second differential components are generated. The first component is coupled to both wires of one of the twisted wire pairs as a common mode signal and the second component of the supervisory signal is coupled to both wires of another twisted pair as a common mode signal. The first and second components are recovered at the remote end of the cable. Physical interfaces are AC coupled to the respective twisted pairs at both ends of the cable and positive and negative voltage rails powered by a power sourcing device are coupled to predetermined twisted pairs to convey a DC voltage over the cable which may be used to power a remote electronic device.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting supervisory signals and providing power over a cable having first and second ends, said cable including at least first and second twisted pairs, said method comprising the steps of:
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ac coupling a physical interfaces operative in accordance with a predetermined data communication protocol to each of said twisted pairs at one end of said cable to permit data communication over the respective twisted pair via said predetermined protocol;
generating first and second differential signal components from a first supervisory signal, wherein said first and second differential components are DC isolated from said first supervisory signal;
coupling said first differential signal component to both wires of said first twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said first differential signal component is superimposed on both wires of first twisted pair as a first common mode signal; and
coupling said second differential signal component to both wires of said first twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said second differential signal component is superimposed on both wires of said second twisted pair as a second common mode signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A circuit for conveying between first and second ends of a cables at least one supervisory signal and power, said cable including at least first and second twisted pairs for carrying data in accordance with a first communication protocol, said circuit comprising:
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first and second physical interfaces coupled to corresponding first and second twisted pairs at said first end of said cable, said first and second phyical interfaces being operative to transmit and receive data over the respective twisted pair in accordance with a predetermined data communications protocol, said first and second physical interfaces being dc isolated from the respective twisted pairs;
first and second center-tapped inductors, each having its ends coupled to respective wires of the respective first and second twisted pairs at said first end of said cable; and
a first signaling transformer having a primary and a center-tapped secondary, said secondary of said first signaling transformer having first and second ends, said first end of said center-tapped secondary of said first signaling transformer being coupled to said center-tap of said first inductor and said second end of said center-tapped secondary of said first transformer being coupled to said center-tap of said second inductor;
said first signaling transformer operative in-response to the coupling of a first signal to the primary of said first signaling transformer to produce a first differential component of said first signal at one end of said center-tapped secondary of said first signaling transformer which is coupled to both wires of said first twisted pair as a common mode signal and to produce a second differential component of said first signal at the other end of said center-tapped secondary of said first signaling transformer which is coupled to both wires of said second twisted pair as a common mode signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for transmitting supervisory signals and providing power over a cable having first and second ends, said cable including first, second, third and fourth twisted pairs, said apparatus comprising:
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means for ac coupling physical interfaces operative in accordance with a predetermined protocol to each of said twisted pairs at each end of said cable;
means for generating a first supervisory signal having first and second differential signal components;
means for coupling said first differential signal component to both wires of said first twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said first differential signal component is superimposed on said first twisted pair as a first common mode signal;
means for coupling said second differential signal component to both wires of said second twisted pair at said first end of said cable such that said second differential signal component is superimposed on said wires of said second twisted pair as a second common mode signal;
means for recovering said first and second differential components of said first supervisory signal from said first and second twisted paris at said second end of said cable;
means for coupling a first rail of a power supply having first and second voltage rails to both wires of at least one of said twisted pairs at one of said first and second ends of said cable;
means for coupling a second rail of said power supply to both wires of another one of said twisted pairs at said one of said first and second ends of said cable; and
means for coupling said first and second power supply rails to a load at said the other one of said first and second ends of said cable.
