Wiring closet redundancy
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a first Power Over Ethernet circuit configured to provide data and power to a protected Ethernet device over a downstream connection from an active Ethernet relay uplink device;
a second Power Over Ethernet circuit configured to receive in-line data and power from a plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, and to monitor communications between the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, where the active Ethernet relay uplink device is a first member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices; and
a switchover logic configured to establish a second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices as the active Ethernet relay uplink device by;
controlling the second Power Over Ethernet circuit to pass data and power from the second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices to the first Power Over Ethernet circuit, in response to receiving, from the second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, a switchover command sent independently of the protected Ethernet device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and method for providing redundancy of communications and/or inline power to a powered Ethernet device are disclosed. A redundancy device is configured to receive in-line data and/or power from a plurality of Ethernet relay uplinks and to monitor communications between the relay uplinks. One of the relay uplinks is established as an active state uplink and passes data and/or power to the power device. Responsive to a switchover communication from a redundant uplink, the redundancy device establishes the redundant uplink as the active uplink, thereby passing data and/or power from the redundant uplink to the power device. The relay uplinks may use packet-based communication to sense when there is a failure in a link, and replace a failed device with a redundant device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first Power Over Ethernet circuit configured to provide data and power to a protected Ethernet device over a downstream connection from an active Ethernet relay uplink device; a second Power Over Ethernet circuit configured to receive in-line data and power from a plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, and to monitor communications between the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, where the active Ethernet relay uplink device is a first member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices; and a switchover logic configured to establish a second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices as the active Ethernet relay uplink device by; controlling the second Power Over Ethernet circuit to pass data and power from the second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices to the first Power Over Ethernet circuit, in response to receiving, from the second member of the plurality of Ethernet relay uplink devices, a switchover command sent independently of the protected Ethernet device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A redundancy device for providing redundancy for communications and inline power to a protected Ethernet device in a wired data telecommunications network, comprising:
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a first data switch configured to receive data and power from a first and second upstream Ethernet source over respective differential signal pairs; a power source for supplying inline power to the differential signal pairs; the first data switch including control circuitry for selectively routing power and data from one of the first and second upstream sources to a downstream Ethernet powered device, in response to receiving, from the one of the first and second upstream sources, a switchover command sent independently of the protected Ethernet device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A redundancy device for providing redundancy for communications and inline power to a protected Ethernet device in a wired Power Over Ethernet (PoE) network comprising:
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first data switching means for receiving data and power from a first and second upstream Ethernet source over respective differential signal pairs; power source means for supplying inline power to the differential pairs; the first data switching means including switching and control means for routing power and data from a selected one of the first and second upstream sources to a downstream Ethernet powered device, in response to receiving, from the one of the first and second upstream sources, a switchover command sent independently of the protected Ethernet device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A device, comprising:
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a plurality of relay uplink ports configured to provide data and inline power to the device; where a member of the plurality of relay uplink ports provides inline power and data from an active source to the device; where the device is configured to selectively provide power and data over a downstream port to a protected device, and where the device is configured to switch to providing, over the downstream port to the protected device, power and data from an inactive source and via a member of the plurality of relay uplink ports that sent a switchover command independently of the device, in response to receiving the switchover command in communications on the plurality of relay uplink ports. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification