Patent ID: 8266460
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. In a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) system, a system for classifying power for a plurality of personal computing devices that each have a corresponding PoE control module from among a plurality of PoE control modules, comprising: a switch configured to connect to the plurality of personal computing devices; wherein the switch is configured to communicate with each PoE control module using a communications link to communicate power requirement information between the switch and the plurality of PoE control modules, wherein the switch is configured to poll at least two PoE control modules from among the plurality of PoE control modules for the power requirement information using the communications link, wherein the switch is configured to determine power classifications for at least two of the plurality of personal computing devices based on the power requirement information, wherein the switch is configured to re-poll the at least two PoE control modules and to re-determine the power classifications for the at least two PoE control modules on a periodic basis, and wherein the switch is configured to provide power supply information to the the at least two of the plurality of personal computing devices based on the power classifications.