Patent ID: 8200996

Claim:
A network equipment for use in a powered device of a Power over Ethernet (PoE) system, and adapted to be connected to a plurality of network lines, each of the network lines transmitting a network signal and a direct-current (DC) power carried on the network signal, the DC power having a magnitude that is smaller than a power necessary for driving power-consuming components of the powered device, said network equipment comprising: a plurality of Ethernet network ports, each of which is adapted to be coupled to a respective one of the network lines; a transformer module coupled to said Ethernet network ports, and configured to separate the DC powers from the network signals transmitted thereto from the network lines via said Ethernet network ports; a power module coupled to said transformer module for combining the DC powers separated from the network signals and received from said transformer module into a supplying power; and a signal processing circuit coupled to said power module for receiving at least a portion of the supplying power therefrom, and coupled to said transformer module for processing the network signals received therefrom; wherein the supplying power outputted by said power module has a magnitude that is sufficient for driving the power-consuming components of the powered device; wherein said transformer module includes a first transformer circuit coupled between one of said Ethernet network ports and said signal processing circuit, and a second transformer circuit coupled between another one of said Ethernet network ports and said signal processing circuit; wherein said power module includes a first bridge rectifier connected to said first transformer circuit, and a second bridge rectifier connected to said first transformer circuit; and wherein said power module further includes a DC/DC converter, each of said first and second bridge rectifiers having an output side, said output sides of said first and second bridge rectifiers being connected to each other in parallel, and being coupled to said DC/DC converter.