Multi-power ethernet power supply system and control device thereof

Abstract

A multi-power Ethernet power over system control device for controlling the power state of a plurality of communication ports in a power over Ethernet system. A master controller provides control signals contained in a power usage control table to control circuits via a serial bus in different ways. Upon a power failure, each control circuit opens a selected associated port switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a Power over Ethernet (PoE) system and a control device for the system, particularly to a PoE system having multiple power supply devices and a control device for such a system. Background Technology

[0002] In wired communication networks, supplying power to operating devices on the network via network cabling is a mature technology. For example, Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems, which provide power over Ethernet cabling, are gaining popularity due to their advantages such as reduced installation costs, centralized power supply and backup, and secure management. Currently, PoE systems typically comply with the IEEE 802.3af–2003 standard, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems offer scalable capabilities. During initial operation, the system can automatically or manually configure power supply to a limited number of ports belonging to the system. Over time, the system can also monitor the power supply status and adjust the number of powered ports accordingly. Each port can accept one powered device connection and supply power to that device.

[0004] Methods for increasing power supply include using multiple power supply units or power groups. These multiple power supply units are typically connected in parallel to one or more control elements to supply or distribute the electrical power of the power supply units to individual powered devices. Power supply systems with other configurations can also be applied to Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems powered by multiple power sources. PoE systems can be applied as long as the total power supplied by the connected power sources can be distributed to one or more connected loads through Ethernet cabling.

[0005] In power supply systems using multiple power sources, a key technical challenge is overcoming the need to immediately stop supplying power to a specific number of connected devices (i.e., a specific number of ports) if one of the power sources fails or reduces its output power. This prevents overload on the remaining power. Furthermore, to protect the devices still receiving power from the adverse effects of the failed power source, power supply to a significant number of ports must be stopped within a very short timeframe after the power failure or power reduction, typically within 20 milliseconds, ideally within 2 milliseconds. This reduces the total power consumption of all connected devices and prevents overload caused by a few power source failures, which could lead to system shutdown.

[0006] Existing technologies have proposed several solutions to address this need, especially the need to quickly stop power supply to a sufficient number of ports when one or more power supply devices fail.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 7,337,336 discloses a "Method forrapid port power reduction." This method can be applied to multi-power supply Ethernet (Power over Ethernet) systems, allowing for rapid reduction or shutdown of power supply to specific ports when power states change. The method includes: encoding each possible power supply state. For example, in a system with four power supply devices, each device is assigned code 1 if its power supply state is normal, and 0 otherwise. This allows for 16 power supply state codes. Next, the current power consumption or power supply index of the power-consuming port is obtained. For each power supply state, the port to which power supply should be reduced is specified based on the aforementioned index, and the resulting identification symbol is stored. When the power supply state changes from the current state to another state, called a corrected power state, the corrected power state is compared with the stored power supply states. Based on the successfully matched power supply state code, the corresponding identification symbol is executed. That is, the port indicated by the identification symbol as powered off or with reduced power is powered off or its power supply reduced. In practice, this control method can be represented using a code table. The left side of the table contains codes representing various power supply state combinations, while the right side contains port power supply state codes corresponding to each power supply state combination.

[0008] US Patent 7,908,494 discloses a system and method for multiple PoE power supply management. This patent also provides a mechanism in a multi-source PoE system to stop power supply to specific ports when one or more power supply devices fail. A pre-configured combination logic is used to combine specific power supply states, represented by codes. Each power supply state combination code corresponds to a port power supply state combination. Each port power supply state combination is also represented by a code, called a port power state signal. This port power state code is emitted as a signal to change the power supply state of each port. For example, a port with a signal value of 0 stops receiving power. In practice, this control method can also be represented by a code table. The left side of the table represents the codes for various power supply state combinations, and the right side lists the port power supply state codes corresponding to each power supply state combination.

[0009] Although changing the power supply status of the startup port involves changing the combination of power supply states, in practical applications, a mechanism to change the port power supply status needs to be activated whenever the status of any power supply device changes. While providing the status signals of all power supply devices to the controller is one approach, it is actually possible to combine all the power supply device status signals into a single status input signal to activate the emergency power-off mechanism. This technology is disclosed in US Patent 2007 / 0250218, entitled: Power management logic that reconfigures a load when a power supply fails.

[0010] Regarding the technology of emergency power cut-off when the power supply status changes, patent publication TW201729564 discloses a power supply device and method for an Ethernet power supply system. This method continuously monitors a specific communication port to obtain the power consumption of the powered device connected to that port along a time axis, and determines a power consumption trend value. When the trend value indicates that the power consumption of the powered device exceeds a predetermined power supply upper limit for a predetermined time, power supply to the powered device is stopped.

