Multi-user computer system

• US 20060173996A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raritan Americas Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Raritan Americas Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Anderson, John Richard, McDermott, John Aloysius, Bates, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/40 Constructional details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane

Abstract

A system for connecting multiple users to multiple computers uses a switch for making and breaking connections between individual computers and input/output devices such as display screens, keyboards and pointing devices at user locations. A supervisory computer system includes one or more helper computers which run programs to aid the user in selecting connections to be made. The switch is arranged to capture preselected input sequences as designating commands, such as a command to connect the helper computer, and to forward these to the supervisory computer system. The supervisory computer system actuates the switch in response to these commands so that the user can establish communication with the helper computer.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method for selecting one of a plurality of server computers with output and input devices at a plurality of user locations, said method comprising:

receiving input signals sent by input devices included in sets of input and output devices at user locations, conveying input signals from said input devices to server computers associated with said user locations and conveying output signals from such server computers to output devices at said user locations; and

operating an interactive computer program in a supervisory computer system in response to predetermined input signals via said input devices at any of said user locations, said interactive computer program facilitating selection of one or more of said server computers by a user at said user location that sent said predetermined input signals by providing said user with a listing of predetermined ones of said server computers arranged in accordance with at least one criteria.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said supervisory computer system is disposed between said user locations and said plurality of server computers.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein different types of computer programs are available on different ones of the server computers and the criteria arranges said server computers into groups in accordance with the available computer programs.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said interactive program allows a user at a particular user location in said plurality of user locations to select one or more server computers for connection to that particular user location.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said interactive program run by the supervisory computer system allows a user at a particular user location in said plurality of user locations to select one or more server computers for connection to another user location in said plurality of user locations.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the supervisory computer system includes routines which require each user to enter an indication of his/her identity along with a secret password associated with that identity.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein users at the plurality of user locations have different rights with respect to accessing the server computers and said predetermined ones of said server computers are those server computers for which a given user at said user location has the right to access.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein said receiving and conveying are performed at said supervisory computer system, said input signals being transmitted on a common channel from said user locations to said supervisory computer system.

38. The method of claim 30, said method further comprising the step of instructing switching devices to connect or disconnect connections between said one or more selected server computers and said input/output devices in response to said input signals.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said instructing is performed by a switching circuit within said supervisory computer system.

40. The method of claim 38, said method further comprising the step of maintaining data defining a running set of said server computers devices for each said user location, said instructing further including switching said input/output device that supplied said input signals between said server computers.

41. A method for selecting one of a plurality of server computers with output and input devices at a plurality of user locations, said method comprising:

receiving input signals sent by input devices included in sets of input and output devices at user locations, conveying input signals from said input devices to server computers associated with said user locations and conveying output signals from such server computers to output devices at said user locations;

characterized by

detecting one or more predetermined helper codes in such input signals

connecting a supervisory computer system to the input and output devices at the user location that sent such helper codes;

running an computer program in said supervisory computer system that interacts with the connected input and output devices, said computer program facilitating selection of one or more of said server computers by a user at said user location by providing said user with a listing of predetermined ones of said server computers arranged in accordance with at least one criteria.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said supervisory computer system is disposed between said user locations and said plurality of server computers.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein different types of computer programs are available on different ones of the server computers and the criteria arranges said server computers into groups in accordance with the available computer programs.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said interactive program allows a user at a particular user location in said plurality of user locations to select one or more server computers for connection to that particular user location.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein said interactive program run by the supervisory computer system allows a user at a particular user location in said plurality of user locations to select one or more server computers for connection to another user location in said plurality of user locations.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the supervisory computer system includes routines which require each user to enter an indication of his/her identity along with a secret password associated with that identity.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein users at the plurality of user locations have different rights with respect to accessing the server computers and said predetermined ones of said server computers are those server computers for which a given user at said user location has the right to access.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein said receiving and conveying are performed at said supervisory computer system, said input signals being transmitted on a common channel from said user locations to said supervisory computer system.

49. The method of claim 41, said method further comprising the step of instructing a switching device to connect or disconnect connections between said one or more selected server computers and said input/output devices in response to said input signals.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said instructing is performed by a switching circuit within said supervisory computer system.

51. The method of claim 49, said method further comprising the step of maintaining data defining a running set of said server computers for each said user location, said instructing further including switching said input/output device that supplied said input signals between said server computers.