PoE PSE Controllers Autonomous Power Budget Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power-over-Ethernet (PoE) apparatuses require a separate microcontroller unit for global power budget management, increasing design complexity, manufacturing expense, and size.

Innovation Solution

PSE controllers autonomously manage the global power budget by cooperatively allocating total available power among themselves without a separate microcontroller unit, using a daisy-chained configuration and signaling techniques to convey and adjust power budget information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a separate microcontroller unit is used to manage the global power budget, then power budget management capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower budget management capabilityVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the global power budget management function into the existing PSE controller architecture. The PSE controller autonomously manages both local and global power budgets by receiving global power budget information from upstream devices and making decisions about power allocation to downstream devices, eliminating the need for a separate microcontroller unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The PSE controller performs self-service by autonomously managing the global power budget without requiring external intervention from a separate microcontroller. The controller uses received global power budget information to automatically allocate power to multiple downstream devices based on their power requirements and priorities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If a separate microcontroller unit is used to manage the global power budget, then power budget management capability is improved, but manufacturing expense increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower budget management capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing expense

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions (local power budget management and global power budget management) into a single PSE controller component. This integration eliminates the need for additional separate microcontroller units, reducing component count and manufacturing complexity while maintaining comprehensive power budget management capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a separate microcontroller unit is used to manage the global power budget, then power budget management capability is improved, but device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower budget management capabilityVSAvoiddevice size

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the global power budget management functionality into the existing PSE controller hardware architecture. By combining multiple control functions within a single controller rather than using separate dedicated components, the overall device size is reduced while maintaining the capability to manage both local and global power budgets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9832028B2Automatic power budget management for power-over-Ethernet apparatus

Publication Date: 2017.11.28 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC

AI summary

A power-over-Ethernet (PoE) apparatus is provided with PSE controllers that are cooperable to manage a global power budget of the PoE apparatus automatically. Information indicative of the global power budget is conveyed to a group of PSE controllers. The PSE controllers cooperate collectively to allocate the global power budget among themselves automatically and autonomously. This is accomplished in simple fashion without using a separate, programmed microcontroller. Each PSE controller also manages its own local power budget, allocating available local power among its own power sourcing ports.