[0011] As can be seen from the existing technology, while the emergency power-off mechanisms proposed by those skilled in the art can quickly cut off power, they are only suitable for systems with a small number of powered devices. When the number of powered devices reaches a considerable level, especially when the ratio of powered devices to power supply devices is too high, the code becomes excessively long and its selectivity is significantly reduced. Therefore, it cannot truly achieve the goal of rapid power-off.

[0012] Furthermore, in situations where the ratio of powered devices to powered devices is too high, the means that can be taken for various power supply combinations—that is, the ports that can be selected for power outages—cannot be dynamically chosen. Therefore, this does not meet the scalability requirements of the aforementioned Power over Ethernet (PoE) system. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The purpose of this invention is also to provide a novel multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device that can quickly reduce or stop power supply to a specific port when a power failure occurs.

[0014] The purpose of this invention is to provide a novel control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system. This device can quickly reduce or stop power supply to a specific port when a power failure occurs, and is suitable for systems where the ratio of the number of powered devices to the number of power supply devices is high.

[0015] The purpose of this invention is also to provide a novel multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device, which can quickly reduce or stop the power supply to a specific port when a power failure occurs, and can select the appropriate target port to reduce or stop the power supply in conjunction with the addition or removal of powered devices.

[0016] The purpose of this invention is also to provide a control method that can be applied to the above-mentioned multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device.

[0017] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, the control device comprising:

[0018] The main controller includes: an input terminal comprising multiple power connection terminals for connecting multiple power supply devices to receive a power supply state combination signal representing a combination of power supply states of the multiple power supply devices; a detection circuit connected to the input terminal for receiving the power supply state combination signal to detect at least one power supply state combination; a power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations; and a control signal generation circuit connected to the detection circuit and the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory, configured to: when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, generate a set of power consumption state change signals based on the changed power supply state combination, and output them from the output terminal; the detection circuit is configured to issue a power supply state change signal when the received power supply state combination differs from the existing power supply state combination, to initiate a power consumption state change procedure;

[0019] Multiple control circuits are connected to the main controller and multiple port switches. Each port switch controls the power-on state of at least one port, and each port can be connected to an electrical device. Each control circuit is also configured to generate a power control signal based on the power-on state change signal after receiving the set of power-on state change signals, and provide it to the corresponding port switch to enable or disable power to individual ports.

[0020] A signal bus connects the main controller to the plurality of control circuits; wherein the signal bus is a sequence bus. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the signal bus uses the IIC communication protocol.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each control circuit may include a second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations, wherein each of the multiple power consumption control combinations is associated with a switch state combination of a port switch connected to the control circuit.

[0022] In this embodiment, the main controller can be configured to: during the system startup phase, provide a pre-stored power supply and power consumption control lookup table in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory to at least one of the plurality of control circuits; and when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, convert the changed power supply state combination signal into a code and transmit it to the at least one control circuit as the power consumption state change signal; and the at least one control circuit is configured to: after receiving the power supply and power consumption control lookup table from the main controller, store the lookup table in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory; and after receiving the power supply state combination code, pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply status combination signal includes the same number of codes as the plurality of power supplies. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the power supply status combination signal, when combined, becomes the power supply status change signal.

[0024] In a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply status combination code represents the result of converting the changed power supply status combination signal into a sequence signal. In this embodiment, the at least one control circuit searches for corresponding power consumption control combination data in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table according to the power supply status combination code to generate the power consumption control signal.

[0025] In several preferred embodiments of the present invention, the at least one control circuit transmits a set of power control signals picked up via the signal bus to other control circuits; and the other control circuits are configured to: after receiving the power control signals, pick up a set of power control signals and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a multi-power supply Ethernet power supply system, the system comprising:

[0027] Multiple power supply devices;

[0028] Multiple communication ports, each of which can be connected to an electrical device to establish a signal and power connection with the device; each communication port has a port switch to control the power supply to the port;

[0029] The control device connects the plurality of power supply devices and the plurality of communication ports via network cables, provides power conversion of the electrical power supplied by each power supply device into electrical power suitable for the electrical devices to be connected to each communication port, and is used to issue power control signals to control each communication port to receive power from the plurality of power supply devices.

[0030] The control device includes:

[0031] The main controller includes: an input terminal for receiving a power supply status combination signal representing a combination of power supply statuses of multiple power supply devices; an output terminal for outputting control signals related to power supply; a detection circuit configured at the input terminal for receiving the power supply status combination signal to detect at least one power supply status combination; a power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply status combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations; and a control signal generation circuit that, when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply status combination, retrieves the corresponding power consumption control combination data from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table based on the changed power supply status combination, generates a set of power consumption status change signals, and outputs them from the output terminal.

[0032] The detection circuit is configured to issue a power supply state change signal when the received power supply state combination is different from the existing power supply state combination.

[0033] Multiple power connection terminals are configured at the input of the main controller for connecting multiple power supply devices and the detection circuit;

[0034] Multiple control circuits are connected to the main controller and multiple port switches. Each port switch controls the power supply status of at least one port, and each port can be connected to an electrical device. Each control circuit is also configured to generate a power supply control signal based on the power supply status change signal after receiving the set of power supply status change signals, and provide it to the corresponding port switch to enable individual ports to accept or reject power supply.

[0035] A signal bus connects the main controller to the plurality of control circuits; wherein the signal bus is a sequence bus. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the signal bus uses the IIC communication protocol.

[0036] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, the control device comprising:

[0037] The main controller includes: an input terminal for receiving a power supply state combination signal representing a combination of power supply states of multiple power supply devices; an output terminal for outputting a control signal related to power supply; a detection circuit configured at the input terminal for receiving the power supply state combination signal to detect at least one power supply state combination; a power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations; and a control signal generation circuit that, when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, retrieves the corresponding power consumption control combination data from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table based on the changed power supply state combination, generates the control signal, and outputs it from the output terminal.

[0038] The detection circuit is configured to issue a power supply state change signal when the received power supply state combination is different from the existing power supply state combination.

[0039] Multiple power connection terminals are configured at the input of the main controller for connecting multiple power supply devices and the detection circuit;

[0040] Multiple control circuits are connected to the main controller and multiple port switches. Each port switch controls the power supply status of at least one port, and each port can be connected to an electrical device. Each control circuit is also configured to provide a control signal to a corresponding port switch upon receiving a control signal, so that an individual port may or may not receive power.

[0041] A signal bus connects the main controller to the plurality of control circuits; wherein the signal bus is a sequence bus. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the signal bus uses the IIC communication protocol.

[0042] In this implementation, the control signal generating device is configured to: when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, retrieve corresponding power control combination data from the power supply control lookup table based on the changed power supply state combination, and generate one or more sets of power control signals as the control signals, which are then transmitted from the output terminal to the plurality of control circuits via the signal bus; and each control circuit is configured to: upon receiving the set of power control signals, transmit the corresponding power control signals to the corresponding plurality of port switches. In various embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of power control signals all contain codes indicating the relevant control circuits. In these embodiments, the number of control circuits is the same as or a multiple of the number of sets of power control signals.

[0043] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, the system comprising multiple power supply devices, multiple powered communication ports, and a control device having the above-described features.

[0044] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system. This control device has the features of the first aspect of the present invention, but the main controller is configured to: during the system startup phase, divide a pre-stored power supply control lookup table in the power supply control lookup table memory into multiple sub-tables, and provide each sub-table to a corresponding control circuit in the multiple control circuits; and the at least one control circuit is configured to: after receiving the sub-tables of the power supply control lookup table sent by the main controller, store the lookup table in a second power supply control lookup table memory, and after receiving the power supply status combination code, pick up a set of power control signals from the sub-tables of the power supply control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

[0045] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device can also configure the main controller as one of the plurality of control circuits. That is, the main controller is also connected to a plurality of port switches, and after issuing the power supply status combination code, it picks up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply control lookup table and transmits them to the port switches connected to the main controller.

[0046] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, the system comprising multiple power supply devices, multiple powered communication ports, and a control device having the above-described features.

[0047] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the description of the embodiments of the present invention is only intended to illustrate the main technical content, features, and effects of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily derive various variations and applications based on the description herein. All such variations and applications are within the scope of the appended patent applications. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a multi-power Ethernet power supply system configuration is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a configuration of one embodiment of the control device for the multi-power Ethernet power supply system of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 3This diagram illustrates a second embodiment of the control device for the multi-power Ethernet power supply system of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a third embodiment of the control device for the multi-power Ethernet power supply system of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a fourth embodiment of the control device for the multi-power Ethernet power supply system of the present invention.

[0053] Reference tag list

[0054] 201-204 Power supply unit

[0055] 221-224 Network cable

[0056] Communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N

[0057] Port switches 311, 312, 313, ... 31N

[0058] 321-32N signal cable

[0059] 400 control device

[0060] 410 Main Controller

[0061] 411 Input Terminal

[0062] 412 Output Terminal

[0063] 413 Detection Circuit

[0064] 421-42N Control Circuit

[0065] 430 signal bus

[0066] 414 Control signal generation circuit

[0067] 415 Power Supply and Consumption Control Reference Table (Memory)

[0068] 461 Second Power Supply Control Reference Table Memory Detailed Implementation

[0069] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates various embodiments of the multi-power Ethernet power supply system and its control device of the present invention, to demonstrate the technology, features, and effects of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a multi-power Ethernet power supply system is shown. The multi-power Ethernet power supply system used in this invention is already known technology. A multi-power Ethernet power supply system typically includes: multiple power supply devices 201-204; multiple communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N; and a control device 400. As is well known, the multiple power supply devices 201-204 are typically computer equipment, network equipment, but may also be simply power supplies or other devices whose primary purpose is to supply power. Communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N are used to connect to the power-consuming device to establish a signal and power connection with that device (not shown). Typically, the power-consuming device is a networked computer device, network equipment, or peripheral device, such as a laser printer, telephone, scanner, camera, projector, monitor, loudspeaker, headphones, smart home appliances, etc. However, it may also be a simple electrical load, such as an LED light or a general household appliance. The diagram shows that each communication port 301, 302, 303, ... 30N has a port switch 311, 312, 313, ... 31N to control whether the port is powered on. As will be explained below, each port switch 311, 312, 313, ... 31N is connected to a control device 400, which controls and switches the port on or off.

[0071] The control device 400 connects to multiple power supply devices 201-204 via network cables 221-224 connected to input terminal 411, and to multiple communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N via signal cables 321-32N. This allows it to convert the electrical power supplied by each power supply device 201-204 into power suitable for the devices connected to each communication port 301, 302, 303, ... 30N. Multi-power Ethernet power supply systems with the above configuration, features, and effects are mature technologies widely used worldwide. Detailed descriptions can be found in the aforementioned known patents. Readers may refer to these for further research.

[0072] The main focus of this invention is to provide a control device 400 with a novel configuration, and a control method applied to the control device 400, for distributing the electrical power of multiple power supply devices 201-204 to multiple communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N, especially when one of the multiple power supply devices 201-204 fails, controlling how the electrical power provided by the remaining power supply devices is distributed to the multiple communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N.

[0073] Figure 2This diagram illustrates an embodiment of the control device 400 for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system according to the present invention. As shown, the control device 400 includes a main controller 410, multiple control circuits 421-42N, and a signal bus 430 connecting the two. The other ends of the multiple control circuits 421-42N are respectively connected to multiple port switches 311-31N. Each port switch 311-31N controls the power-receiving state of at least one communication port 301-30N. Each communication port 301-30N can be connected to a power-consuming device (not shown) to provide power and / or digital information to the device.

[0074] As shown in the figure, the main controller 410 has an input terminal 411, which includes multiple power connection terminals for connecting multiple power supply devices 201-204 to receive power supply status combination signals representing combinations of power supply statuses of the multiple power supply devices. The figure shows input terminal 411 connected to four power supply devices 201-204. However, there is no particular limitation on the number of power supply devices that a multi-power Ethernet Power Supply system can provide. Furthermore, the primary purpose of the power connection terminals is detection and control. However, these power connection terminals can also serve as a pathway for supplying power from the multiple power supply devices 201-204 to multiple communication ports 301, 302, 303, ... 30N.

[0075] The detection circuit 413 is connected to the input terminal 411 and is used to detect the power supply status of multiple power supply devices 201-204. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply status of the multiple power supply devices 201-204 can be directly measured from the power connection terminal of the input terminal 411. The combination of the power supply statuses of the multiple power supply devices 201-204 can represent the power supply status combination signal received by the detection circuit 413. Other detection methods and methods for representing power supply status combinations can also be applied to the present invention.

[0076] In the example shown, the power supply status of each power supply device 201-204 can be represented by a single code. For example, 1 represents normal power supply, and 0 represents a fault or inability to supply power normally. This can potentially generate 16 power supply status combination codes, representing 16 possible power supply states.

[0077] In known technologies, to ensure the normal operation of a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, a mechanism must be provided to quickly shut down the power supply to a sufficient number of devices when any power supply device fails. This mechanism prevents system downtime due to the failure of a few power supply devices. In most known technical methods, such as the aforementioned patents, a lookup table, called a power supply and power consumption control lookup table, is provided. This lookup table indicates the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations. For example, when all power supply devices are operating normally (1,1,1,1), all ports are in a powered state. Taking 8 ports as an example, if 1 represents a powered state and 0 represents a non-powered state, it would be (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1). However, when one power supply device fails, a specific port, such as a port with a lower priority, is put into a non-powered state, i.e., the corresponding port switch is disconnected, and power supply to that port is stopped. The relative relationship can be expressed as (1,1,1,0 / 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0). Other possible comparison relationships can be deduced by analogy.

[0078] The codes above indicate whether power is supplied to multiple electrical devices. Each combination of power supply states can be called power control combination data. If represented by signals or control signals, it is called power control combination signal.

