Alarm of a telecommunications terminal connected to a LAN
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsMichel Le Creff, Gérard Vergnaud, Raymond Gass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Before any supply of remote power to a telecommunications terminal connected to a local area network, the Ethernet equipment must recognize the power class of the terminal by measuring a specific electrical signature of the terminal via their interconnection. If the Ethernet equipment is unable to supply the required power, then it will send a specific signal via the interconnection which will activate an alarm on the terminal. The possibility to be alerted by a specific alarm from the terminal if no remote power can be supplied to it, will advantageously inform the terminal user of the problem and allow the user to look for an alternative.
Claims16
A method of supplying power to a terminal from Ethernet equipment via first and second pairs of wires that carry data between the terminal and the Ethernet equipment, the method comprising:
- determining whether the Ethernet equipment is capable of meeting power requirements of the terminal;
- if the Ethernet equipment is not capable of meeting the power requirements, sending a first signal via the first and second pairs of wires to the terminal to notify that the Ethernet equipment is not capable of meeting the power requirements, and
- activating an alarm of the terminal using said first signal,
- wherein
- said determining step comprises sending a second signal from the Ethernet equipment to the terminal via the first and second pairs of wires to detect an electrical signature indicative of a power class of the terminal, and
- the first and second signals each comprise a difference between bias voltages applied to the first and second pairs of wires.
A method of supplying power to a terminal from Ethernet equipment via first and second pairs of wires that carry data between the terminal and the Ethernet equipment, the method comprising:
- determining whether the Ethernet equipment is capable of meeting power requirements of the terminal;
- and
- if the Ethernet equipment is not capable of meeting the power requirements, sending a first signal via the first and second pairs of wires to the terminal to notify that the Ethernet equipment is not capable of meeting the power requirements, wherein
- the first signal comprises a difference between bias voltages applied to the first and second pairs of wires, and
- the Ethernet equipment is selected from a group consisting of a switch, a concentrator, a repeater and a hub.
A terminal capable of being coupled to a network over a line comprising first and second pairs of wires and receiving power via the first and second pairs of wires, the terminal comprising:
- a center tap transformer comprising a first transformer and a second transformer, the first and second transformers capable of being coupled to the first and second pairs of wires, respectively, of the line;
- an electrical signature coupled between center taps of the first and second transformers, the electrical signature specifying a power class of the terminal, which can be determined by Ethernet equipment via the first and second pairs of wires;
- a rectifier bridge coupled between center taps of the first and second transformers, and
- a first detector capable of detecting a signal transmitted via the first and second pairs of wires, said signal notifying the terminal of an inability to be remotely powered.
Ethernet equipment capable of being coupled to a network over a line comprising first and second pairs of wires to a second Ethernet equipment selected from a group consisting of a switch, a concentrator, a repeater, a hub and a terminal, the Ethernet equipment comprising:
- a center tap transformer comprising first and second transformers, said first and second transformers capable of being coupled via the first and second pairs of wires, respectively, to a center tap transformer of the second Ethernet equipment;
- an electrical circuit coupled to center taps of the first and second transformers, the electrical circuit being capable of sending a first signal to the second Ethernet equipment via the first and second pairs of wires to determine power requirements of the second Ethernet equipment;
- and
- means coupled to the electrical circuit capable of sending a second signal via the first and second pairs of wires to notify the second Ethernet equipment of the inability to be remotely powered, the second signal being sent when the Ethernet equipment is not capable of meeting the power requirements of the second Ethernet equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.