BUILDING DEVICES WITH COMMUNICATION SUBSYSTEMS INDEPENDENTLY POWERED BY POWER OVER ETHERNET (POE)

• US 20180314219A1
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gamroth, Timothy C., Xu, Yingchun
• Granted Patent: US 10,908,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

A power over Ethernet (PoE) device system for a building including building devices connected together and to a PoE source via a network. The PoE source is configured to provide each of the building devices with PoE. A first building device of the building devices includes a communication subsystem circuit configured to receive the PoE from the PoE source via one of the building devices, power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the one of the building devices, and communicate with the PoE source and the building devices via the network. The first building device includes a functional subsystem circuit configured to power the functional subsystem circuit using power received from a permanent power source of the building and control an environmental condition of the building using the power received from the permanent power source of the building.

Claims

1. A power over Ethernet (PoE) device system for a building, the system comprising:

a plurality of building devices connected together and to a PoE source via a network, wherein the PoE source is configured to provide each of the plurality of building devices with PoE;

wherein a first building device of the plurality of building devices comprises a communication subsystem circuit configured to;

receive the PoE from the PoE source via one of the plurality of building devices;

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the one of the plurality of building devices; and

communicate with the PoE source and the plurality of building devices via the network;

wherein the first building device comprises a functional subsystem circuit configured to;

power the functional subsystem circuit using power received from a permanent power source of the building; and

control an environmental condition of the building using the power received from the permanent power source of the building.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is an Ethernet daisy chain, wherein the plurality of building devices are connected to the PoE source via the Ethernet daisy chain.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication subsystem circuit comprises a memory device, wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to:

receive a software update for the first building device via the network;

store the software update in the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is not active due to the permanent power source failing to power the functional subsystem circuit;

retrieve the software update from the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is active; and

provide, in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is active, the retrieved software update to the functional subsystem circuit for the functional subsystem circuit to install.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications subsystem circuit comprises a memory device, wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to:

receive a software update for the one of the plurality of building devices via the network;

store the software update in the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that a functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is not active due to another permanent power source failing to power a functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices;

retrieve the software update from the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is active; and

communicate, in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is active, the retrieved software update via the network to the one of the plurality of building devices to install via the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to:

transmit or receive data via the network based on a first communication setting;

determine that the one of the plurality of building devices is not active; and

transmit or receive data via the network based on a second communication setting, wherein the second communication setting causes the communications subsystem circuit to transmit or receive data via the network at rates less than rates that the communication subsystem circuit is configured to transmit or receive data via the network based on the first communication setting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of building devices comprise a functional subsystem circuit configured to control the environmental condition of the building, wherein each functional subsystem circuit is configured to be powered using a particular permanent power source;

wherein each of the plurality of building devices comprises a communication subsystem circuit, wherein each communication subsystem circuit is configured to;

receive the PoE from the PoE source; and

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the functional subsystem circuits of the plurality of building devices are configured to collectively draw more power than a maximum power amount that the PoE source is capable of providing to the plurality of building devices;

and

wherein the communication subsystem circuits of the plurality of building devices are configured to collectively draw less than the maximum power amount.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the functional subsystem circuits of the plurality of building devices are configured to each draw more power than a maximum power amount that the PoE source is capable of providing to the plurality of building devices;

and

wherein the communication subsystem circuits of the plurality of building devices are configured to each draw less than the maximum power amount.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a ring network, wherein the plurality of building devices and the PoE source are connected in the ring network;

wherein a second building device of the plurality of building devices is directly connected to the PoE source via the network and is connected to the first building device via the network;

wherein a third building device of the plurality of building devices is directly connected to the PoE source via the network and is connected to the first building device via the network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication subsystem circuit of the first building device is configured to:

receive the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device;

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the second building device;

receive the PoE from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the first building device; and

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first building device comprises a PoE switch circuit;

wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to cause the communication subsystem circuit to be powered using power received from the PoE source via the second building device or using power received from the PoE source via the third building device by controlling the PoE switch circuit.

