Power Distribution System with Dynamic Power Budget Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems inefficiently allocate power due to overprovisioning, as they assume maximum cable lengths and losses, leading to unnecessary power supply and poor power budget management, especially in lighting applications where precise power negotiation is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A power distribution system that measures the maximum power consumption of powered devices in a maximum power mode and allocates an operational power budget based on actual needs, allowing for efficient power allocation and over-power protection by switching to a normal operation mode with reserved power, which can be adjusted for measurement inaccuracies, and includes an auto-power class for self-learning power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the PSE provides power based on maximally assumed cable length and losses, then the PD receives sufficient power even in worst-case scenarios, but the PSE provides unnecessarily large amounts of power leading to poor power budget allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary maximum power mode measurement before normal operation to determine the actual power needs of the PD. This preliminary action allows the PSE to allocate power more efficiently in subsequent normal operation, avoiding both overprovisioning and underprovisioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between maximum power mode for measurement and normal operation mode for efficient power delivery. The power allocation is adjusted based on measured actual consumption rather than fixed worst-case assumptions, making the power distribution adaptive to actual device needs.
2Ease of manufacture
If the PSE allocates power based on predefined power classes and lookup tables, then the power distribution is simple and standardized, but the power allocation is not precise and leads to overprovisioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from actual power consumption measurements in maximum power mode to adjust power allocation in normal operation mode. This feedback mechanism replaces static lookup tables with dynamic measurement-based allocation, achieving precise power distribution while maintaining PoE standard compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power allocation parameter from fixed predefined values based on power classes to measured actual consumption values. By transitioning from static parameters to dynamic measured parameters, the system achieves precise power allocation while maintaining compatibility with existing PoE classification mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If the PSE measures maximum power consumption in maximum power mode, then the actual power needs of the PD are accurately determined, but additional control modes and measurement mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The PSE performs multiple functions using the same measurement mechanisms: it measures power consumption for both classification and for determining actual power allocation needs. The maximum power mode measurement serves dual purposes, reducing the need for separate complex measurement systems while achieving precise power allocation.
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a power distribution system comprising a power providing device (3) for providing power and a powered device (4, 5, 6) like a luminaire to be powered by the power providing device. The power providing device and the powered device are operable in a maximum power mode and a normal operation mode, wherein in the maximum power mode the powered device consumes an amount of power maximally consumable by the powered device and the power providing device measures the power consumed by the powered device. This measured power allows for an allocation of an amount of power in the operational mode, which is really maximally needed, wherein it is not necessary to allocate a larger amount of power, which is large enough to consider, for instance, a maximally assumed length of an electrical connection (8) connecting the devices, thereby improving the power budget allocation.