Ethernet bridge

• US 20060251179A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kinetic Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Akros Silicon, Inc. (Kinetic Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ghoshal, Sajol
• Application Number:
  US11/448,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251179A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling

Abstract

In a network device, an Ethernet bridge module is integrated onto a single-chip integrated circuit. The Ethernet bridge module comprises a network connector integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module in a configuration that transfers power and communication signals, and at least one driver and/or transceiver integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module and configured to interface to at least one device external to the Ethernet bridge module. The Ethernet bridge module further comprises a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module and coupled between the network connector and the at least one driver and/or transceiver.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

an Ethernet bridge module integrated onto a single-chip integrated circuit comprising;

a network connector coupled to an integrated Ethernet bridge module in a configuration that transfers power and communication signals;

at least one driver and/or transceiver integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module and configured to interface to at least one device external to the Ethernet bridge module; and

a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module and coupled between the network connector and the at least one driver and/or transceiver.

2. The network device according to claim 1 further comprising:

the network connector comprising a Registered Jack (RJ) 45 physical interface; and

the at least one driver and/or transceiver comprising;

a digital driver comprising at least one digital interface; and

an analog transceiver comprising at least one analog interface.

3. The network device according to claim 2 wherein the at least one digital interface is selected from a group of digital interfaces consisting of:

a digital driver for Universal Serial Bus (USB);

a FireWire Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial bus interface standard driver;

a Recommended Standard (RS)-232 serial binary data interface driver;

a RS-485 high-speed serial interface driver;

a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) standard interface driver;

a PCI variant interface driver.

4. The network device according to claim 2 wherein the at least one analog interface is selected from a group of analog interfaces consisting of:

a Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HPNA) interface driver;

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 wireless standard interface driver;

a Wi-Fi standard interface driver;

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader interface driver; and

a scanner interface driver.

5. The network device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a processor integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module and comprising functional programming configured for interfacing to memory and for interfacing to the at least one driver and/or transceiver; and

a Media Access Control (MAC) layer communicatively coupled to the processor and comprising a controller to determine access to physical media.

6. The network device according to claim 5 further comprising:

the processor functional programming comprising at least one functional module selected from a group consisting of a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack processing module, a packet processing module adapted for packet forwarding and scheduling, a rule based processing module, a monitoring and event scheduling module, and a drivers module; and

the MAC layer comprising at least one functional module selected from a group consisting of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 physical layer and data link layer module, an IEEE 802.11 wireless module, a Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HPNA) module, a Residential Internet (RI) module.

7. The network device according to claim 5 further comprising:

a Management Data Input/Output (MDIO) and/or an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) interface integrated onto the Ethernet bridge module.

8. The network device according to claim 1 further comprising:

the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit comprising;

a magnetic transformer coupled to communication signal pins of the network interface;

an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) coupled between the magnetic transformer and the processor;

a Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller coupled to power pins of the network interface; and

a Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) power converter coupled between the PD controller and the processor.

9. The network device according to claim 8 further comprising:

the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit further comprising;

a diode bridge coupled between power pins of the network interface and the PD controller.

10. The network device according to claim 8 further comprising:

the Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller comprising a power switch circuit and a signature and classification circuit.

11. The network device according to claim 1 further comprising:

the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit comprising;

an integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) comprising;

a non-magnetic transformer and choke circuit integrated into the iPED and coupled to communication signal pins of the network interface;

an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) integrated into the iPED and coupled between the non-magnetic transformer and choke circuit and the processor;

a Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller integrated into the iPED and coupled to power pins of the network interface; and

a Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) power converter integrated into the iPED and coupled between the PD controller and power pins of the processor.

12. The network device according to claim 11 further comprising:

the Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller comprising;

a diode bridge coupled to power pins of the network interface;

a power switch circuit coupled to the diode bridge; and

a signature and classification circuit coupled to the diode bridge and the power switch circuit.

13. The network device according to claim 11 further comprising:

the integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) further comprises a T-Less Connect™

solid-state transformer that separates Ethernet signals from power signals.

14. The network device according to claim 11 further comprising:

the integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) further comprises a T-Less Connect™

solid-state transformer that floats ground potential of the Ethernet PHY relative to earth ground.

15. A network device comprising:

an Ethernet bridge module comprising;

a network connector in a configuration that transfers power and communication signals;

at least one driver and/or transceiver configured to interface to at least one device external to the Ethernet bridge module; and

a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit coupled between the network connector and the at least one driver and/or transceiver, the POE circuit comprising;

a magnetic transformer coupled to communication signal pins of the network interface;

an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) coupled to the magnetic transformer;

a Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller coupled to power pins of the network interface; and

a Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) power converter coupled to the PD controller.

16. The network device according to claim 15 further comprising:

the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit further comprising;

a diode bridge coupled between power pins of the network interface and the PD controller.

17. The network device according to claim 15 further comprising:

the Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller comprising a power switch circuit and a signature and classification circuit.

18. The network device according to claim 15 further comprising:

the Ethernet bridge module integrated onto a single-chip integrated circuit.

19. A network device comprising:

an Ethernet bridge module comprising;

a network connector in a configuration that transfers power and communication signals;

at least one driver and/or transceiver configured to interface to at least one device external to the Ethernet bridge module; and

a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit coupled between the network connector and the at least one driver and/or transceiver, the POE circuit comprising;

an integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) comprising;

a non-magnetic transformer and choke circuit integrated into the iPED and coupled to communication signal pins of the network interface;

an Ethernet physical layer (PHY) integrated into the iPED and coupled to the non-magnetic transformer and choke circuit;

a Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller integrated into the iPED and coupled to power pins of the network interface; and

a Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) power converter integrated into the iPED and coupled to the PD controller.

20. The network device according to claim 19 further comprising:

the Powered Ethernet Device (PD) controller comprising;

a diode bridge coupled to power pins of the network interface;

a power switch circuit coupled to the diode bridge; and

a signature and classification circuit coupled to the diode bridge and the power switch circuit.

21. The network device according to claim 19 further comprising:

the integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) further comprises a T-Less Connect™

solid-state transformer that separates Ethernet signals from power signals.

22. The network device according to claim 19 further comprising:

the integrated Powered Ethernet Device (iPED) further comprises a T-Less Connect™

solid-state transformer that floats ground potential of the Ethernet PHY relative to earth ground.

23. The network device according to claim 19 further comprising:

the Ethernet bridge module integrated onto a single-chip integrated circuit.

24. A network device comprising:

an Ethernet bridge module comprising;

a housing;

a network connector coupled to the housing and configured to transfers power and communication signals;

at least one driver and/or transceiver contained in the housing and configured to interface to at least one device external to the Ethernet bridge module, the at least one device selectable from among Ethernet-enabled devices and Ethernet non-enabled devices; and

a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit contained in the housing and coupled between the network connector and the at least one driver and/or transceiver.