METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF THE POWERED DEVICES SUPPORTED BY THE POE SYSTEM

• US 20110298428A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/162
• 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

In order to increase the number of the powered devices that can be supported by the Ethernet power supply system, the present invention proposed to equip the powered device with an electrical energy storage device, namely shift the power timely shift the power supplying capability of the power sourcing equipment. The power sourcing equipment charges the electrical energy storage device, and then the powered device is supplied by the electrical energy storage device under usual situations. Thus the number of the powered devices that can be supported by the Ethernet power supply system is increased without increasing the supplying capability of the electrical quantity of the power sourcing equipment. Using the solution in the present invention, the capacity of the powered devices in the POE system is increased without having to change the hardware of the power sourcing equipment, and without having to change the wiring.

Claims

1. A method for use in a power sourcing equipment to power a powered device, the method comprising the steps of:

A. determining whether a predetermined charging condition is satisfied; and

B. charging an electrical energy storage device of the powered device when the predetermined charging condition is satisfied, the electrical energy storage device being used to provide the powered device with a working power supply.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step B further comprises the step of:

providing the powered device with a working power supply.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging the electrical energy storage device comprises the step of:

charging the electrical energy storage device continuously or charging the electrical energy storage device periodically according to a time slot.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the predetermined charging condition is satisfied further comprises the step of:

receiving charging related information from the powered device;

the step B further comprises;

charging the electrical energy storage device according to the charging related information.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the charging related information comprises a charging request message for requesting charging.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the charging related information comprises indication information for the electrical quantity of the electrical energy storage device, the predetermined charging condition further comprising the steps of:

comparing the indicating information for the electrical quantity with a predetermined threshold; and

determining to charge the electrical energy storage device according to the results of the comparison.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the charging related information further comprises information related to a power consumption mode of the powered device, the step B further comprises the step of:

charging the electrical energy storage device continuously or charging the electrical energy storage device periodically according to the time slot, according to the power consumption mode related information.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein before the step A, the method further comprises the step of:

sending an inquiry message to the powered device, the inquiry message being used to request the charging related information.

9-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for use in a powered device to assist power sourcing equipment to supply power to the powered device, wherein the powered device comprises an electrical energy storage device, the method comprises the step of:

sending charging related information to the power sourcing equipment.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

providing the powered device with a working power supply via the electrical energy storage device.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of sending charging related information further comprises the step of indicating information for an electrical quantity of the electrical energy storage device.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the charging related information comprises a charging request message;

the method further comprises the following steps before the step a;

detecting electrical quantity information of the electrical energy storage device;

comparing the electrical quantity information with a pre-determined threshold; and

generating the charging request message when the results of the comparison determine that it is necessary to charge the electrical energy storage device.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the charging related information further comprises information related to a power consumption mode of the powered device.

17-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A power sourcing apparatus in a power sourcing equipment to power a powered device, wherein the powered device comprises:

a determining means configured to determine whether a predetermined charging condition is satisfied; and

a power supplying means configured to charge an electrical energy storage device of the powered device when the predetermined charging condition is satisfied, the electrical energy storage device being used to provide the powered device with a working power supply.

21-30. -30. (canceled)

31. An aiding apparatus in a powered device configured to aid a power sourcing equipment in powering the powered device, wherein the powered device comprises an electrical energy storage device, the aiding apparatus comprises:

means for sending configured to send a charging related information to the power sourcing equipment.

32-40. -40. (canceled)