Power delivery over ethernet cables

• US 7,603,570 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schindler, Frederick R., Diab, Wael William
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rehman; Mohammed H
• Application Number:
  US10/845,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20050268120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-340, 370/286, 370/310, 370/538, 370/593, 370657-664, 370/693
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A method for power delivery comprises coupling an Ethernet cable comprising four wire pairs to a power delivery system and providing power to a powered device on all of the wire pairs. A power delivery system includes an interface operable to couple to an Ethernet cable comprising four wire pairs and a controller operable to provide power to a powered device on all of the wire pairs.

Claims

1. A method for power delivery, comprising:

coupling an Ethernet cable comprising a plurality of wire pairs to a power delivery system, the plurality of wire pairs including each and every connector operable to provide power to a powered device and further including each and every connector operable to provide information to and from the powered device;

providing power to the powered device on all of the wire pairs;

after providing power to the powered device on all of the wire pairs, determining that the powered device requires less power than an amount provided by all of the wire pairs, and in response, providing power on a reduced number of wire pairs, the reduced number of wire pairs being greater than zero wire pairs; and

wherein;

the powered device is coupled to the Ethernet-grade cable using a plurality of power couplers; and

the power couplers each comprise at least one resistor operable to regulate current flow through the associated power coupler.

2. A power delivery system, comprising:

an interface operable to couple to an Ethernet cable comprising a plurality of wire pairs, the plurality of wire pairs including each and every connector operable to provide power to a powered device and further including each and every connector operable to provide information to and from the powered device;

a controller operable to;

provide power to a powered device on all of the wire pairs; and

determine that the powered device requires less power than an amount previously provided by all of the wire pairs, and in response, provide power on a reduced number of wire pairs, the reduced number of wire pairs being greater than zero wire pairs; and

wherein;

the powered device is coupled to the Ethernet-grade cable using a plurality of power couplers; and

the power couplers each comprise at least one resistor operable to regulate current flow through the associated power coupler.