Method and system for intellegently controlling a remotely located computer

• US 20030135656A1
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avocent Redmond Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Apex Incorporated (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Jones, Warren C., Schneider, Walter J., Sasten, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,701,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12

Abstract

A method and system for remotely accessing and controlling at least one of a target switch and a target computer using a target controller. The video information captured by the target controller is analyzed and compressed in order to reduce network traffic between the target controller and a controlling computer.

Claims

1. A target controller for remotely controlling at least one of an external target switch and an external target computer, the controller comprising:

an analog video interface for receiving analog video signals from the at least one of an external target switch and an external target computer;

a digitizer for digitizing the analog video signals received from the analog video interface;

a first logic device configured to divide the digitized video signals into blocks of digitized video;

a second logic device configured to compare a first block from a first frame to a second block from a subsequent frame; and

a third logic device configured to send only pixel values that changed between the first and second blocks,

wherein the analog video interface receives analog video signals from an external target switch, and wherein the first computer code device comprises a fourth computer code device configured to switch a current connection of the external target switch such that the analog video signals change from a first computer to a second computer.

2. A target controller for remotely controlling at least one of an external target switch and an external target computer, the controller comprising:

an analog video interface for receiving analog video signals from the at least one of an external target switch and an external target computer;

a digitizer for digitizing the analog video signals received from the analog video interface;

first means for dividing the digitized video signals into blocks of digitized video;

second means for comparing a first block from a first frame to a second block from a subsequent frame; and

third means for sending only pixel values that changed between the first and second blocks,

wherein the analog video interface receives analog video signals from an external target switch, and wherein the first computer code device comprises a fourth computer code device configured to switch a current connection of the external target switch such that the analog video signals change from a first computer to a second computer.