Patent ID: 8892910

Claim:
A network switch for use in a local area network that interconnects the network switch and one or more network powered devices, the network switch being operatively connected to at least one power supply that powers the network switch, the network switch comprising: a plurality of ports to which the one or more network powered devices are connected; a management module to distribute power from the at least one power supply to the plurality of ports, said management module having a memory for storing information relating to each of the one or more network powered devices, said information indicating whether power to a network powered device is to be temporarily interrupted during normal operations; a processor to control the management module, wherein the management module is further to interrupt the power provided to a selected one of said plurality of ports by reducing the power provided to the selected port to a trickle charge, based on said information indicating that the power to a corresponding network powered device connected to the selected port is to be temporarily interrupted during normal operations, and wherein, upon detection of a demand for power from the corresponding network powered device connected to the selected port, the management module is to increase the power provided to the selected port from the trickle charge to a level of normal operations.