Method and system for a connector with integrated power over Ethernet functionality

• US 8,935,542 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diab, Wael William, Brown, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, VINCENT WEN-LIANG
• Application Number:
  US12/752,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20110217873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for a connector with integrated power over Ethernet functionality are provided. In this regard, one or more circuits and/or processors that reside within and/or on a connector may be operable to manage a supply power that is delivered over a cable based on characteristics of the connector and/or characteristics of the cable. The cable may carry the supply power while concurrently carrying data communications. The one or more circuits and/or processors may be operable to source and sink the supply power. The one or more circuits and/or processors may be operable to control which one or more conductors of the cable are utilized for conveying the supply power.

Claims

1. A method for networking, the method comprising:

performing by a plurality of connectors, each connector of the plurality of connectors having a circuit therein or thereon and interfacing a respective cable of a plurality of cables to a networking enabled device;

conducting an electrical signal between a first connector of the plurality of connectors and a directly adjacent second connector of the plurality of connectors through a direct physical contact between the first and the second connectors;

managing a supply power that is delivered over a first cable of the plurality of cables based on characteristics of the first connector or characteristics of the first cable, wherein;

the first cable carries the supply power while concurrently carrying data communications;

the circuit of each connector of the plurality of connectors is configured to source and sink the supply power;

the circuit of each connector of the plurality of connectors is configured to control which one or more conductors of the respective cable is utilized for conveying the supply power; and

the circuit of each connector of the plurality of connectors is configured to perform physical layer (PHY) functionality; and

managing, by the circuit of the first connector, supply power delivered via the second connector.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the first connector comprise:

a quantity of pins within and/or on the first connector;

a type of a pin of the quantity of pins within and/or on the first connector;

or

a configuration of the circuit within or on the first connector.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the first cable comprises:

a length of the first cable;

a diameter of a conductor of the first cable;

or

whether the first cable is shielded.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising managing, by the circuit of the first connector, the supply power utilizing layer two and/or 2-event power classification.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit of the first connector enables the supply power and the data communications to be carried concurrently on the one or more conductors of the first cable.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the circuit of the first connector, information to a link partner coupled to another end of the first cable by varying a load or a voltage on a conductor of the first cable.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the circuit of the first connector, variations in the supply power and recovering information conveyed via the variations.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring, by the circuit of the first connector, an amount of the supply power delivered via the first connector and performing the managing based on a result of the measuring.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising processing, by the circuit of the first connector, packets to terminate a network management protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to source the supply power based on a determination that the networking enabled device is configured as a power supplying equipment, and wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to sink the supply power based on a determination that the networking enabled device is configured as a powered device.

11. A system for networking, the system comprising:

a plurality of connectors, each connector having a circuit residing therein or thereon and being configured to interface a respective cable of a corresponding plurality of cables to a networking enabled device, the circuit of each connector of the plurality of connectors being configured to;

conduct an electrical signal between a first connector of the plurality of connectors and a directly adjacent second connector of the plurality of connectors through a direct physical contact between the first and the second connectors;

manage, by the circuit of the first connector, supply power delivered via the second connector;

manage a supply power delivered over a first cable of the plurality of cables based on a characteristic of the first connector or a characteristic of the first cable, wherein;

the first cable is configured to carry the supply power while concurrently carrying data communications;

the circuit of the first connector is configured to source and sink the supply power;

the circuit of the first connector is configured to control which one or more conductors of the first cable are utilized for conveying the supply power; and

the circuit of each of the plurality of connectors is configured to perform physical layer (PHY) functionality.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristics of the first connector comprise:

a quantity of pins within or on the first connector;

a type of a pin within or on the first connector;

or

a configuration of a circuit within or on the first connector.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristics of the first cable comprise:

a length of the first cable;

a diameter of a conductor of the first cable;

or

whether the first cable is shielded.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to manage the supply power utilizing layer two and/or 2-event power classification.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to enable the supply power and the data communications to be carried concurrently on the one or more conductors of the first cable.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to communicate information to a link partner coupled to another end of the first cable by varying a load or a voltage a conductor of the first cable.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to detect variations in the supply power and recover information conveyed via the variations.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to measure an amount of the supply power provided or drawn via the first connector and to perform the managing based on said measuring.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to process packets to terminate a network management protocol.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to source the supply power based on a determination that the networking enabled device is configured as a power supplying equipment, and wherein the circuit of the first connector is configured to sink the supply power based on a determination that the networking enabled device is configured as a powered device.