Patent ID: 7599484

Claim:
A method of managing power at an element management system for a power sourcing network element and a power sinking network element in an access network, the method comprising: provisioning at least one instance of a line power manager with at least one primitive; provisioning at least one instance of an associated line power controller at each of the power sourcing network element and the power sinking network element; associating at least one conductive medium with the line power controller, the at least one conductive medium coupled between the power sourcing network element and the power sinking network element; passing selected ones of the at least one primitive to at least one of the power sourcing network element and the power sinking network element for use by functions of the power sourcing and power sinking network elements performing the power management; monitoring at least one of the at least one primitive; and selectively taking action at the element management system based on monitored ones of the at least one primitive in response to power conditions for the power sourcing and power sinking network elements.