Method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, and corresponding remote power feed unit, concentrator, repeator, and terminal
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
- producing at least one detection an alternating current test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, that the test signal having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances,detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by the test signal in that said line, andsending a power supply current in that said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected.
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Abstract
A method for sending a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network. A repeater of the local area network produces a detection test signal in a line to which a remote terminal is connected, and the signal has an energy level that will not damage the terminal. The presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed via the repeater is detected by detecting the presence of a predetermined impedance in the terminal, and power is supplied to the terminal via the repeater in response to detection of the presence of the terminal.
10 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least one detection an alternating current test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, that the test signal having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by the test signal in that said line, and sending a power supply current in that said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A terminal adapted to be connected to a local area network and to receive a remote power feed via a line, wherein the terminal includes at least one predetermined impedance connected to at least two conductors of the line and which identifies terminals adapted to receive a remote power feed, wherein the predetermined impedance is a very much higher capacitance than that of terminations routinely connected to the ends of the lines in terminals that are not adapted to receive a remote power feed but are adapted to be connected to the local area network.
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27. A repeater adapted to receive a remote power feed and adapted to be included in a line between a network equipment unit including a remote power feed unit and another network equipment unit in a local area network,
the repeater including a power supply unit powered by a remote power feed and whose input is connected in parallel with the power supply input of the other network equipment unit to the conductors of the line that provide the remote power feed, and the power supply unit having an input impedance whose modulus is very much higher than the modulus of the input impedance of the power supply unit which is characteristic of equipment units adapted to receive a remote power feed likely to be connected downstream of that repeater.
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28. A concentrator adapted to be inserted into a line between a network equipment unit including a remote power feed unit and at least one other network equipment unit in a local area network,
the concentrator including, for each of its ports adapted to be connected to another network equipment unit, a remote power feed unit which includes: -
means for producing at least one detection an alternating current test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the concentrator to another network equipment unit, that the test signal having an energy such that the other network equipment unit cannot be damaged under any circumstances, means for detecting the presence of another equipment unit adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of a predetermined impedance in that other equipment unit on the basis of a current created by the test signal in the line, and means for sending a power supply current in the line when the presence of another equipment unit adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least first and second test signals on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, the test signals having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of predetermined impedance in the remote terminal in compliance with a predetermined impedance threshold, on the basis of a current created by at least one of the test signals in said line, and sending a power supply current in said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least one test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, the test signal having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by the test signal in said line, and sending a power supply current in said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected; said method further comprising the step of subsequently producing a disconnect test signal superimposed on the power supply current provided over said line to detect the removal of said remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least one test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, the test signal having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by the test signal in said line, and sending a power supply current in said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected; wherein the step of detecting the presence of predetermined impedance includes detecting predetermined capacitive impedance. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least first and second test signals on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, the test signals having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by detecting the presence of first predetermined impedance and second predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by at least one of the test signals in said line, and sending a power supply current in said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of providing a remote power feed to a terminal in a local area network, the method comprising:
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producing at least one test signal on at least two conductors of a line for connecting the local area network to a remote terminal, the test signal having an energy such that the terminal cannot be damaged under any circumstances, detecting the presence of a remote terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed by (i) detecting the presence of first predetermined impedance in the remote terminal on the basis of a current created by the test signal in said line, and (ii) detecting the presence of a second predetermined impedance, and sending a power supply current in said line when the presence of a terminal adapted to receive a remote power feed is detected. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification