Patent Document ID: 20050197094
Application ID: 11053872
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A local area network adapted to supply power to at least one powered device over a plurality of communication cabling paths, the local area network comprising: a powered device; power sourcing equipment; and communication cabling comprising a plurality of twisted wire pairs connecting said power sourcing equipment to said powered device, said communication cabling providing a first power path comprising a first set of twisted wire pairs of said communication cabling and a second power path comprising a second set of twisted wire pairs of said communication cabling; said power sourcing equipment comprising: a control circuit; a first power source responsive to said control circuit adapted to supply a first power to said powered device via said first power path; and a second power source responsive to said control circuit adapted to supply a second power to said powered device via said second power path, said control circuit being operative to obtain a first classification of said powered device via said first power path and a second classification of said powered device via said second power path and in the event that said obtained first classification does not equal said obtained second classification to identity said powered device as a powered device capable of receiving power over a combination of said first power path and said second power path.