POWER-AWARE MULTI-CIRCUIT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080231116A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Radojicic, Marko, Sarkary, Zubin, Matta, Sudheer Poorna Chandra, Riley, Philip, Keenly, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A technique for operating a device at multiple different power levels dependent upon the amount of power received involves sensing the amount of power received and turning on circuit components or system functionality if power is adequate. A device constructed according to the technique should have the ability to detect at least two different, non-zero, power levels and turn on circuits or system functionality to the extent that sufficient power is detected.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first port having a plurality of pins divisible into a first pairs set and a second pairs set;

a first powered device (PD) circuit, coupled to the first pairs set, having a first power output;

a second PD circuit, coupled to the second pairs set, having a second power output;

a first direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter coupled to the first power output;

a second DC-DC converter coupled to the second power output;

a power sum circuit coupled to the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter wherein, in operation, the power received on the first pairs set is added to the power received on the second pairs set and output by the power sum circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first port is an RJ45 port.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pins includes 8 pins, the first pairs set includes 4 pins, and the second pairs set includes 4 pins.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first pairs set includes pins 1, 2, 3, and 6.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the second pairs set includes pins 4, 5, 7, and 8.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first PD circuit is 802.3af-compliant.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first PD circuit includes a PD chip.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first circuit and a second circuit, wherein:

the output of the power sum circuit powers the first circuit;

the output of the power sum circuit powers the second circuit if power from the second DC-DC converter is greater than approximately zero.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first radio and a second radio, wherein:

the output of the power sum circuit powers the first radio in a low-power power over Ethernet (PoE) mode;

the output of the power sum circuit powers the first radio and the second radio in a high-power PoE mode.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second port having a plurality of pins divisible into a third pairs set and a fourth pairs set;

a third powered device (PD) circuit, coupled to the third pairs set, having a third power output;

a fourth PD circuit, coupled to the fourth pairs set, having a fourth power output;

wherein the first DC-DC converter is coupled to the third power output;

wherein the second DC-DC converter is coupled to the fourth power output.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a first radio and a second radio, wherein the power sum circuit receives power on the first pairs set and the third pairs set, and the power sum circuit powers the first radio and the second radio in a high-power PoE mode.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a port for receiving power from a power source;

a third DC-DC converter coupling the power from the power source to the power sum circuit.

13. A method comprising:

providing high power functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if high power is received on a first port and a second port;

providing high power functionality if high power is received on the first port exclusive-or (xor) the second port;

providing high power functionality if low power is received on a first pairs pin set of the first port and on a third pairs pin set of the second port;

providing high power functionality if low power is received on a second pairs pin set of the first port and on a fourth pairs pin set of the second port.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing low power functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if low power is received on the first pairs pin set of the first port and on the fourth pairs pin set of the second port;

providing low power functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if low power is received on the second pairs pin set of the first port and on the third pairs pin set of the second port.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing low power functionality if low power is received on the first port xor the second port.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing high power functionality if power is provided on a dedicated power input.

17. A system comprising:

a means for providing 802.11n functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if 802.3at-level power is received on a first port and a second port;

a means for providing 802.11n functionality if 802.3 at-level power is received on the first port exclusive-or (xor) the second port;

a means for providing 802.11n functionality if 802.3af-level power is received on a first pairs pin set of the first port and on a third pairs pin set of the second port;

a means for providing 802.11n functionality if 802.3af-level power is received on a second pairs pin set of the first port and on a fourth pairs pin set of the second port.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a means for providing 802.11 alb/g functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if 802.3af-level power is received on the first pairs pin set of the first port and on the fourth pairs pin set of the second port;

a means for providing 802.11a/b/g functionality based on a primary/auxiliary scheme if 802.3af-level power is received on the second pairs pin set of the first port and on the third pairs pin set of the second port.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising providing 802.11a/b/g functionality if 802.3af-level power is received on the first port or the second port.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising providing 802.11n power functionality if power is provided on a dedicated power input.