Method of operating a system of co-located computers and remote human interfaces

• US 20040080526A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearCube Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ClearCube Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Thornton, Barry W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,944,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/721
• 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 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

A system and method for providing a consistent work environment to a plurality of users is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may include a plurality of computing systems which are located at a common location and connected by a network. Each of a plurality of human interfaces may be coupled to one of the plurality of computing systems by a communications link. Each human interface is located at a user location. The user location may be remote from the plurality of computing systems. Each of the human interfaces may be operable to present to a user a graphical user interface for application software, a graphical user interface for conducting telephone calls with external parties, and a video window for displaying television programming.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of computing systems, wherein the plurality of computing systems are located at a common location, wherein the plurality of computing systems are connected by a network;

a plurality of human interfaces, wherein each of the human interfaces includes a display device and a user input device, wherein each of the human interfaces is located at a user location;

a plurality of communication links, wherein each communication link is coupled between one of the computing systems and one of the human interfaces;

wherein each of the human interfaces is operable to present;

     1) a graphical user interface for application software executing on its corresponding computing system;

     2) a graphical user interface for conducting telephone calls with external parties; and

     3) a video window for displaying television programming.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the human interfaces presents a consistent graphical user interface to its respective user.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface of each of the computing system is not modifiable by its respective user.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the video window for each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to display television programming from the same channel.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to store the same set of applications software.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 further comprising a database for storing results for user interaction with the applications software.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to access the same database.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of computer systems includes:

a cage having a plurality of slots, wherein each of the slots is adapted to receive a computer card;

a plurality of computer cards, wherein each computer card comprises one of the plurality of computing systems;

a removable function module, wherein the removable function module is operable to electrically couple to at least a subset of the plurality of computer cards, wherein the removable function module is operable to provide additional functionality to each of the computer cards comprised in the slots of the cage.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of computer cards is adapted for coupling to one or more cables for communication of encoded human interface signals with a remote location.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of computer cards is further adapted for communication of network signals with a network.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein each computer card comprises:

a frame;

a printed circuit board mounted to the frame;

a CPU comprised on the printed circuit board;

a memory comprised on the printed circuit board;

a non-volatile memory comprised on the frame;

network interface logic comprised on the printed circuit board for interfacing to a network;

human interface logic comprised on the printed circuit board which is operable to receive two or more human interface signals and encode the two or more human interface signals into a format suitable for transmission to a remote location;

wherein the human interface logic is further operable to receive two or more encoded human interface signals from the remote location and decode the two or more encoded human interface signals from a format suitable for transmission from the remote location;

a human interface connector coupled to the human interface logic, wherein the human interface connector is adapted to couple to the one or more cables for communication of the encoded human interface signals with a remote location; and

a power supply comprised on the frame, wherein the power supply is operable to couple to an external power source and supply power to the plurality of computing systems.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of computing systems comprises a plurality of independent computing systems.

13. A method for providing a consistent work environment to a plurality of users, comprising:

storing a common set of software applications on a plurality of networked computer systems, wherein the plurality of computing systems are located at a common location, wherein the plurality of computing systems are connected by a network, and wherein each of the plurality of networked computer systems is coupled to at least one of a plurality of human interfaces;

presenting a common graphical user interface on a respective human interfaces for each of the plurality of users, wherein each of the human interfaces includes a display device and a user input device, wherein each of the human interfaces is located at a user location;

executing the common set of software applications on each of the plurality of networked computer systems for each of the plurality of users;

presenting a common set of information to each of the of the users on each of the respective human interfaces, wherein said presenting is performed in response to said executing the common set of software applications;

wherein the plurality of computer systems each provide the same functionality to each of the plurality of users.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the human interfaces is operable to present:

1) a graphical user interface for application software executing on its corresponding computing system;

     2) a graphical user interface for conducting telephone calls with external parties; and

     3) a video window for displaying television programming.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the human interfaces presents a consistent graphical user interface to its respective user.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface of each of plurality of computer systems is not modifiable by its respective user.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the video window for each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to display television programming from the same channel.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to store the same set of applications software.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 further comprising a database for storing information for user interaction with the applications software.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of computing systems is configured to access the same database.

21. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of computing systems includes:

a cage having a plurality of slots, wherein each of the slots is adapted to receive a computer card;

a plurality of computer cards, wherein each computer card comprises one of the plurality of computing systems;

a removable function module, wherein the removable function module is operable to electrically couple to at least a subset of the plurality of computer cards, wherein the removable function module is operable to provide additional functionality to each of the computer cards comprised in the slots of the cage.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of computer cards is adapted for coupling to one or more cables for communication of encoded human interface signals with a remote location.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of computer cards is further adapted for communication of network signals with a network.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein each computer card comprises:

a frame;

a printed circuit board mounted to the frame;

a CPU comprised on the printed circuit board;

a memory comprised on the printed circuit board;

a non-volatile memory comprised on the frame;

network interface logic comprised on the printed circuit board for interfacing to a network;

human interface logic comprised on the printed circuit board which is operable to receive two or more human interface signals and encode the two or more human interface signals into a format suitable for transmission to a remote location;

wherein the human interface logic is further operable to receive two or more encoded human interface signals from the remote location and decode the two or more encoded human interface signals from a format suitable for transmission from the remote location;

a human interface connector coupled to the human interface logic, wherein the human interface connector is adapted to couple to the one or more cables for communication of the encoded human interface signals with a remote location; and

a power supply comprised on the frame, wherein the power supply is operable to couple to an external power source and supply power to the plurality of computing systems.

25. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of computing systems comprises a plurality of independent computing systems.