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27. A system for conveying power and signaling over a cable including four twisted pairs, said system comprising:
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first, second third and fourth twisted pairs comprising a communications cable;
a physical interface in electrical communication with each of said twisted pairs at each end thereof;
dc isolators for dc isolating each of said physical interfaces from said twisted pairs;
each physical interface in communication with one of said twisted pairs at one end of said cable being operative to transmit a data signal over the respective twisted pair at a rate of at least 250 megabits per second concurrently with the other physical interfaces at said one end, at least at some times;
first and second magnetic interfaces coupled to both wires of said first and second twisted pairs at first and second points along said cable; and
third and fourth magnetic interfaces coupled to both wires of third and fourth twisted pairs at said first at second points along said cable and spaced from said first and second magnetic interfaces at said first points respectively;
said first magnetic interface having a first voltage input, said first magnetic interface being operative to dc couple a first voltage applied to said first voltage input in common mode to both wires of said first twisted pair;
said third magnetic interface having a second voltage input, said third magnetic interface being operative to dc couple a second voltage applied to said second voltage input in common mode to both wires of said third twisted pairs said second magnetic interface having a first voltage output, said first voltage output being dc coupled in common mode to both wires of said first twisted pair and operative to provide an output voltage approximating said first voltage in response to the application of said first voltage to said first voltage input; and
said fourth magnetic interface having a second voltage output, said second voltage output being dc coupled in common mode to both wires of said third twisted pair and operative to provide an output voltage approximating said second voltage in response to the application of said second voltage to said second voltage input. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for powering a remote electronic device comprising:
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a communication cable having four twisted wire pairs;
power source equipment having first and second voltage rails, said first voltage rail being dc coupled to both wires of first and second ones of said four twisted pairs in common mode and said second voltage rail being dc coupled to both wires of third and fourth ones of said four twisted pairs in common mode;
a signal source for generating an information signal having a data rate of at least one gigabit per second;
a transmit side interface for dividing said information signal into four signals at respective transmit side interface outputs, each of said four data signals having a data rate of at least 250 megabits per second;
first ac couplers for coupling respective transmit side outputs to a respective one of said four twisted pairs at a first location along said cable;
a receive side interface ac coupled to said respective twisted pairs at a second location along said cable spaced from said first location, said receive side interface operative to recover said information signal from said four data signals; and
both wires of said first and second twisted pairs being dc coupled to a first power input of an electronic device and both wires of said third and fourth twisted pairs being dc coupled to a second power input of said electronic device to power said electronic device from said power source equipment substantially without interfering with said communication of said four data signals over respective twisted pairs of said cable.
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36. A method for providing power over a cable having at least first, second, third and fourth twisted wire pairs comprising:
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obtaining an information signal having a data rate of at least 1 gigabit per second;
segmenting said information signal to obtain four signal components each having a data rate of a least 250 megabits per second;
ac coupling each one of said four signal components to a corresponding one of said four twisted wire pairs and transmitting said four signal components over said four twisted wire pairs;
coupling a first magnetic interface to said first twisted wire pair at a first point along said cable and coupling a second magnetic interface to said first twisted wire pairs at a second point along said cable;
coupling a third magnetic interface to said third twisted wire pair at said first point along said cable and coupling a fourth magnetic interface to said third twisted wire pair at said second point along said cable;
dc coupling a first voltage rail having a first dc voltage to both wires of said first twisted wire pair via said first magnetic interface as a first common mode voltage;
dc coupling a second voltage rail having a second dc voltage to both wires of said third twisted wire pair via said third magnetic interface as a second common mode voltage; and
obtaining said first and second dc voltages from said second and fourth magnetic interfaces and coupling said first and second voltages to an electronic device to power said device. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method for conveying information and power over a communication cable having four twisted wire pairs comprising:
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generating an information signal having a first data rate;
in a transmit side interface, segmenting said information signal into four signal components, each of said four signal components having a second data rate approximately one-fourth the data rate of said first data rate, ac coupling at a first coupling point, each of said four signal components to a respective one of said four twisted wire pairs and transmitting each of said signal components over the respective twisted wire pair in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol;
at a second coupling point, dc coupling, in common mode, a first power rail of a power sourcing device to both wires of at least one of said four twisted wire pairs and dc coupling, in common mode, a second power rail of said power sourcing device to both wires of at least another one of said four twisted wire pairs;
at a third coupling point spaced from said second coupling point, dc coupling both wires of said first twisted wire pair to a first voltage input of an electronic device and dc coupling both wires of said second twisted wire pair to a second voltage input of said electronic device to power said electronic device; and
at said fourth coupling point, ac coupling said twisted wire pairs carrying said four signal components to a receive side interface and recovering said information signal from said four signal components. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification