Redundant power and data over a wired data telecommunications network

• US 7,836,336 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coley, Kenneth, Schindler, Frederick R., Biederman, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Maskulinski; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US12/580,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 714/14
• US Class Current: 714/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for redundant power and data over a wired data telecommunications network permits power to be received at a local powered device (PD) from remote power sourcing equipment (PSE) via at least one conductor at a first time and power and/or data to be obtained by the local device from another port of the remote device or another remote device at a second different time. Power levels obtained may be adjusted from time to time in response to circumstances.

Claims

1. A method of providing redundant power over a wired data telecommunications network, the method comprising:

configuring a first device having a first network port and a second network port, the first and second network ports configurable to be one of at least power sourcing equipment (PSE) and a powered device (PD);

configuring the first network port to be a PD and the second network port to be a PD;

requesting a first amount of power to be provided to the first network port and a second amount of power to be provided to the second network port; and

subsequently detecting an event at the first port, and, responsive thereto, requesting a third amount of power different from the second amount of power to be provided to the second network port.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to a command sent to at least one of the first device and a second device and a third device from a control point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to a link failure between the first network port of the first device and a first network port of a second device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the link failure is due to a disconnected network cable.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the link failure is due to a severed network cable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to a reduction in the power received by the first network port of the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to a loss of data connectivity at the first network port of the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event corresponds to both a loss of data connectivity and a reduction in the power received at the first network port of the first device.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a first data telecommunications port constructed and arranged to couple to first power sourcing equipment;

a second data telecommunications port constructed and arranged to couple to second power sourcing equipment; and

electronic circuitry coupled to the first and second data telecommunications ports, the circuitry being constructed and arranged to;

configure the first data telecommunications port to operate as a powered device (PD) port with respect to the first power sourcing equipment,

while the first data telecommunications port is configured as a PD port, configure the second data telecommunications port to operate as a PD port with respect to the second power sourcing equipment, and

in response to an event relating to the first data telecommunications port, changing an amount of power consumed from the second power sourcing equipment.

10. An electronic device as in claim 9 wherein the electronic circuitry, when configuring the first data telecommunications port to operate as a PD port with respect to the first power sourcing equipment, the electronic circuitry negotiates, via data communications through the first data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the first power sourcing equipment through the first data telecommunications port in accordance with pre-established power classes;

wherein the electronic circuitry, when configuring the second data telecommunications port to operate as a PD port with respect to the first power sourcing equipment, the electronic circuitry negotiates, via data communications through the second data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the second power sourcing equipment through the second data telecommunications port in accordance with the pre-established power classes; and

wherein the electronic circuitry, when changing the amount of power consumed by the electronic device from the second power sourcing equipment in response to the event relating to the first data telecommunications port, the electronic circuitry renegotiating, via data communications through the second data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the second power sourcing equipment through the second data telecommunications port to change operation from a first pre-established power class to a second pre-established power class, the first pre-established power class defining a first amount of power, and the second pre-established power class defining a second amount of power which is different than the first amount of power.

11. An electronic device as in claim 9 wherein the electronic device consumes a first amount of power from the first power sourcing equipment and concurrently consumes a second amount of power from the second power sourcing equipment, the first amount of power being different than the second amount of power.

12. An electronic device as in claim 11 wherein the electronic device, when consuming the first amount of power from the first power sourcing equipment and concurrently consuming the second amount of power from the second power sourcing equipment, uses at least 30 Watts of power in total through the first and second data telecommunications ports.

13. An electronic device as in claim 9 wherein the first and second data telecommunications ports belong to a set of data telecommunications ports of the electronic device;

and

wherein the electronic circuitry is constructed and arranged to configure at least one data telecommunications port of the set of data telecommunications ports to operate as a power sourcing equipment port.

14. An electronic device as in claim 13, further comprising:

a power storage device coupled to the electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry being constructed and arranged to store power supplied by the first and second power sourcing equipment through the first and second data telecommunications ports in the power storage device.

15. An electronic device as in claim 13 wherein the electronic circuitry is further constructed and arranged to supply power from the power storage device to an external powered device through at least one data telecommunications port of the set of data telecommunications ports operating as a power sourcing equipment port.

16. An electronic device as in claim 13 wherein the electronic circuitry is further constructed and arranged to discontinue operating at least one data telecommunications port of the set of data telecommunications ports as a power sourcing equipment port.

17. A method of operating an electronic device on a wired data telecommunications network, the method comprising:

configuring a first data telecommunications port of the electronic device to operate as a powered device (PD) port with respect to first power sourcing equipment coupled to electronic device through the first data telecommunications port;

while the first data telecommunications port is configured as a PD port, configuring a second data telecommunications port of the electronic device to operate as a PD port with respect to second power sourcing equipment coupled to electronic device through the second data telecommunications port; and

in response to an event relating to the first data telecommunications port, changing an amount of power consumed by the electronic device from the second power sourcing equipment.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein configuring the first data telecommunications port of the electronic device to operate as a PD port with respect to the first power sourcing equipment includes negotiating, via data communications through the first data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the first power sourcing equipment to the electronic device through the first data telecommunications port in accordance with pre-established power classes;

wherein configuring the second data telecommunications port of the electronic device to operate as a PD port with respect to the second power sourcing equipment includes negotiating, via data communications through the second data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the second power sourcing equipment to the electronic device through the second data telecommunications port in accordance with the pre-established power classes; and

wherein changing the amount of power consumed by the electronic device from the second power sourcing equipment in response to the event relating to the first data telecommunications port includes renegotiating, via data communications through the second data telecommunications port, delivery of power from the second power sourcing equipment to the electronic device through the second data telecommunications port to change operation from a first pre-established power class to a second pre-established power class, the first pre-established power class defining a first amount of power, and the second pre-established power class defining a second amount of power which is different than the first amount of power.

19. A method as in claim 17, further comprising:

consuming, by the electronic device, a first amount of power from the first power sourcing equipment and concurrently consuming, by the electronic device, a second amount of power from the second power sourcing equipment, the first amount of power being different than the second amount of power.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein consuming the first amount of power from the first power sourcing equipment and concurrently consuming the second amount of power from the second power sourcing equipment includes uses at least 30 Watts of power in total through the first and second data telecommunications ports.