Automatic power management of a network powered device

• US 7,343,506 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fenwick, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Du; Thuan
• Application Number:
  US11/060,916
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 713/340, 713/310
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections

Abstract

A system delivers power to a powered device through a local area network using a power sourcing equipment to process data of an interconnected network and to receive power from a first power source coupled to the power sourcing equipment. The system may include a powered device coupled at a distance away from the power sourcing equipment through a local area network (LAN) to process the data of the interconnected network through the power sourcing equipment. The powered device may include a modular power over LAN circuit to enable power to the powered device through the LAN when the modular power over LAN circuit is coupled to the powered device.

Claims

1. A system to deliver power, comprising:

a power sourcing equipment to process data of an interconnected network and to receive power from a first power source coupled to the power sourcing equipment;

a powered device coupled at a distance away from the power sourcing equipment through a local area network (LAN) to process the data of the interconnected network through the power sourcing equipment;

a power over LAN circuit to enable power to the powered device through the LAN when the power over LAN circuit is coupled to the powered device, wherein the powered device comprises a power source detection and control circuit to transmit a LAN power disable control signal to an isolation circuit to reduce use of power received through the LAN, when power is received through a local power source.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an optionally powered subsystem to alter at least one function of the powered device when the powered device receives power through the LAN.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the powered device to draw power from the local power source when the power over LAN circuit is not coupled to the powered device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a report generator module of the powered device to create at least one detailed summary report of activity monitored by the power source detection and control circuit, wherein the at least one detailed summary report being transmittable to at least one interested party.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power over LAN circuit further comprises a converter coupled to the power source detection and control circuit to transform an input voltage to an output voltage when the power over LAN circuit is coupled to the powered device and when power is received through the LAN.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising an optical isolation circuit of the powered device to control the operation of the converter.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the converter is disabled when power is received through the local power source.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a power source detection and control circuit to transmit a local area network (LAN) power disable control signal to a isolation circuit to reduce use of power received through a LAN when power is received through a local power source;

a converter coupled to the isolation circuit to transform an input voltage to an output voltage when a power over LAN circuit is coupled to the apparatus and when power is received through the LAN; and

a powered subsystem to disable power to at least one port of the apparatus when the power over LAN circuit is coupled to the apparatus and when power is received through the LAN.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter circuit to transmit data between a processing system coupled to the LAN and at least one wireless device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless transmitter circuit to deliver at least one status report generated by a report generator module of the apparatus to the at least one wireless device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the converter is disabled and power is directly supplied to a processing system when power is received through the local power source.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the isolation circuit is an optical isolation circuit which controls the operation of the converter.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus to draw power from the local power source when the power over LAN circuit is not coupled to the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein power is supplied through the LAN from a remote power source when the power over LAN circuit is coupled to the apparatus and the local power source is unavailable.

15. A method of managing power of a powered device, comprising:

automatically detecting power from at least one of a remote power source and a local power source;

selecting the remote power source when the local power source is unavailable;

conserving power by disabling at least one function of the powered device when the remote power source is selected, and

transmitting a remote power source disable control signal to reduce use of power received from the remote power source when power from the local power source is detected.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting data indicating a status of at least one of the remote power source and the local power source to at least one interested party.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one interested party is at least one of a wireless device and a power sourcing equipment.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising restricting power from the remote power source when a modular power over local area network (LAN) circuit is disconnected from the powered device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling an internal converter and supplying power directly to a processing system when power is received from the local power source.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising isolating a user from contact when the local power source is connected.

21. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a machine-implemented method of managing power of a powered device, the method comprising:

automatically detecting power from at least one of a remote power source and a local power source;

selecting the remote power source when the local power source is unavailable;

conserving power by disabling at least one function of the powered device when the remote power source is selected, and

transmitting a remote power source disable control signal to reduce use of power received from the remote power source when power from the local power source is detected.

22. An apparatus to manage power of a powered device, the apparatus comprising:

means for automatically detecting power from at least one of a remote power source and a local power source;

means for selecting the remote power source when the local power source is unavailable;

means for conserving power by disabling at least one function of the powered device when the remote power source is selected; and

means for transmitting a remote power source disable control signal to reduce use of power received from the remote power source when power from the local power source is detected.

23. A system to manage power of a powered device comprising:

a processing unit coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a process executed from memory by said processing unit to cause said processing unit to;

automatically detect power from at least one of a remote power source and a local power source;

select the remote power source when the local power source is unavailable;

conserve power by disabling at least one function of the powered device when the remote power source is selected, and

transmit a remote power source disable control signal to reduce use of power received from the remote power source when power from the local power source is detected.

24. A wireless network device comprising:

a port to couple to a wired data network, the port being capable of receiving power from the wired data network for use by the wireless network device;

a detector circuit coupled to the port, the detector circuit to detect whether power is available from a source which is different than the wired data network to power the wireless network device, wherein the detector circuit is to transmit a network power disable control signal to reduce use of power received from the wired data network when power from a local power source is detected; and

a circuit through which power from the wired data network is delivered to the wireless network device, the circuit being coupled to the detector circuit.

25. A wireless network device as in claim 24, wherein the wireless network device is a wireless router which is capable of transmitting and receiving data wirelessly to and from wireless devices which comprise a data processing system and wireless transceivers.

26. A wireless network device as in claim 24 wherein the circuit receives a signal from the detector circuit.

27. A wireless network device as in claim 26 wherein the signal causes the circuit to consume less power when power is available from the source which is different than the wired data network and wherein the removable circuit converts power from the wired data network for use in the wireless network device.