BIDIRECTIONAL INLINE POWER PORT

• US 20100325449A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schindler, Frederick R., Biederman, Daniel, Coley, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bidirectional provision of inline power over data telecommunications cabling permits power to be received at a local powered device (PD) from remote power sourcing equipment (PSE) via at least one conductor at a first time and power to be provided by the local device to a remote device or another device at a second different time.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a network port;

power supply circuitry constructed and arranged to provide power to remote devices;

power receiving circuitry constructed and arranged to receive power from a remote device;

a controller configured to selectively couple the power supply circuitry and power receiving circuitry to the networking port based on a mode of operation, wherein;

in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to simultaneously couple the power supply circuitry to the network port and decouple the power supply circuitry from the network port, the first mode of operation being in effect while the network port is connected to a remote network device that requests remote power; and

in a second mode of operation, the controller is configured to simultaneously couple the power receiving circuitry to the network port and decouple the power supply circuitry from the network port, the second mode of operation being in effect while the network port is connected to a remote network device that provides remote power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

in a third mode of operation, the controller is configured to simultaneously decouple the power receiving circuitry from the network port and decouple the power supply circuitry from the network port, the third mode of operation being in effect while the network port is neither connected to a remote network device that requests remote power nor a remote network device that provides remote power.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

in a third mode of operation, the controller is configured to simultaneously couple the power receiving circuitry to the network port and couple the power supply circuitry to the network port, the third mode of operation being in effect when the apparatus powers itself.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network port is a multi-conductor network port.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the multi-conductor network port is an Ethernet port.

6. A method comprising:

detecting which of a plurality of modes of operation a network device is operating in, wherein detecting includes;

selecting a first mode of operation when the network port is connected to a remote network device that requests remote power; and

selecting a second mode of operation when the network port is connected to a remote network device that provides remote power; and

selectively coupling power supply circuitry of the network device and power receiving circuitry of the network device to a network port of the network device based on the mode of operation that the network device is operating in, wherein selectively coupling includes;

in the first mode of operation, simultaneously coupling the power supply circuitry to the network port and decoupling the power supply circuitry from the network port; and

in the second mode of operation simultaneously coupling the power receiving circuitry to the network port and decoupling the power supply circuitry from the network port.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

detecting further includes selecting a third mode of operation when the network port is neither connected to a remote network device that requests remote power nor a remote network device that provides remote power; and

selectively coupling further includes, in the third mode of operation, simultaneously decoupling the power receiving circuitry from the network port and decoupling the power supply circuitry from the network port

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

detecting further includes selecting a third mode of operation when the apparatus powers itself; and

selectively coupling further includes, in the third mode of operation, simultaneously coupling the power receiving circuitry to the network port and coupling the power supply circuitry to the network port.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communication port to communicate with a first device by way of a first cable;

a second communication port to communicate with a second device by way of a second cable;

a rechargeable power store; and

a controller coupled to the first communication port, the second communication port, and the rechargeable power store, the controller being constructed and arranged to;

charge the rechargeable power store through the first communication port by way of the first cable upon a determination that the first device has surplus power; and

enable the apparatus to receive power through the second communication port by way of the second cable upon a determination that the first device is not delivering power to the apparatus by way of the first cable.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a third communication port to couple to a third device by way of a third cable; and

the controller is further constructed and arranged to deliver power from the rechargeable power store to the third device by way of the third cable when the third device is a powered device (PD) in need of power.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the rechargeable power store is used to provide power to the apparatus when the apparatus requires power.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first and second cables are multi-conductor cables.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the multi-conductor cables are Ethernet cables.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to selectively operate each communication port as (i) a power sourcing equipment (PSE) port, (ii) a powered device (PD) port, and (iii) a physical port which is neither a PSE port or a PD port.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to selectively operate each communication port as (i) a power sourcing equipment (PSE) port, (ii) a powered device (PD) port, and (iii) a physical port which is simultaneously both a PSE port and a PD port.