# US 11,909,540 B2 · System and method for power over ethernet control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,540 B2 - Document ID: US11909540B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/081,781 - Filed: 2017-02-15 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: Molex Incorporated - Applicants: Molex, LLC - Inventors: Giovanni Frezza; Christopher Blount; Michael C. Picini; Mohammed Alhroub; Anthony Mackey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909540B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/10: Current supply arrangements - H02M 1/10: Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from AC or DC - H04L 12/40045: {Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - Y04S 40/18: Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A system and/or method can include power of Ethernet (PoE) controller including a PoE interface, a device interface and a controller, communicatively coupled to the PoE interface and the device interface. The controller can be configured to receive device control information via the PoE interface and to generate control instructions in response to the device control information for the device interface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power over Ethernet (PoE) controller, comprising: an Ethernet port and first circuitry configured to support network signaling over an Ethernet network, wherein the first circuitry is configured to obtain PoE power from the Ethernet network; a device network interface that includes a device port and second circuitry configured to support network signaling over a non-Ethernet network, wherein the device port comprises a connector configured to support a wired harnesses connection, wherein the wired harnesses connection is a four-wire connection with two wires for power and two wires for signaling, and wherein the device network interface is configured to provide at least a portion of the PoE power from the first circuitry via the wired harnesses connection to a device; control circuitry, communicatively coupled to the first circuitry and the device network interface, configured to receive device control information via the first circuitry and to generate control instructions, that are more than requests for power, that are configured to control the device in response to the device control information for communication via the device network interface; and a power converter, electrically coupled to the Ethernet port and the control circuitry, the power converter configured to convert at least a portion of the PoE power to power for use by the control circuitry. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet port comprises a connector configured to support an Ethernet cabling connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 2, wherein the connector configured to support an Ethernet cabling connection comprises an RJ45 connector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support RS485 signaling. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support RS232 signaling. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) signaling. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support Controller Area Network (CAN) signaling. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support BACnet signaling. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) signaling. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry is configured to support serial peripheral interface (SPI) signaling. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the device network interface comprises a device driver configured to perform at least one of conveying the control instructions to one or more devices corresponding to the control instructions and providing signaling for one or more devices to perform functionality corresponding to the control instructions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive device information via the device network interface from one or more devices communicatively coupled to the device network interface and to generate communications in resonse to the received device information for transmission via the Ethernet port. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 1, wherein the device network interface is communicatively coupled to one or more devices to which the generated control instructions correspond. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more devices comprise a dispenser is configured to dispense a least one of soap, towels, lotion, air, heated air, fragrance, sound, verbal instructions, information, communication from others, or warnings. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more devices comprise a battery configured to power at least one of emergency lighting, a displace device, a sensor, or a beacon. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The power over Ethernet (PoE) controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more devices comprises a door lock, a window lock, or an electronic device lock.