Power distribution over ethernet connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11546179-B2
Application number	US-202117332960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a source device including a first current limiter and a second current limiter in parallel with each other and a first transformer and a second transformer; a load device includes a third transformer and a fourth transformer in parallel with each other; and an Ethernet cable is electrically coupled between the source device and the load device, the Ethernet cable including first twisted pair lines and second twisted pair lines. A direct current (DC) voltage is provided to the first current limiter and the second current limiter, the first transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the first current limiter, and the second transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the second current limiter. The DC voltage is transmitted to the third transformer and the fourth transformer in parallel with each other via the first twisted pair lines and the second twisted pair lines. The first twisted pair lines and second twisted pair lines are included in an Ethernet cable electrically coupled between the source device and the load device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for power delivery over an Ethernet connection, the apparatus comprising:
a source device comprising a first current limiter and second current limiter in parallel with each other and a first transformer and a second transformer, wherein:
a direct current (DC) voltage is provided to the first current limiter and the second current limiter;
the first transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the first current limiter; and
the second transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the second current limiter;

a load device comprising a third transformer and a fourth transformer in parallel with each other; and
an Ethernet cable electrically coupled between the source device and the load device, the Ethernet cable comprising first twisted pair lines and second twisted pair lines, wherein the DC voltage is transmitted to the third transformer from the first transformer via the first twisted pair lines simultaneous with the DC voltage being transmitted to the fourth transformer from the second transformer via the second twisted pair lines.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first common mode choke, a second common mode choke, a third common mode choke, and a fourth common mode choke in series with respectively a first transformer, a second transformer, a third transformer, and a fourth transformer, wherein the first common mode choke is located on a side of the first transformer closer to a data line of the source device than the first twisted pair line, and the third common mode choke is located on a side of the third transformer closer to a data line of the load device than the first twisted pair line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the DC voltage is 56 Volt (V) DC, or less than or equal to 60 V DC.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the source device, the load device, and the Ethernet cable is National Electric Code Class 2 compliant.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a total power delivered by the source device to the load device is greater than 100 Watt (W).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source device further comprises a fifth transformer and a sixth transformer and the load device further comprises a seventh transformer and an eighth transformer, the fifth transformer and the seventh transformer comprising at least a portion of a first return signal path to the DC voltage source, the sixth transformer and the eighth transformer comprising at least a portion of a second return signal path to the DC voltage source, and wherein the first return signal path and the second return signal path are parallel to each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a power delivery circuit is included in the source and load devices, the power delivery circuit comprising the DC voltage, the first current limiter and the second current limiter, and the first transformer, the second transformer, the third transformer, and the fourth transformer;
sequentially, a first portion of the power delivery circuit comprises a single signal path, a second portion of the power delivery circuit comprises dual signal paths, a third portion of the power delivery circuit comprises a single signal path, a fourth portion of the power delivery circuit comprises dual signal paths, a fifth portion of the power delivery circuit comprises a single signal path; and
the first portion of the power delivery circuit and the fifth portion of the power delivery circuit electrically couple with each other to form a closed loop.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the dual signal paths comprise a parallel signal path.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source device comprises a first surge protector electrically coupled between the first current limiter and the first transformer, a second surge protector electrically coupled between the second current limiter and the second transformer, and a third surge protector electrically coupled between a data line and each of the first transformer and the second transformer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the first surge protector, the second surge protector, or the third surge protector is configured to provide indirect lightning strike protection.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the load device comprises a first surge protector, a second surge protector and a power converter,
outputs of the third transformer and the fourth transformer are combined into a combined voltage, the combined voltage inputted to the first surge protector, and an output of the first surge protector is inputted to the power converter, wherein the power converter is configured to convert and distribute power to electrical components included in the load device;
the second surge protector is electrically coupled between a data line of the load device and each of the third transformer and the fourth transformer; and
the combined voltage comprises a second DC voltage slightly less than the DC voltage or approximately equal to the DC voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one or more of the electrical components comprises a modem, a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna, or an antenna assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load device comprises a communication node of a communication system associated with a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load device is located outdoors, the source device is located indoors, and the Ethernet cable is partially located indoors and outdoors.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source device comprises a third current limiter and a fourth current limiter included in a return signal path of a power delivery circuit of the source and load devices, and wherein one or more of the first current limiter, the second current limiter, the third current limiter, or the fourth current limiter is configured to detect a return voltage from the load device in response to a detection input voltage injected by the source device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a particular resistance is applied between the DC voltage and both the first current limiter and the second current limiter prior to injection of the detection input voltage.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the return voltage at a first value is indicative of the load device being a compatible device and properly connected to the source device, wherein each of the first transformer and the second transformer transmits the DC voltage to the load device if the first value is detected, and wherein the particular resistance is removed prior to injection of the DC voltage to the power delivery circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein if a return voltage from the load device, in response to injection of the DC voltage, is in excess of a pre-set value, then one or more of the first current limiter, the second current limiter, the third current limiter, or the fourth current limiter is configured to shut off power to the load device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein if a return voltage from the load device, in response to injection of the DC voltage, is below a pre-set value, then one or more of the first current limiter, the second current limiter, the third current limiter, or the fourth current limiter is configured to shut off power to prevent damage to the Ethernet cable.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet cable has a maximum length of approximately 30-33 meter (m).

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet cable

Assignees

• Space Exploration Tech Corp

Inventors

• Salazar Joshua S
• Van Den Akker Anno
• Ruark Robert
• Ren Yong
• Vadathavoor Bhaskar S
• Bakos Krisztian

Classifications

• H04L12/10 Primary

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• H02H9/02

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title

• H02J3/02

  using a single network for simultaneous distribution of AC power at different frequencies · CPC title

• Y02B70/30

  Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level · CPC title

• H02H9/044

  Physical layout, materials not provided for elsewhere (varistors H01C7/12; spark-gaps H01T; Ovshinsky devices H10N70/00) · CPC title