Patent ID: 6640308
Filing Date: 2003-10-28
Classification: G05B,H04L,Y02P

Abstract:
A method of connecting a four-terminal Ethernet connection to a two-wire Ethernet connection, the method comprising:providing a device having a four-terminal Ethernet connection, the connection including a first pair of terminals for transmitting data away from the device and a second pair of terminals for transmitting data to the device; providing a two-wire Ethernet connection for transmitting data to and from the device; providing a switched connection between the four-terminal Ethernet connection and the two-wire Ethernet connection, the switched connection operating in a first mode in which the two-wire Ethernet connection is connected to the first pair of terminals and a second mode in which the two-wire Ethernet connection is connected to the second pair of terminals; setting the switched connection to operate in the first mode; monitoring the two-wire Ethernet connection for data being transmitted to the device; setting the switched connection to operate in the second mode upon detection of data being transmitted to the device; and injecting power onto the two-wire Ethernet connection at the device for use in powering another device connected to the two-wire Ethernet connection.