[0079] This known power supply control lookup table technology is insufficient for applications with a large number of electrical devices. One reason is that while there is no limit to the number of codes for each combination in the lookup table, if the length of the control combination data is too long, such as 64, 128, 256 or more, a large number of wires are required, increasing the system size and complexity, thus negating the advantages of faster control through the lookup table. Using a single control device to control the power consumption of a large number of devices is already a foreseeable application. This problem must be overcome to design a suitable multi-power Ethernet power supply system.

[0080] While not wanting to be bound by any theory, the inventors discovered that all multi-powered Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems use sequence buses. When the control signals are quite long (requiring a large number of signals per group), sequence buses become suitable for transmission. Furthermore, using existing sequence buses to transmit switch control signals to multiple port switches eliminates the need for a large number of wires.

[0081] According to the design of the present invention, the main controller 410 is not configured to generate power control signals directly to individual port switches 311-31N. Instead, the main controller 410 generates control signals and transmits them to one or more of the multiple control circuits 421-42N, which then transmit the power control signals to each port switch 311-31N. To shorten the control process time and achieve correct control, the multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device 400 of the present invention uses a sequence signal bus 430 to transmit the control signals generated by the main controller 410 and provided to the multiple power supply devices 201-204, as well as the data and control signals exchanged between the multiple power supply devices 201-204. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sequence signal bus 430 preferably uses the IIC communication protocol (Inter-Integrated Circuit Protocol).

[0082] To achieve the above objectives, the main controller 410 of the present invention provides a detection circuit 413 connected to the input terminal 411 to receive the power supply state combination signal, where each power supply state combination signal represents a power supply state combination. Therefore, the detection result of the detection circuit 413 represents a power supply state combination. The main controller 410 also provides a power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415 for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table. This power supply and power consumption control lookup table indicates the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations. The configuration and content of this power supply and power consumption control lookup table can be referred to the foregoing description or any known art records or descriptions. In application, the content of the power supply and power consumption control lookup table can be set manually or automatically by the main controller 410 at the initial stage. The method for setting the content of the power supply and power consumption control lookup table is also known art and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] The main controller 410 also provides a control signal generation circuit 414, which is connected to the detection circuit 413 and the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415. When the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415 generates a set of power consumption state change signals according to the changed power supply state combination and provides them to the control circuits 421-42N described later.

[0084] To achieve the above objectives, the detection circuit 413 is configured to issue a power supply state change signal when the received power supply state combination differs from the existing power supply state combination. Upon receiving this power supply state change signal, the control signal generation circuit 414 initiates a power consumption control program. Based on the changed power supply state combination signal detected by the detection circuit 413, it generates a set of power consumption state change signals to initiate the power consumption state change program. In application, the detection circuit 413 can simply combine multiple power supply connections to the input terminal 411, so that a power supply state change signal is generated and the power consumption state change program is initiated whenever the power supply state signal of any connection changes. Similar methods can be found in the aforementioned prior art documents.

[0085] Figure 2 The diagram shows N control circuits 421-42N, all connected to a sequence signal bus 430, and communicating with the main controller 410 via the sequence signal bus 430. All or most control signals are transmitted via the sequence signal bus 430. Control circuits 421-42N are connected to multiple port switches 311-31N to control the operation of each port switch 311-31N. Each port switch 311-31N controls at least one communication port 301-30N. Figure 2 The power supply state (not shown). When the switch is closed, the port can be powered by the power supply system; conversely, when the switch is open, the port is not powered by the power supply system. Each control circuit 421-42N controls the above-mentioned operation of each port switch 311-31N with a power supply control signal. Each communication port 301-30N can be connected to a power supply device (not shown).

[0086] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each control circuit 421-42N may include a second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 461 for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table. This lookup table indicates the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations. In this embodiment, each of the multiple power consumption control combinations corresponds to a switching state combination of the port switches 311-31N connected to the control circuits 421-42N. In application, the power supply and power consumption control lookup table stored in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 461 is the same as the power supply and power consumption control lookup table stored in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415.

[0087] Therefore, in this embodiment, the main controller 410 can be configured to provide a power supply control lookup table pre-stored in the power supply control lookup table memory 415 to at least one of the plurality of control circuits during the system startup phase. "At least one" means that not every control circuit 421-42N needs to be configured with a second power supply control lookup table memory 461. Only one of the plurality of control circuits 421-42N, such as control circuit 421, needs to be configured with a second power supply control lookup table memory 461. In this embodiment, after receiving the power supply control lookup table from the main controller 410, the at least one control circuit 421 stores the lookup table in the second power supply control lookup table memory 461 for later use.