12. A first building device of a power over Ethernet (PoE) system comprising:

a communication subsystem circuit configured to;

receive PoE from a PoE source via one of a plurality of building devices of a network, wherein the PoE source is configured to provide each of the plurality of building devices with PoE, wherein the plurality of building devices are connected to the PoE source via the network;

power the communication subsystem using the PoE received from the PoE source via the one of the plurality of building devices; and

communicate with the PoE source and the plurality of building devices via the network;

a functional subsystem circuit configured to;

power the functional subsystem circuit using power received from a permanent power source of the building; and

control an environmental condition of the building using the power received from the permanent power source of the building.

13. The first building device of claim 12, wherein the network is an Ethernet daisy chain, wherein the plurality of building devices and the first building device are connected to the PoE source via the Ethernet daisy chain.

14. The first building device of claim 12, wherein the communication subsystem circuit comprises a memory device, wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to:

receive a software update for the first building device via the network;

store the software update in the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is not active due to the permanent power source failing to power the functional subsystem circuit;

retrieve the software update from the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is active; and

provide, in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit is active, the retrieved software update to the functional subsystem circuit for the functional subsystem circuit to install.

15. The first building device of claim 12, wherein the communication subsystem circuit comprises a memory device, wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to:

receive a software update for the one of the plurality of building devices via the network;

store the software update in the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that a functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is not active due to another permanent power source failing to power a functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices;

retrieve the software update from the memory device of the communication subsystem circuit in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is active; and

communicate, in response to determining that the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices is active, the retrieved software update via the network to the one of the plurality of building devices to install via the functional subsystem circuit of the one of the plurality of building devices.

16. The first building device of claim 12, wherein the network is a ring network, wherein the plurality of building devices and the PoE source are connected in the ring network;

wherein a second building device of the plurality of building devices is directly connected to the PoE source via the ring network and is connected to the first building device via the ring network;

wherein a third building device is directly connected to the PoE source via the network and is connected to the first building device via the ring network.

17. The first building device of claim 16, wherein the communication subsystem circuit of the first building device is configured to:

receive the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device;

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the second building device;

receive the PoE from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the first building device; and

power the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device.

18. The first building device of claim 17, wherein the communication subsystem circuit comprises a PoE switch circuit;

wherein the communication subsystem circuit is configured to cause the communication subsystem circuit to be powered using power received from the PoE source via the second building device or using power received from the PoE source via the third building device by controlling the PoE switch circuit.

19. A method for controlling a first building device of a power over Ethernet (PoE) system of a building comprising:

receiving, by a communication subsystem circuit of the first building device, PoE from a PoE source via one of a plurality of building devices of the network, wherein the PoE source is configured to provide each of the plurality of building devices with PoE, wherein the plurality of building devices are connected to the PoE source via a network;

powering, by the communication subsystem circuit, the communication subsystem using the PoE of the PoE source received from the PoE source via the one of the plurality of building devices;

communicating, by the communication subsystem circuit, with the PoE source and the plurality of building devices via the network;

powering, by a functional subsystem circuit of the first building device, the functional subsystem circuit using power received from a permanent power source of the building; and

controlling, by the functional subsystem circuit, an environmental condition of the building using the power received from the permanent power source of the building.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the network is a ring network, wherein the plurality of building devices and the PoE source are connected in the ring network;

wherein a second building device of the plurality of building devices is directly connected to the PoE source via the ring network and is connected to the first building device via the ring network;

wherein a third building device is directly connected to the PoE source via the network and is connected to the first building device via the ring network.

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, by the communication subsystem circuit, the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device;

powering, by the communication subsystem circuit, the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the second building device;

receiving, by the communication subsystem circuit, the PoE from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the first building device; and

powering, by the communication subsystem circuit, the communication subsystem circuit using the PoE received from the PoE source via the third building device in response to determining that the first building device has not received the PoE from the PoE source via the second building device.