Remote session recording apparatus and method

• US 20070261097A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertiv IT Systems, Inc. (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Avocent Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Geffin, Steven, Siegman, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• 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: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

An Intelligent Network Peripheral (INP) is equipped with a recording control processor that is connected to at least one internal or external recording device (e.g., hard drive, disk array, CD-recorder, DVD recorder, and/or tape device). Using the INP, a user may be prompted to perform an activity, such as (1) start a new recording session, (2) playback a recorded session, (3) delete a recorded session, (4) edit recording parameters (e.g., the number of stored frames, the length of a session to record, the resolution of the image to record), and (5) re-run a recorded session. An INP may be incorporated into a Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switch, a Rack Connection Manager (RCM) and/or a Pod Extension Module (PEM) for recording at least one of video from and user input to a computer for diagnostic and other purposes.

Claims

1. A peripheral device enclosed in a housing for intercepting and recording interactions between a user and a first server, the peripheral device comprising:

a first computer-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and for transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device to the first server;

at least one user-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device and for transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server; and

a recording control processor for recording (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device.

2. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one computer-side connector comprises a user interface connector.

3. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one computer-side connector comprises a communications port.

4. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one user-side connector comprises a KVM interface connector.

5. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one user-side connector comprises a remote computer connection.

6. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a peripheral interface, wherein the recording control processor records, to a recording device connected to the peripheral device across the peripheral interface, (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device.

7. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile, rewriteable storage device internal to the peripheral device for storing (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device.

8. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for providing a user interface to the user for controlling recording by the recording control processor.

9. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second computer-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of a second server and for transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the second server,

wherein the recording control processor further records (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device sent to the second server and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device sent to the second server.

10. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording control processor records switches between the first and second servers connected to the peripheral device.

11. A peripheral device enclosed in a housing for playing back recorded interactions between a user and a first server, the peripheral device comprising:

a first computer-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and for transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device to the first server;

at least one user-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device and for transmitting signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server; and

a recording control processor for playing back (1) recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and (2) recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device based on recorded timing correlations between the recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device.

12. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one computer-side connector comprises a user interface connector.

13. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one computer-side connector comprises a communications port.

14. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one user-side connector comprises a KVM interface connector.

15. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one user-side connector comprises a remote computer connection.

16. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a peripheral interface, wherein the recording control processor plays back, from a recording device connected to the peripheral device across the peripheral interface, (1) recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and (2) recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device based on recorded timing correlations between the recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device.

17. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a non-volatile, rewriteable storage device internal to the peripheral device for playing back (1) recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and (2) recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device based on recorded timing correlations between the recorded signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the recorded signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device.

18. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for providing a user interface to the user for controlling playback by the recording control processor.

19. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the recording control processor records (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the first server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device.

20. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a second computer-side connector for receiving signals corresponding to computer video signals of a second server and for transmitting signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device to the second server,

wherein the recording control processor further records (1) signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server, (2) signals corresponding to changes in state of a user interface device sent to the second server and (3) a timing correlation between the signals corresponding to computer video signals of the second server and the signals corresponding to changes in state of the user interface device sent to the second server.

21. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the recording control processor switches between playing back and recording.