Interchangeable power over Ethernet module

• US 7,117,272 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PowerDsine Limited (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rimboim, Poldi, Korcharz, Dror, Giat, Yaniv
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US11/056,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/238, 709/250, 710/64, 710/305
• US Class Current: 709/250
• 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

An interchangeable power over Ethernet module having a plurality of configurations, and a single unified pin out, the power over Ethernet module comprising: at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet to at least one port; a first set of connections associated with a first one of the plurality of configurations, the first one of the plurality of configuration comprising supervisory control circuitry, the first set of connections being operably connected to the supervisory control circuitry; the first set of connections being connected together in a second one of the plurality of configurations.

Claims

1. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module having a plurality of configurations, and a single unified pin out, the power over Ethernet module comprising:

at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet to at least one port;

a first set of external connections associated with a first one of the plurality of configurations, said first one of the plurality of configuration comprising supervisory control circuitry, each connection of said first set of external connections being individually operably connected to said supervisory control circuitry;

said first set of external connections being commonly connected together in a second one of the plurality of configurations.

2. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising a second set of external connections, each external connection of said second set of external connections being associated with a unique one of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet to at least one port.

3. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 2, further comprising at least one external connection being designated for connection to all of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet in said second one of the plurality of configurations.

4. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 3, said at least one external connection not being operatively connected to said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet in said first one of the plurality of configurations.

5. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising a third configuration, said third configuration being a power over Ethernet module operable with a power over Ethernet module of said first configuration under control of said supervisory control circuitry.

6. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising a host communication bus for communicating with a host controller.

7. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 6, wherein said host communication bus comprises a UART channel.

8. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 6, wherein said host communication bus comprises an I²C bus.

9. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 6, further comprising an inter-managing circuit communication path being operable by said supervisory control circuitry to communicate with said at least one circuit managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

10. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 9, wherein said control circuitry communicates with said host controller over said host communication bus and said supervisory control circuitry further communicates with said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet over said inter-managing circuit communication path.

11. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising an inter-managing circuit communication path, said inter-managing circuit communication path being operable by said supervisory control circuitry to communicate with said at least one circuit managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

12. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, wherein said second configuration is a power over Ethernet module without supervisory control circuitry.

13. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 12, further comprising an inter-managing circuit communication path connected to all of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

14. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 12, further comprising a host communication bus operable for communication with a host controller.

15. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 14, wherein said host communication bus is connected to all of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

16. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 12, wherein one of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet acts as a master.

17. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 16, further comprising at least one external connection being designated for connection to all of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet in said second one of the plurality of configurations, said one of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet acting as a master being operable to utilize said at least one external connection to address all other at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

18. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 17, further comprising a second set of external connections, each connection of said second set of external connections being associated with a unique one of said at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet, said at least one circuitry acting as a master being operable to utilize said second set of external connections to address all other at least one circuitry managing the supply of power over Ethernet.

19. An interchangeable power over Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising a reset request input external connection and a reset output external connection, said reset request input external connection and said reset output external connection being operably interconnected in said second configuration.

20. An interchangeable power aver Ethernet module according to claim 1, further comprising a disable port request input external connection and a disable port output external connection, said disable port request input external connection and said disable port output external connection being operably interconnected in said second configuration.