Apparatus and method for detection of off-hook phone in reverse power feeding architecture

1. A powering arrangement for use with reverse power feeding, the powering arrangement comprising:

a control circuit;

a power sourcing equipment, said power sourcing equipment responsive to said control circuit; and

a current sensing circuit arranged to detect the amount of current provided by the power sourcing equipment, said control circuit in communication with said current sensing circuit,

said control circuit arranged to:

measure a first current flow from the power sourcing equipment;

identify a rapid first increase in current flow from the measured first current flow, the rapid increase defined as a rate of change greater than a predetermined minimum rate of change;

identify a second increase in current flow from the measured first current flow, the identified second increase greater than a predetermined minimum amount;

confirm that said identified second increase in current flow is maintained for at least a predetermined amount of time beginning with said identified first increase in current flow; and

output an error signal to the power sourcing equipment responsive to said identified rapid increase in current flow, said identified second increase in current flow and said confirmation that said identified second increase in current flow is maintained for at least the predetermined amount of time.

2. The powering arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said power sourcing equipment is disabled responsive to said output error signal.

3. The powering arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said power sourcing equipment is provided with a first current limit and second current limit lower than said first current limit, wherein responsive to said output error signal said power sourcing equipment is arranged to change the current limit from the first current limit to the second current limit.

4. The powering arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said current sensing circuit comprises a current mirror.

5. The powering arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a DC extraction circuitry; and

a distribution point power supply,

said DC extraction circuitry coupled over a copper wire pair to the power sourcing equipment,

said DC extraction circuitry arranged to feed an extracted power to said distribution point power supply,

said distribution point power supply having a predetermined bandwidth such that a change in current drawn by the distribution point power supply over time is less than said predetermined minimum rate of change.

6. The powering arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said power sourcing equipment is arranged to detect a predetermined signature resistance presented by said DC extraction circuitry, the power arrangement further comprising:

a plain old telephony service (POTS) adapter coupled to the power sourcing equipment, said POTS adapter comprising an under voltage lockout (UVLO) circuit and an electronically controlled switch responsive to the output of said UVLO circuit, said electronically controlled switch arranged to prevent the appearance of a parallel resistance from said POTS adapter from appearing to the power sourcing equipment in parallel to the predetermined signature resistance until a voltage in excess of a predetermined minimum value is detected by said UVLO circuit.

7. A method of powering for use with reverse power feeding, the method comprising:

measuring a first current flow from a power sourcing equipment;

identifying a rapid first increase in current flow from the measured first current flow, the rapid increase defined as a rate of change greater than a predetermined minimum rate of change;

identifying a second increase in current flow from the measured first current flow, the identified second increase greater than a predetermined minimum amount;

confirming that said identified second increase in current flow is maintained for at least a predetermined amount of time beginning with said identified first increase in current flow; and

outputting an error signal to the power sourcing equipment in the event of said identified rapid increase in current flow, said identified second increase in current flow and said confirmation that said identified second increase in current flow is maintained for at least the predetermined amount of time.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

disabling said power sourcing equipment responsive to said output error signal.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said power sourcing equipment is provided with a first current limit for a power provided for the reverse power feeding and second current limit lower than said first current limit, wherein the method further comprises, responsive to said output error signal, changing the current limit from the first current limit to the second current limit.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising providing a distribution point power supply coupled to receive power from said power sourcing equipment, said distribution point power supply arranged to have a predetermined bandwidth such that a change in current drawn by the distribution point power supply over time is less than said predetermined rate of change.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

said power sourcing equipment detecting a predetermined signature resistance presented by said distribution point power supply; and

preventing the appearance of a parallel resistance from a POTS adapter from appearing to the power sourcing equipment in parallel to the predetermined signature resistance until a voltage in excess of a predetermined minimum value is detected by said UVLO circuit.