Patent ID: 7509505

Claim:
A system for providing power to a plurality of Ethernet devices comprising: a power supply to provide power to the plurality of Ethernet devices; a power monitor to determine the amount of power collectively utilized by the plurality of Ethernet devices; a power limit system to store a power limit associated with the respective ones of the plurality of Ethernet devices; and a control system to terminate power to each of the plurality of Ethernet devices in response to a determination that the amount of power collectively used by the plurality of Ethernet devices exceeds a limit for the collective power usage and to further determine the identity of a particular one of the plurality of devices that causes the collective power limit to be exceeded; wherein the control system further determines the identity of a particular one of the plurality of devices that causes the collective power limit to be exceeded and terminates power to the particular one of the plurality of devices; and wherein the control system further determines the identity of the particular one of the plurality of devices by: terminating power to one of the plurality of Ethernet devices; measuring the amount of power collectively used by the plurality of Ethernet devices with power temporarily terminated to the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices, and subsequently subtracting the measured amount from the amount of power collectively used by the plurality of Ethernet devices prior to terminating power to the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices, thereby calculating a change in overall power usage attributable to the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices; if the change in overall power usage attributable to the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices is greater than the power limit associated with the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices, then identifying that the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices is the particular one of the plurality of devices that causes the collective power limit to be exceeded, otherwise identifying that the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices is not the particular one of the plurality of devices that causes the collective power limit to be exceeded; and re-applying power to the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices and proceeding to temporarily terminate power to another one of the plurality of Ethernet devices, if the one of the plurality of Ethernet devices is not the particular one of the plurality of devices that causes the collective power limit to be exceeded.