Patent ID: 8806242

Claim:
Power sourcing equipment within a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of ports, each coupled to a respective one of a plurality of Ethernet links of a vehicular communication network; and a power management module for providing a power supply voltage over the plurality of Ethernet links to a plurality of network node modules of the vehicular communication network via the plurality of ports; wherein the power management module further selectively disables the power supply voltage to a select network node module of the plurality of network node modules and automatically reapplies the power supply voltage to the select network node module during a power retry procedure; wherein the power management module further: monitors a current draw of the select network node module during the power retry procedure, and if the current draw of the select network node module exceeds a current limit during the power retry procedure, disables the power supply voltage to the select network node module; and repeats the power retry procedure; wherein the power management module further: determines whether the current draw of the select network node module has exceeded the current limit more than a predetermined number of time during the power retry procedure; and if so, flags the select network mode module as damaged and discontinues resuming power to the select network node module.