Patent ID: 8305906

Claim:
A method, comprising: controlling an apparatus to determine a first discovery status for pairs of signal conductors in an Ethernet connection as a function of performing a signal conductor discovery process for the pairs of signal conductors; controlling the apparatus to determine a second discovery status for pairs of unused conductors in the Ethernet connection as a function of performing an unused pair discovery process for the pairs of unused conductors; and upon determining that the first discovery status indicates that the pairs of signal conductors are connected to a valid powered device associated with the signal conductors and that the second discovery status indicates that the pairs of unused conductors are also connected to a valid powered device associated with the unused conductors: controlling the apparatus to determine a third discovery status for the pairs of unused conductors by performing the unused pair discovery process while a first discovery process polluting power signal is being injected onto the pairs of signal conductors; controlling the apparatus to determine a fourth discovery status for the pairs of signal conductors by performing the signal conductor discovery process while a second discovery process polluting power signal is being injected onto the pairs of unused conductors; and upon determining that the powered device associated with the signal conductors is the same powered device as the powered device associated with the unused conductors based on the third discovery status and the fourth discovery status, controlling a power supply to selectively provide in line power to the powered device associated with the signal conductors on the pairs of signal conductors and the pairs of unused conductors.