POWER-OVER-ETHERNET (PoE) CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

One example includes a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) control system. The system includes a powered device (PD) that is configured to receive a voltage signal via an Ethernet connection and which comprises a PoE signal receiver configured to indicate a nominal power level via the received voltage signal. The system also includes a power sourcing equipment (PSE) device configured to generate the voltage signal and to measure a class current of the voltage signal to determine the nominal power level. The PSE device includes a PoE controller configured to provide a power setting command as a function of the nominal power level to the PoE signal receiver via the voltage signal, such that the PD can operate at a power level that is based on the power setting command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A power-over-Ethernet (PoE) control system comprising:
 a powered device (PD) that is configured to receive a voltage signal via an Ethernet connection and which comprises a PoE signal receiver configured to indicate a nominal power level via the received voltage signal; and   a power sourcing equipment (PSE) device configured to generate the voltage signal and to measure a class current of the voltage signal to determine the nominal power level, the PSE device comprising a PoE controller configured to provide a power setting command as a function of the nominal power level to the PoE signal receiver via the voltage signal, such that the PD can operate at a power level that is based on the power setting command.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PSE device is configured to provide the power setting command as a function of the nominal power level based on providing the voltage signal as a quantity of class events associated with a code corresponding to a desired percentage of the nominal power level. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PoE signal receiver is configured to indicate the nominal power level via a class signature corresponding to a magnitude of the class current associated with the voltage signal, wherein the PSE device is configured to provide the power setting command subsequent to the PoE signal receiver indicating the nominal power level. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the class signature has a class value corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined nominal power levels. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a first class signature of the class current in response to a first event classification associated with the voltage signal, and a second class signature in response to a second event classification, the second class signature having a different class value from the first class signature, and a third class signature in response to a third event classification, with the third class signature being different from the second class signature to indicate that the PD has a capacity for PoE control by the PSE device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the third class signature has a class value that corresponds to one of a plurality of nominal power levels, such that the third class signature indicates the nominal power level of the PD to the PSE device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first class signature is provided from the PD at Class 4, wherein the second class signature is provided from the PD at Class 5, and wherein the third class signature is provided from the PD at a class level corresponding to the nominal power level. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PD comprises a first PoE signal receiver and a second PoE signal receiver, and wherein the PSE device is configured to provide a first voltage signal to the first PoE signal receiver and a second voltage signal to the second PoE signal receiver, wherein the first PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a first class signature of the class current in response to a first event classification of the first voltage signal and wherein the second PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a second class signature in response to a second event classification associated with the second voltage signal, wherein the second class signature has a greater class value from the first class signature to indicate that the PD has a capacity for PoE control by the PSE device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a third class signature in response to a third event classification associated with the second voltage signal, wherein the third class signature has a different class value from the second class signature and wherein the third class signature is less than the second class signature to indicate that the PD has a capacity for PoE control by the PSE device, wherein the third class signature corresponds to the nominal power level to the PSE device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the PSE device is configured to provide the power setting command as a function of the nominal power level based on providing at least one of the first and second voltage signals as a quantity of class events corresponding to a desired percentage of the nominal power level subsequent to the indication of the nominal power level via the third class signature. 
     
     
         11 . A PoE lighting system comprising the PoE control system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method for providing power control in a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) control system, the method comprising:
 providing event classifications of a voltage signal via an Ethernet connection from a power sourcing equipment (PSE) device;   indicating a nominal power level based on a class signature via a PoE signal receiver of a powered device (PD) based on a class current of the voltage signal;   providing a power setting command associated with a quantity of class events of the voltage signal from the PSE device to the PoE signal receiver, the power setting command corresponding to a percentage of the nominal power level; and   activating the PD to operate at the percentage of the nominal power level based on the power setting command.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising indicating a capacity for PoE control by the PSE device based on a plurality of class signatures, wherein indicating the nominal power level comprises indicating the nominal power level based on a last of the plurality of class signatures. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein providing the event classifications comprises providing a first event classification, a second event classification, and a third event classification, wherein indicating the capacity for PoE control comprises indicating the capacity for PoE control by the PSE device based on a first of the plurality of class signatures provided in response to the first event classification and a second of the plurality of class signatures provided in response to the second event classification, wherein the first and second of the plurality of class signatures have different class values, and based on a third of the plurality of class signatures that has a class value that is less than the second of the plurality of class signatures. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein indicating the nominal power level comprises indicating the nominal power level based on a value of the last of the plurality of class signatures corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined nominal power levels, wherein providing the power setting command comprises providing the power setting command corresponding to a percentage of the one of the plurality of predetermined nominal power levels. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing the event classifications comprises providing a first event classification via a first port of the Ethernet connection and providing a second event classification via a second port of the Ethernet connection, wherein indicating the nominal power level comprises indicating the nominal power level based on a first class signature via a first PoE signal receiver of the PD based on a class current of a first voltage signal and a second class signature via a second PoE signal receiver of the PD based on a class current of a second voltage signal, and wherein providing the power setting command comprises providing the power setting command associated with a quantity of class events of at least one of the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to a respective at least one of the first PoE signal receiver and a second PoE signal receiver. 
     
     
         17 . A power-over-Ethernet (PoE) control system comprising:
 a powered device (PD) that is configured to receive a voltage signal via an Ethernet connection and which comprises a PoE signal receiver configured to provide a first class signature in response to a first event classification via a class current of the received voltage signal and a second class signature via the class current, the second class signature having a different class value from the first class signature, and a third class signature that has a class value that is less than the second class signature to indicate that the PD has a capacity for PoE control, the third class signature indicating a nominal power level of the PD; and   a power sourcing equipment (PSE) device configured to generate the voltage signal and to measure the class current of the voltage signal to determine the capacity for PoE control and the nominal power level, the PSE device comprising a PoE controller configured to provide a power setting command as a function of the nominal power level to the PoE signal receiver via the voltage signal, such that the PD can operate at a power level that is based on the power setting command.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the PSE device is configured to provide the power setting command as a function of the nominal power level based on providing the voltage signal as a quantity of class events associated with a code corresponding to a desired percentage of the nominal power level. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the PD comprises a first PoE signal receiver and a second PoE signal receiver, and wherein the PSE device is configured to provide a first voltage signal to the first PoE signal receiver and a second voltage signal to the second PoE signal receiver, wherein the first PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a first class signature of the class current in response to a first event classification of the first voltage signal and wherein the second PoE signal receiver is configured to provide a second class signature in response to a second event classification associated with the second voltage signal, wherein the second class signature is configured to indicate that the PD has a capacity for PoE control by the PSE device based on being greater than the first class signature. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second PoE signal receiver is configured to indicate the nominal power level via the third class signature corresponding to the nominal power level to the PSE device, and wherein the PSE device is configured to provide the power setting command as a function of the nominal power level based on providing at least one of the first and second voltage signals as a quantity of class events associated with class signatures corresponding to a desired percentage of the nominal power level.