Patent ID: 8509422

Claim:
A power and status distribution system comprising: a power/status sending device configured to receive a status indicator, a data signal, and an input DC power signal, the power/status sending device comprising: a supply voltage modulator configured to modulate the DC power signal in accordance with the status indicator thereby creating a modulated DC power signal; and a first transformer configured to receive the modulated DC power signal and to provide the data signal and the modulated DC power signal over a first ethernet cable connected to a first output port; and a power/status receiving device connected to the first ethernet cable and further connected to, and separate from, an optical network terminal (ONT), the power/status receiving device configured to receive the modulated DC power signal and the data signal, the power/status receiving device comprising: a second transformer configured to receive the data signal and the modulated DC power signal from the first ethernet cable, and configured to provide the data signal to the ONT over a second Ethernet cable connected to a third output plug; and a status decoder configured to decode the modulated DC power signal to determine the status indicator, to provide the status indicator to the ONT over a status cable connected to a first output plug, and to provide a DC power signal to the ONT over a power cable connected to a second output plug.