Least mean power consumption in telecommunications systems
First Claim
1. A programmable access point for interfacing a communications network with communications equipment located at user premises, said programmable access point comprising:
- a line driver;
at least one sensing unit sensing the line driver load on said line driver;
a main power supply;
a backup power supply;
at least one power supply status signal indicating operating status of said main power supply and said backup power supply, a processing unit comparing said sensed line driver load with at least one operating load limit, generating a line driver drive level in response to said comparison, said processing unit providing said line driver drive level to said line driver and adjusting said line driver drive level responsive to said at least one power supply status signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A programmable access point (110) has a line driver (201), sensors (202), comparator and control logic (203), a power supply (206), and a backup power supply (207). The line driver (201) provides power and communications signals to attached customer equipment and receives its power from either the power supply (206) or the backup power supply (207). The power supplies (206, 207) generate power supply status signals which include a signal indicating whether line driver (201) is receiving power from the power supply (206) or the backup power supply (207) and a signal indicating the reserve capacity of the backup power supply (207). The sensors (202) monitor the power output by the line driver (201). The comparator and control logic (203) receives the power supply status signals and the monitored power output values and generates a control value for line driver (201) which it provides to the line driver (201) which modifies its output responsive to the control value.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A programmable access point for interfacing a communications network with communications equipment located at user premises, said programmable access point comprising:
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a line driver;
at least one sensing unit sensing the line driver load on said line driver;
a main power supply;
a backup power supply;
at least one power supply status signal indicating operating status of said main power supply and said backup power supply, a processing unit comparing said sensed line driver load with at least one operating load limit, generating a line driver drive level in response to said comparison, said processing unit providing said line driver drive level to said line driver and adjusting said line driver drive level responsive to said at least one power supply status signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communications network comprising:
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a central network;
a plurality of access points connected to said central network; and
a plurality of user lines connecting user equipment to ones of said plurality of access points, said access points selectively passing communication signals between said central network and connected said user equipment, at least one access point providing power over a connected user line to said connected user equipment monitoring user line load, and dynamically adjusting power provided to said connected user equipment in response to said monitored user line load;
said at least one access point comprising;
a user line driver providing power to said connected user equipment and driving said communication signals passed to said connected user equipment;
at least one sensing unit sensing said user line load; and
a processing unit determining whether said sensed user line load is within operating load limits, updating said line driver operating point responsive to said determination, and providing said updated line driver operating point to said user line driver; and
a power supply status signal that indicates operating status of at least a main power supply and a backup power supply. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A control method for adjusting power supplied by a line driver over a user line to attached user equipment, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) initializing line driver drive values;
i) determining if provisioned line driver drive values have been previously set; and
ii) setting set point values to said provisioned line driver drive values if said provisioned line driver values are determined to have been previously set and, otherwise, setting said set point values to default set point values, said set point values defining a normal operating range;
b) setting a line driver drive in response to said line driver drive values;
c) monitoring characteristics of the output of said line driver;
d) determining whether said monitored characteristics are normal operating range;
e) updating said line driver drive values when said determination indicates said monitored characteristics are not in said normal operating range; and
f) returning to step (b).
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34. A control method for adjusting power supplied by a line driver over a user line to attached user equipment, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) initializing line driver drive values;
b) setting a line driver drive in response to said line driver drive values;
c) checking power supply status to determine whether line driver power is in a normal power state;
d) continuing to the step (e) of monitoring characteristics if line driver power supplied is determined to be in said normal power state;
otherwise setting said line driver drive values to predetermined minimum operating values; and
returning to the step (b);
e) monitoring characteristics of the output of said line driver;
f) determining whether said monitoring characteristics are normal operating range;
g) updating said line driver drive values when said determination indicates said monitored characteristics are not in said normal operating range; and
h) returning to step (b);
such that said line driver is set to a minimum power level sufficient to power one user equipment device until power supply status indicates a normal power state. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer program product for controlling a line driver providing power to connected communications equipment, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:
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computer readable program code means for initializing line driver drive values;
computer readable program code means for setting a line driver drive in a line driver responsive to said line driver drive values;
computer readable program code means for measuring characteristics of the output of said line driver;
computer readable program code means for comparing said measured characteristics to set point values;
computer readable program code means for updating said line driver drive values in response to said comparison;
computer readable program code means for preventing said line driver drive values from being changed when a power failure variable indicates that efficient power supply operation is disabled. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A programmable access point for interfacing a communications network with communications equipment located at user premises, said programmable access point comprising:
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a line driver having a load output and a drive level control input;
at least one sensor having an input operably coupled to the load output of the line driver and an output to provide a line driver load signal; and
a processing unit including at least a comparator, the comparator having a first input coupled to the sensing unit line driver load signal output, a second input coupled to receive an operating load limit, and a drive level control output coupled to the line driver drive level control input;
a power supply having a power output coupled to a power input of said line driver, said power supply having a status signal output to indicate operating status of said power supply, said power supply status signal output coupled to a third input of said comparator, said line driver drive level operably adjusted responsive to said status signal output. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification