Patent ID: 7685440

Claim:
Apparatus having an isolated side and a line side, the apparatus comprising: a physical-layer module (1) located on the isolated side of the apparatus, (2) capable of being electrically coupled via a signal-isolation transformer to a cable connector located on the line side of the apparatus, and (3) capable of processing signals transmitted over the cable; a power switcher located on the isolated side of the apparatus; a power conditioning module (1) located on the line side of the apparatus, (2) electrically coupled to the power switcher via a power-isolation transformer adapted to convert an AC power signal received from the power switcher into a transformed AC power signal, and (3) capable of converting the transformed AC power signal into a cable power signal to be supplied via the connector to the cable in order to power a cable-powered device connected to the cable; and a control module located on the isolated side of the apparatus and capable of performing a detection function in which the control module determines whether or not a cable-powered device is connected to the cable.