Systems and methods for delivering power to a communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809248-B2
Application number	US-202217591056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2022
Priority date	Feb 2, 2022
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A configurable connector is provided for a communication device, such as a gateway, that is located outdoors. The connector can engage with a corresponding interface of the gateway to provide communication signals and power signals to the communication device. The connector can be configured to select the power type provided to the communication device via the connector. The connector can have a first configuration to provide a first power type to the communication device or a second configuration to provide a second power type to the communication device. In the first configuration of the connector, power terminals of the connector can be connected directly to corresponding power wires providing the first power type. In the second configuration, the power terminals of the connector can be connected by jumpers to supplemental terminals in the connector that receive the second power type from the communication device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a communication device, the communication device comprising:
a housing;
a connector interface positioned on the housing, the connector interface having a first plurality of terminals, a second plurality of terminals, and a third plurality of terminals;
processing circuitry positioned within the housing, the processing circuitry electrically coupled to the first plurality of terminals and configured to receive a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) signal from the first plurality of terminals, the processing circuitry electrically coupled to the second plurality of terminals and configured to extract a power signal from the PoE signal and transmit the power signal to the second plurality of terminals; and
a power supply positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the third plurality of terminals; and

a connector mated with the connector interface, the connector external to the housing and terminating a cable having a plurality of wires for carrying the PoE signal, wherein the connector is configured to electrically couple the plurality of wires to the first plurality of terminals, and wherein the connector has a plurality of jumpers that electrically couple the second plurality of terminals to the third plurality of terminals such that the power signal is transmitted through the jumpers to the power supply.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit includes a plurality of transformers and a full-wave bridge rectifier connected to center taps of the plurality of transformers, wherein an output of the full-wave bridge rectifier is connected to the second plurality of terminals.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the full-wave bridge rectifier is configured to extract the power signal from the PoE signal received by the first plurality of terminals.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the full-wave bridge rectifier comprises a plurality of pairs of diodes, wherein each of the pairs of diodes is connected to a center tap of a corresponding transformer of the plurality of transformers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connector has a plurality of terminals, and wherein each of the first plurality of terminals, the second plurality of terminals, and the third plurality of terminals of the connector interface contacts a respective one of the plurality of terminals of the connector when the connector is mated with the connector interface.

6. A method of providing power to a communication device having a housing, the method comprising:
receiving at the communication device a network signal transmitted by a plurality of wires of a first cable terminated by a first connector that is external to the housing, wherein the first connector is mated with a connector interface of the communication device during the receiving, wherein the connector interface is positioned on the housing and has a first plurality of terminals, a second plurality of terminals, and a third plurality of terminals, and wherein the first plurality of terminals are electrically coupled to the plurality of wires of the first cable when the first connector is mated with the connector interface such that the network signal is received from the first connector by processing circuitry that is within the housing and is electrically coupled to the first plurality of terminals;
extracting a power signal from the network signal with the processing circuitry; and
transmitting the power signal from the processing circuitry to a power supply located within the housing through the second plurality of terminals, the first connector, and the third plurality of terminals, wherein the first connector electrically couples the second plurality of terminals to the third plurality of terminals.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the network signal is a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the extracting the power signal comprises extracting the power signal from the network signal with a full-wave bridge rectifier of the processing circuitry.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving at the communication device a second power signal transmitted by a plurality of wires of a second cable terminated by a second connector that is external to the housing, wherein the second connector is mated with the connector interface before the first connector is mated with the connector interface or after the first connector has been removed from the connector interface, and wherein the third plurality of terminals are electrically coupled to the plurality of wires of the second cable when the second connector is mated with the connector interface such that the second power signal passes from the plurality of wires of the second cable through the third plurality of terminals to the power supply bypassing the processing circuitry and the second plurality of terminals.

10. A system comprising:
a communication device, the communication device comprising:
a housing;
a connector interface positioned on the housing, the connector interface having a first plurality of terminals, a second plurality of terminals and a third plurality of terminals;
processing circuitry located within the housing and electrically coupled to the first plurality of terminals and the second plurality of terminals, the processing circuitry configured to receive a network signal from the first plurality of terminals, the processing circuitry further configured to extract a power signal from the network signal and transmit the power signal to the second plurality of terminals; and
a power supply electrically coupled to the third plurality of terminals; and

a connector mated with the connector interface, the connector external to the housing and terminating a cable having a plurality of wires for carrying the network signal, wherein the connector is configured to electrically couple the plurality of wires to the first plurality of terminals, and wherein the connector is configured to electrically couple the second plurality of terminals to the third plurality of terminals such that the power signal is transmitted from the processing circuitry through the connector to the power supply.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the network signal is a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is connected to an Ethernet physical layer device within the housing to provide an Ethernet signal from the PoE signal to the Ethernet physical layer device.

Assignees

• Adtran Inc

Inventors

• Joffe Daniel M
• Chalmers Jon Michael
• Etzkorn David Bernard

Classifications

• G06F1/263 Primary

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M7/06

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title

• H04L12/10 Primary

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title