[0088] When the detection circuit 413 detects a change in a power supply state combination, the control signal generation circuit 414 converts the changed power supply state combination signal into a code and transmits it to the at least one control circuit 421 as the power supply state change signal. In application, this code can be any code representing one of all power supply state combinations. The simplest approach is to treat the power supply state combination signal as a binary value, directly extract its value, and convert it into a sequence of signals, such as a pulse train. For example, when the power supply state combination signal is 0101, the 0101 value is converted into code 5, generating a pulse of 0001 0000. The power supply state combination change code transmitted in this way, with the addition of an arithmetic code, can be simultaneously provided to multiple control circuits 421-42N via a sequential bus using a known communication protocol, such as the aforementioned IIC communication protocol, without requiring additional wiring.

[0089] In this application mode, after receiving the power supply status combination code, at least one control circuit 421 or multiple control circuits 421-42N can retrieve a set of power control signals from the power supply control lookup table and transmit them to the port switches 311-31N connected to the control circuit 421 or multiple control circuits 421-42N. If only one control circuit 421 is equipped with the second power supply control lookup table memory 461, the control circuit 421 can also transmit the retrieved set of power control signals to other control circuits 422-42N via the sequence signal bus 430, and then the other control circuits 422-42N will transmit the corresponding power control signals to the connected port switches.

[0090] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a second embodiment of the control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system according to the present invention. (The diagram is related to...) Figure 2 The same components will use the same or similar component symbols.

[0091] The circuit configuration and features of the second embodiment are basically the same as or similar to those of the first embodiment, except that, for example... Figure 3 As shown, when the control signal generation circuit 414 receives a power supply state combination change signal from the detection circuit 413, it retrieves the corresponding power consumption control combination data from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table based on the changed power supply state combination, directly generates the control signal, and outputs it to the signal bus 430. Specifically, when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, the control signal generation device 414 retrieves the corresponding power consumption control combination data from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table, generates one or more sets of power consumption control signals, and transmits these control signals from the output terminal 412 via the signal bus 430 to multiple control circuits 421-42N.

[0092] To avoid excessively long power control signals, the power control signals corresponding to a power supply state combination can be divided into multiple sets of power control signals based on the number of port switches 311-31N connected to individual control circuits 421-42N. One set of power control signals is transmitted at a time. As mentioned earlier, because a sequence signal bus 430 is used, the power control signals will be received by the target control circuits 421-42N as long as the correct operation code is added. Transmitting 16 sets of power control signals in this way takes approximately 128 clock cycles, which is sufficient to de-energize the corresponding port switches within the required time. In this embodiment, the multiple sets of power control signals may contain codes indicating the relevant control circuits. In this type of embodiment, one set of power control signals may correspond to one or more control circuits. Therefore, the number of control circuits is the same as or a multiple of the number of sets of power control signals.

[0093] In this embodiment, after receiving the control signal, each control circuit 421-42N provides the control signal to the corresponding port switch 311-31N to set the power-on or power-off state of individual communication ports 301-30N. In this embodiment, each control circuit 421-42N does not need to be equipped with a power supply control lookup table memory.

[0094] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a third embodiment of the control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system according to the present invention. (The diagram is related to...) Figure 2 , 3 The same components will use the same or similar component symbols.

[0095] The circuit configuration and features of the third embodiment are basically the same as or similar to those of the first and second embodiments, except that, for example... Figure 4As shown, during the system startup phase, the main controller 410 divides the pre-stored power supply and power consumption control lookup table in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415 into multiple sub-tables, and provides each sub-table to the corresponding control circuit in the multiple control circuits 421-42N. Each sub-table only provides the correspondence between the multiple power supply state combinations and the power consumption control state combinations of the port switches 311-31N connected to the respective related control circuits 421-42N. After receiving the sub-tables of the power supply and power consumption control lookup table sent by the main controller 410, the multiple control circuits 421-42N store the lookup table in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 461, and after receiving the power supply state combination code, they pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switches 311-31N connected to the control circuit.

[0096] In other words, in Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the second power supply control lookup table memory 461 of at least one control circuit 421 may store the complete power supply control lookup table (see...). Figure 2 This provides the correspondence between the aforementioned multiple power supply state combinations and the power control state combinations of the port switches 311-31N of all control circuits 421-42N. However, Figure 4 In this embodiment, the second power supply control lookup table memory 461 of each control circuit 421-42N stores sub-tables of the power supply control lookup table. It only provides the correspondence between these multiple power supply state combinations and the power control state combinations of the port switches 311-31N connected to each relevant control circuit 421-42N.

[0097] exist Figure 4 In this embodiment, when the main controller 410 detects a change in the power supply state combination, it transmits the power supply state combination signal, preferably the power supply state combination code, to each control circuit 421-42N via the sequence signal bus 430. Each control circuit 421-42N then retrieves the corresponding control signal from the sub-table of the power supply and power consumption control lookup table according to the power supply state combination code, and transmits it to the port switches 311-31N connected to each control circuit 421-42N, thus completing the power consumption state change procedure. Figure 4 In the example shown, the power supply state combination code includes an execution code and a code for the same number of pulses as the power supply state combination, which is transmitted to all control circuits 421-42N in a single step. The operation of de-energizing the corresponding port switch is completed in just a few steps.

