Port Adaptation Method and Apparatus

Abstract

A network device probes whether a first port of the network device is coupled to power sourcing equipment, and when probing that the first port is coupled to power sourcing equipment, maintain or change the first port to a powered state, and lock the first port as a power drawing port, or when probing that the first port is decoupled to power sourcing equipment, and the network device has a power supply for supplying power, change the first port to a powering state. In this way, the first port may adaptively serve as a power drawing port or a power sourcing port according to a coupled device such that manually distinguished a port during device interconnection is not necessary and a coupling error rate is reduced.

1 . A port adaptation method implemented by a network device, comprising:
 probing whether a first port of the network device is coupled to a power sourcing equipment;   maintaining a state of the first port as a powered state or changing the state to the powered state when a probing result comprises that the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment;   changing the state to a powering state when the probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the network device has a power supply for supplying power; and   probing again whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment when the probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the network device does not have the power supply for supplying power.   
     
     
         2 . The port adaptation method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the network device has the power supply for supplying power. 
     
     
         3 . The port adaptation method of  claim 2 , wherein when the network device has the power supply for supplying power and before probing whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment, the port adaptation method further comprises determining the state, and wherein the state comprises a decoupled state, the powering state, or the powered state. 
     
     
         4 . The port adaptation method of  claim 3 , further comprising probing whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment when the state comprises the decoupled state or the powered state. 
     
     
         5 . The port adaptation method of  claim 3 , further comprising detecting whether the first port is coupled to a valid powered device when the state comprises the powering state. 
     
     
         6 . The port adaptation method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 maintaining the powering state when a detection result is valid; and   changing the state to the powered state when the detection result is invalid.   
     
     
         7 . The port adaptation method of  claim 6 , further comprising changing the state to the powered state after a switching period expires and each detection result in the switching period is invalid. 
     
     
         8 . The port adaptation method of  claim 6 , wherein after changing the state to the powered state, the port adaptation method further comprises probing again whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment. 
     
     
         9 . The port adaptation method of  claim 2 , further comprising changing the state to the powering state after a switching period expires and each probing result in the switching period comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment. 
     
     
         10 . The port adaptation method of  claim 1 , further comprising stopping probing on the first port after the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment or after the first port is locked as a power drawing port. 
     
     
         11 . The port adaptation method of  claim 10 , wherein after locking the first port as the power drawing port, the port adaptation method further comprises unlocking the first port to perform probing on the first port again when the network device is abnormal or a device coupled to the first port changes. 
     
     
         12 . A port adaptation apparatus implemented by a network device, comprising:
 a power sourcing chip;   a powered chip; and   an adaptation circuit coupled to the power sourcing chip, the powered chip, and a first port of the network device and configured to:
 probe whether the first port is coupled to a power sourcing equipment; 
 maintain or change the first port to be coupled to the powered chip when a probing result comprises that the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 change the first port to be coupled to the power sourcing chip and a state of the first port to a powering state when the probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from power sourcing equipment and the network device has a power supply for supplying power; and 
 probe again whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment when the probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the network device does not have the power supply for supplying power. 
   
     
     
         13 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein when the network device has the power supply for supplying the power, the power sourcing chip is configured to:
 detect whether the first port is coupled to a valid powered device when the power sourcing chip is coupled to the first port; and   feed back a detection result of the first port to the adaptation circuit, and   wherein the adaptation circuit is further configured to:
 lock the first port as a power sourcing port when the detection result is valid; and 
 change the first port to be coupled to the powered chip and the state to the powered state when the detection result is invalid. 
   
     
     
         14 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein when the network device has the power supply for supplying the power, the adaptation circuit is further configured to:
 probe, in a switching period, whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; and   change the first port to be coupled to the power sourcing chip after the switching period expires and the probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment.   
     
     
         15 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the adaptation circuit is further configured to stop probing on the first port after the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment or after locking the first port as a power drawing port. 
     
     
         16 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the adaptation circuit is further configured to:
 lock the first port as a power drawing port; and   unlock the first port to perform probing on the first port again when the network device is abnormal or a device coupled to the first port changes.   
     
     
         17 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the adaptation circuit comprises:
 a voltage detector coupled to the first port and configured to:
 probe whether a valid input voltage exists on the first port to probe whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; and 
 feed back a second probing result of the first port to a controller; 
   a switch coupled to the power sourcing chip, the powered chip, and the first port; and   the controller coupled to the voltage detector and the switch and configured to:
 send a first instruction to the switch when the second probing result comprises that the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment and the state does not comprise a powered state, wherein the first instruction instructs the switch to couple the first port and the powered chip, and wherein the state is changed to the powered state; and 
 send a second instruction to the switch when the second probing result comprises that the first port is not coupled to the power sourcing equipment and the network device has the power supply for supplying the power, wherein the second instruction instructs the switch to couple the first port and the power sourcing chip, and wherein the state is changed to the powering state. 
   
     
     
         18 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the power sourcing chip is configured to:
 detect whether the first port is coupled to a valid powered device after the state is changed to the powering state; and   feed back a detection result of the first port to the controller, and   wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive the detection result from the power sourcing chip; 
 lock the first port as a power sourcing port when the detection result is valid; and 
 send the first instruction to the switch to instruct the switch to couple the first port and the powered chip and change the state to the powered state when the detection result is invalid. 
   
     
     
         19 . The port adaptation apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the switch is further configured to:
 receive the first instruction from the controller;   couple the first port and the powered chip according to the first instruction;   receive the second instruction from the controller; and   couple the first port and the power sourcing chip according to the second instruction.   
     
     
         20 . A power supply system, comprising:
 a power sourcing equipment;   a powered device; and   an intermediate device, comprising:
 a first port coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 a second port coupled to the powered device; 
 a first port adaptation apparatus, comprising:
 a first power sourcing chip; 
 a first powered chip; and 
 a first adaptation circuit coupled to the first power sourcing chip, the first powered chip, and the first port and configured to:
 probe whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 maintain or change the first port to be coupled to the first powered chip when the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 change the first port to be coupled to the first power sourcing chip to change the first port to a powering state when the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the first port adaptation apparatus has a power supply for supplying power; and 
 probing again whether the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment when a probing result comprises that the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the first port adaption apparatus does not have the power supply for supplying power; and 
 
 
 a second port adaptation apparatus, comprising:
 a second power sourcing chip; 
 a second powered chip; and 
 a second adaptation circuit coupled to the second power sourcing chip, the second powered chip, and the second port and configured to:
 probe whether the second port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 maintain or change the second port to be coupled to the second powered chip when the first port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment; 
 change the first port to be coupled to the second power sourcing chip to change the first port to the powering state when the first port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the second port adaptation apparatus has the power supply for supplying the power; and 
 probing again whether the second port is coupled to the power sourcing equipment when the probing result comprises that the second port is decoupled from the power sourcing equipment and the second port adaptation apparatus does not have the power supply for supplying power.