Field Failure Data Collection via PSE-PD Diagnostic Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered communications systems face challenges in accurately diagnosing and analyzing failure conditions in field operations, particularly those involving interactions among components, as self-diagnostic capabilities in individual components are limited and do not capture comprehensive system-level failure information.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating diagnostic circuitry in both power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered devices (PD) to monitor and capture diagnostic information, including configuration, status, and failure information, which is stored in electronic memory for external analysis, enabling more thorough failure analysis and troubleshooting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If self-diagnostic capabilities are implemented in individual components, then component-level failure detection is improved, but system-level failure analysis capability deteriorates due to limited scope of individual component diagnostics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges diagnostic capabilities from multiple components (PSE and PD) into a unified diagnostic system. The PSE collects diagnostic information from itself and the PD, combining individual component diagnostics into comprehensive system-level failure analysis, thereby resolving the contradiction between component-level detection and system-level information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the PSE receives diagnostic information from the PD and uses this feedback to perform comprehensive failure analysis. The PD's self-diagnostic results are fed back to the PSE, which synthesizes this information with its own diagnostics to provide complete system-level failure information, addressing the information loss problem.
2Reliability
If comprehensive diagnostic information is captured and stored, then failure analysis capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional diagnostic circuitry and memory requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the diagnostic system into distinct functional modules: the PSE's diagnostic circuitry for collecting information, the PD's self-diagnostic capabilities, and the memory system for storing diagnostic data. This segmentation allows each component to perform its diagnostic function independently while contributing to the overall system, reducing the complexity burden on any single device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication interface between the PSE and PD that facilitates diagnostic information exchange without requiring complex integrated circuitry in each device. The standardized interface acts as a mediator, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling comprehensive diagnostic data collection and storage.
Data Source
AI summary
The operation of a powered device is monitored to detect a failure condition, the powered device connected to power sourcing equipment by a communications channel including inline power delivery from the power sourcing equipment to the powered device. Diagnostic information is captured including (i) configuration and status information identifying the power sourcing equipment, the communications channel, and status of the inline power delivery at the time of detection of the failure condition, and (ii) failure information identifying the failure condition. This diagnostic information is stored as diagnostic information signals in an electronic memory which is electronically accessible by an external user as part of a failure analysis process. By this process, diagnostic information pertaining to the operation of the powered device with the power sourcing equipment and the communications channel is captured and stored, providing greater information for more thorough failure analysis.