[0098] Figure 5This diagram illustrates a fourth embodiment of the control device for the multi-power Ethernet power supply system of the present invention. (The diagram is related to...) Figure 2-4 The same components will use the same or similar component symbols.

[0099] This embodiment can be regarded as Figure 4 Variations of the embodiment. For example... Figure 5 As shown, in the control circuits 421-42N of the fourth embodiment, the configuration of control circuit 421 is equivalent to that of the main controller 410 in the previous embodiment. Besides connecting multiple power supply devices 201-204 to the input terminal 411, it includes the aforementioned detection circuit 413 and control signal generation circuit 414. A power supply control lookup table memory 415 is provided to store this power supply control lookup table. Unlike the aforementioned main controller 410, control circuit 421 connects to multiple port switches 311-31N, but is the same as other control circuits 422-42N. The figure also shows that the control device 400 is equipped with an EEPROM to provide an initial power setting value for the control circuit 421 to access for initial value setting.

[0100] Control circuit 421 is configured to: read the initial power setting value from the EEPROM during system startup, divide the power supply and power consumption control lookup table pre-stored in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory 415 into multiple sub-tables, and provide each sub-table to other control circuits 422-42N. Each sub-table only provides the correspondence between the multiple power supply state combinations and the power consumption control state combinations of the port switches 311-31N connected to the respective related control circuits 421-42N.

[0101] exist Figure 5 In this embodiment, when the control circuit 421 detects a change in the power supply state combination, it transmits the power supply state combination signal, preferably the power supply state combination code, to other control circuits 422-42N via the sequence signal bus 430. The detection circuit 413 and other control circuits 422-42N then retrieve the corresponding control signal from the sub-table (or full table) of the power supply control lookup table based on the power supply state combination code, and transmit it to the port switches 311-31N connected to each control circuit 421-42N, completing the power supply state change procedure. In this embodiment, the power supply state combination code includes an execution code and a code containing the same number of pulses as the power supply state combination, and is transmitted to the control circuits 422-42N other than the control circuit 421 in a single step. The operation of de-energizing the corresponding port switch is completed in just a few steps.

[0102] The above description, based on various embodiments, pertains to the multi-power Ethernet power supply system and its control device of the present invention. The purpose is to enable the reader to understand the main and general technical features of the multi-power Ethernet power supply system and its control device. Those skilled in the art will readily derive various applications and variations from the above description. However, all applications and variations remain within the scope of the patent of this invention.

Claims

1. A control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, used to control the power supply status of multiple communication ports in the Ethernet power supply system, wherein the power supply status at the same time is combined into a power control combination; the Ethernet power supply system has multiple power supply devices; The control device includes: The main controller has: The input terminal is used to connect the plurality of power supply devices to receive a power supply status combination signal representing a combination of power supply statuses of the plurality of power supply devices. A detection circuit, connected to the input terminal, is used to receive the power supply state combination signal to detect at least one power supply state combination; A power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory is used to store a power supply and power consumption control lookup table, indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations; and A control signal generation circuit is connected to the detection circuit and the power supply control lookup table memory, and is configured to: when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, generate a set of power consumption state change signals according to the changed power supply state combination, and output them from the output terminal; Multiple control circuits are connected to the main controller and multiple port switches. Each port switch controls the power receiving state of at least one communication port, and each communication port can be connected to an electrical device. Each control circuit is also configured to, upon receiving the set of power consumption status change signals, generate a power consumption control signal based on the power consumption status change signals and provide it to the corresponding port switch, so as to energize or de-energize individual communication ports; and A signal bus connects the main controller to the plurality of control circuits; wherein the signal bus is a sequence bus.

2. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one control circuit includes a second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table, wherein the main controller is configured to: provide the power supply and power consumption control lookup table pre-stored in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory to the at least one control circuit during the system startup phase; and when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, convert the changed power supply state combination signal into a code and transmit it to the at least one control circuit as the power consumption state change signal; and the at least one control circuit is configured to: after receiving the power supply and power consumption control lookup table from the main controller, store the lookup table in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory, and after receiving the power supply state combination code, retrieve a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

3. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 2, wherein, The at least one control circuit is further configured to: pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to other control circuits via the signal bus.

4. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The plurality of control circuits include a second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table. The main controller is configured to: during system startup, provide the pre-stored power supply and power consumption control lookup table in the memory to the plurality of control circuits; and when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, convert the changed power supply state combination signal into a code and transmit it to at least one control circuit as the power consumption state change signal. The plurality of control circuits are configured to: after receiving the power supply and power consumption control lookup table from the main controller, store the lookup table in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory; and after receiving the power supply state combination code, retrieve a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

5. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The plurality of control circuits include a second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory for storing a power supply and power consumption control lookup table. The main controller is configured to: during the system startup phase, divide the power supply and power consumption control lookup table pre-stored in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory into multiple sub-tables and provide each sub-table to the corresponding control circuit in the plurality of control circuits; and the at least one control circuit is configured to: after receiving the power supply and power consumption control lookup table sub-tables from the main controller, store the lookup table sub-tables in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory, and after receiving the power supply status combination code, pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table sub-tables and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit.

6. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The main controller is further connected to multiple port switches, each port switch controlling the power status of at least one communication port, and each communication port can be connected to a power-consuming device. The multiple control circuits include a second power supply control lookup table memory for storing a power supply control lookup table. The main controller is configured to: during system startup, provide the pre-stored power supply control lookup table from the power supply control lookup table memory to the multiple control circuits; and when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, convert the changed power supply state combination signal into a code and transmit it to the... Multiple control circuits serve as the power consumption status change signal; and the multiple control circuits are configured to: after receiving the power supply and power consumption control lookup table sent by the main controller, store the lookup table in the second power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory; and after receiving the power supply status combination code, pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the control circuit; and the main controller is configured to: after generating the power supply status combination code, pick up a set of power consumption control signals from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table and transmit them to the port switch connected to the main controller.

7. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The detection circuit is configured to issue a power supply status change signal when the received power supply status combination is different from the existing power supply status combination, in order to initiate the power consumption status change procedure.

8. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The signal bus uses the IIC communication protocol.

9. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The input terminal includes multiple power connection terminals.

10. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The power supply status combination signal includes the same number of codes as the multiple power supplies.

11. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The combined power supply status signals become a power supply status change signal.

12. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The power supply status combination code represents the result of converting the changed power supply status combination signal into a sequence signal.

13. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein, The at least one control circuit searches for the corresponding power consumption control combination data in the power supply and power consumption control lookup table according to the power supply status combination code, so as to generate the power consumption control signal.

14. A control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system, used to control the power supply status of multiple communication ports in an Ethernet power supply system, wherein the power supply status at the same time is combined into a power control combination; the Ethernet power supply system has multiple power supply devices; The control device includes: The main controller has: The input terminal is used to connect the plurality of power supply devices to receive a power supply status combination signal representing a combination of power supply statuses of the plurality of power supply devices. A detection circuit, connected to the input terminal, is used to receive the power supply state combination signal to detect at least one power supply state combination; A power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory is used to store a power supply and power consumption control lookup table, indicating the correspondence between multiple power supply state combinations and multiple power consumption control combinations; and A control signal generation circuit, connected to the detection circuit and the power supply and power consumption control lookup table memory, is further configured to: when the detection circuit detects a change in a power supply state combination, according to the changed power supply state combination, retrieve the corresponding power consumption control combination data from the power supply and power consumption control lookup table, cut it, generate multiple sets of power consumption state change signals, and output them from the output terminal; Each set of power control signals corresponds to at least one control circuit, and; Multiple control circuits are connected to the main controller and multiple port switches. Each port switch controls the power receiving state of at least one communication port, and each communication port can be connected to an electrical device. Each control circuit is also configured to, upon receiving a set of power consumption status change signals, generate a power consumption control signal based on the power consumption status change signals and provide it to the corresponding port switch, so as to energize or de-energize individual communication ports; and A signal bus connects the main controller to the plurality of control circuits; wherein the signal bus is a sequence bus.

15. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14, wherein, The control signal generation circuit is configured to transmit a set of power control signals each time.

16. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The number of control circuits is the same as or a multiple of the number of power control signals.

17. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The detection circuit is configured to issue a power supply status change signal when the received power supply status combination is different from the existing power supply status combination, in order to initiate the power consumption status change procedure.

18. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The signal bus uses the IIC communication protocol.

19. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The input terminal includes multiple power connection terminals.

20. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The power supply status combination signal includes the same number of codes as the multiple power supplies.

21. The control device for a multi-power Ethernet power supply system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein, The combined power supply status signals become a power supply status change signal.

22. A multi-power supply Ethernet power supply system, the system comprising: Multiple power supply devices; Multiple communication ports, each of which can be connected to an electrical device to establish a signal and power connection with the electrical device; Each communication port has a port switch to control the power supply to the port; The control device connects the plurality of power supply devices and the plurality of communication ports via network cables, provides power conversion of the power supplied by each power supply device into power suitable for the power consumption device to be connected to each communication port, and is used to send power control signals to control each communication port to receive power from the plurality of power supply devices. The control device includes a multi-power Ethernet power supply system control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 21.

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