Method for dealing with anomalous conditions in a reverse power network, and power injector for use in such a method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016100048-A1
Application number	US-201414892092-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method for dealing with an anomalous condition in a local network including a power injector, said method comprising connecting the power injector to a communication line extending between the local network and a remote device, said power injector being capable of injecting power on the communication line, for reverse powering a remote device located outside the local network, and for powering any local device that is regularly connected to the communication line; said communication line being used for exchanging data between the remote device and the local network; recognizing when a power consumption behavior of the power injector deviates from a characteristic power consumption behavior of said remote device and of any regularly connected local device; and controlling the power injector when a deviation is recognized.

First claim

1 . Method for dealing with an anomalous condition in a local network including a power injector, said method comprising:
connecting the power injector to a communication line extending between the local network and a remote device, said power injector being capable of injecting power on the communication line, for reverse powering a remote device located outside the local network, and for powering any local device that is regularly connected to the communication line; said communication line being used for exchanging data between the remote device and the local network; recognizing when a power consumption behavior of the power injector deviates from a characteristic power consumption behavior of said remote device and of any regularly connected local device; and controlling the power injector when a deviation is recognized.

2 . Method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the power injector comprises ensuring that the injected power is below a predetermined level within a predetermined time period.

3 . Method of claim 1 , wherein a current and/or voltage and/or power behavior in the local network over time is measured, and wherein a deviation is recognized when a change over time of the current and/or voltage and/or power rises above a critical value.

4 . Method of claim 1 , wherein said recognizing is done at the power injector.

5 . Method of any one of the previous claims claim 1 , wherein the anomalous condition is caused any one of the following:
by a communication device that is directly connected to the communication line; said communication device having an on-hook and an off-hook modus, wherein a deviation is recognized when the communication device is in the off-hook modus and draws power from the power injector; by a short-circuit at a connection point of the communication line; by a device that is being connected to a connection point of the communication line in which the consumed power increases faster than a predetermined threshold upon powering the communication line.

6 . Method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the power injector:
receiving information concerning the power needed by the remote device, from the remote device; and taking into account said information for recognizing when a power consumption behavior of the power injector deviates from a characteristic power consumption behavior of said remote device.

7 . Method of claim 1 , wherein the communication line is a metallic-pair cable.

8 . Method of claim 1 , wherein the power injector monitors the change over time of the injected current or power for recognizing a deviation.

9 . Method of claim 1 , wherein said recognizing is performed during start-up of the power-injector, and said controlling consists in not allowing a startup of the power injector to full power; and/or wherein said recognizing is performed continuously during normal operation of the power-injector, and said controlling comprises limiting the injected power to predetermined safe values.

10 . Method of claim 1 , wherein the remote device is a fibre-fed remote node; and/or wherein communication signals including broadband signals and/or converted POTS signals are exchanged through the communication line, between the remote device and the local network.

11 . Power injector configured for injecting power on a communication line extending from a local network to a remote device; said power injector being configured for providing power through said communication line to said remote device, and to any local device connected regularly to said communication line; said power injector being further configured for recognizing when a power consumption behavior of the power injector deviates from a characteristic power consumption behavior of said remote device and of any regularly connected local device; and for controlling the power injected by the power injector when a deviation is recognized.

12 . Power injector of claim 11 , wherein said power injector is configured for controlling the power injected such that it is ensured that the injected power is below a predetermined level within a predetermined time period.

13 . Power injector of claim 11 , wherein said power injector is configured for measuring a behavior of the injected current and/or voltage and/or power over time, and for recognizing a deviation when a change over time of the current and/or voltage and/or power rises above a critical value.

14 . Power injector of claim 11 , wherein the power injector is configured for performing said recognizing during start-up of the power-injector, and for not allowing a start-up of the power injector to full power if a deviation is recognized; and/or for performing said recognizing continuously during normal operation of the power-injector, and for limiting the injected power to predetermined safe values when a deviation is recognized.

15 . System comprising a plurality of local networks, a remote device outside said plurality of local networks and connected to said plurality of local network through a plurality of communication lines, and, in at least one local network of said plurality of local networks, a power injector according to claim 11 , said power injector being connected to the communication line of the concerned local network, wherein said remote device is configured for providing data to said plurality of local networks through said plurality of communication lines, wherein each communication line is preferably a metallic-pair cable.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Hillaert Bart
• Vanderhaegen Dirk
• Fredricx Francois

Classifications

• H04M3/22 Primary

  Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing · CPC title

• H04M19/001

  Current supply source at the exchanger providing current to substations · CPC title

• H04B3/44 Primary

  Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line · CPC title

• H04B3/46

  Monitoring; Testing · CPC title

• H04M19/08

  with current supply sources at the substations (generating ringing current H04M19/04) · CPC title