# US 2014/0152447 A1 · Ethernet device capable of indicating status and method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152447 A1 - Document ID: US20140152447A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/968,375 - Filed: 2013-08-15 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. - Inventors: HUNG-TA CHEN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152447A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/40045: {Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus} - H04L 12/10: Current supply arrangements - H04L 12/40039: {Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus} - Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A method for an Ethernet device indicating a number of states in relation to electrical power available and the good or bad status of electrical connections detects connections between terminal devices and connection ports of the Ethernet device. An indication unit displays no indication signal in the absence of any connection and detects the good or bad status of any connections which are detected. If a connection is bad, the indication device is controlled to produce an indication signal but in the absence of any bad connections, obtains and quantifies a residual power of a power module to determine the number of terminal devices which the Ethernet can be deemed able to support, the different numbers of supportable terminal devices being indicated by different signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An Ethernet device capable of indicating status, comprising: a power module configured to provide power; a plurality of connect ports configured to connect to different types of terminal devices; an indication unit; a processing unit configured to control the indication unit to produce indication signal; and a power management module connected to the power module, the plurality of connect ports, the indication unit, and the processing unit, and configured to distribute power from the power module to the plurality of connect ports, the processing unit, and the indication unit, and to detect a residual power of the power module; wherein, the processing unit is further configured to obtain residual power of the power module detected by the power management unit, and determine a quantity of the terminal devices that can be powered by the residual power of the power module, to control the indication unit to produce a first indication signal after determining that the quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module is not greater than one, and to control the indication unit to produce a second indication signal after determining that the quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module is greater than one. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The Ethernet device according to claim 1, wherein the power management unit is further configured to obtain a total output of power to the terminal devices when the power management unit distributes the power to the terminal devices connected to the connect ports, the processing unit further determines a utilization ratio of the power module according to the total output of power to the terminal devices and the residual power of the power module, and controls the indication unit to produce a third indication signal after determining that the utilization ratio of the power module is greater than a predetermined value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The Ethernet device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit is further configured to control the indication unit to produce a fourth indication signal after determining that the utilization ratio of the power module is not greater than the predetermined value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The Ethernet device according to claim 3, wherein the indication unit is a light-emitting unit and is connected to the power management unit, the processing unit controls the power management unit to output a different current to the indication unit to cause the indication unit to emit light with different colors to produce the first indication signal, the second indication signal, the third indication signal, and the fourth indication signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The Ethernet device according to claim 3, wherein the indication unit is a display, and the first indication signal, the second indication signal, the third indication signal, and the fourth indication signal are different images or messages, the processing unit controls the indication unit to display the corresponding indication signal directly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The Ethernet device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit pre-stores the power consumed by one terminal device, and compares the residual power of the power module and the power consumed by one terminal device to determine the quantity of the terminal device can be powered by the power module. ### Claim 7 An Ethernet device capable of indicating status, comprising: a power module configured to provide power; a plurality of connect ports configured to connect to different types of terminal devices; a connect detection unit configured to detect a state of each connect port; an indication unit, a processing unit connected to the connect detection unit and the indication unit, and configured to control the indication unit to produce indication signals, and a power management module connected to the power module, the plurality of connect ports, the connect detection unit, and the processing unit, and configured to distribute power from the power module to the processing unit, and the connect detection unit, and to distribute power to the terminal devices connected to the connect ports via the connect ports; wherein, when the connect detection unit detects that none of the connect ports is connected to the terminal device, the processing unit controls the indication unit not to produce any indication signal; when the connect detection unit detects that there is at least one connect port is connected to the corresponding terminal device, the processing unit controls the connect detection unit to detect whether a connection between each connect port and the corresponding terminal device is good or bad, and controls the indication unit to produce a first indication signal when the connect detection unit detects the connection between one connect port and the corresponding terminal device is bad. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The Ethernet device according to claim 7, wherein when the connect detection unit detects the connection between each connect port and the corresponding terminal device is good, the processing unit controls the power management to detect the residual power of the power module, and determines whether the residual power of the power module can power at least one terminal device; the processing unit further controls the indication unit to produce a second indication signal after determining that the residual power of the power module can not power at least one terminal device, and controls the indication unit to produce a third indication signal after determining that the residual power of the power module can power at least one terminal device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The Ethernet device according to claim 8, wherein the indication unit is a light-emitting unit and is connected to the power management unit, the processing unit controls the power management unit to output different current to the indication unit to cause the indication unit to emit light with different colors to produce the first indication signal, the second indication signal, and the third indication signal; the processing unit controls the power management unit not to output any current to the indication unit to cause the indication unit not to produce any indication signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The Ethernet device according to claim 8, wherein the indication unit is a display, and the first indication signal, the second indication signal, and the third indication signal are different images or messages, the processing unit controls the indication unit to display the corresponding indication signal directly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The Ethernet device according to claim 7, the processing unit pre-stores the power consumed by one terminal device, and compares the residual power of the power module and the power consumed by one terminal device to determine the quantity of the terminal device can be powered by the power module. ### Claim 12 A method for indicating status of an Ethernet device, the Ethernet device comprises a power module, an indication unit, and a plurality of connect ports, the method comprising: detecting a residual power of a power module; obtaining the residual power of the power module, and determining a quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module; controlling the indication unit to produce a first indication signal after determining that the quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module is not greater than one; controlling the indication unit to produces a second indication signal after determining that the quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module is greater than one. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: obtaining a total output of power to the terminal devices when the power management unit distributes the power to the terminal devices connected to the connect ports; determining a utilization ratio of the power module according to the total output of power to the terminal devices and the residual power of the power module, and determining whether the utilization ratio of the power module is greater than a predetermined value; controlling the indication unit to produce a third indication signal after determining that the utilization ratio of the power module is greater than the predetermined value; and controlling the indication unit to produce a fourth indication signal after determining that the utilization ratio of the power module is not greater than the predetermined value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining a quantity of the terminal devices can be powered by the residual power of the power module comprise: comparing a residual power of the power module and a power consumed by one terminal device to determine the quantity of the terminal device can be powered by the power module.