System for Sharing Human-Computer Interface of a Legacy Device with Expansion Units

• US 20080077714A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wight, Bruce A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A system for sharing a human-computer interface between a legacy device and an expansion unit for supplementing operation of the legacy device includes a logic device configured to selectively route input and output signals between the human-computer interface and the legacy device or the expansion unit. The expansion unit monitors input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface by either the expansion unit or the legacy device. The logic device includes a switching device that selectively decouples inputs from the human-computer interface from the legacy device during usage of the interface by the expansion unit to isolate the legacy device from input signals not intended for the legacy device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a human-computer interface configured to allow a user to enter signals into the system and to supply signals from the system to the user;

a legacy device and an expansion unit; and

a logic device configured to receive input signals from the human-computer interface via an input link and to supply output signals to the human-computer interface via an output link, the logic device providing shared usage of the human-computer interface between the legacy device and the expansion unit by selective routing of input and output signals;

wherein the expansion unit monitors the input signals for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface;

wherein the logic device couples the expansion unit to the output link and decouples the legacy device from the input link in response to the expansion unit receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion unit; and

wherein the logic device couples the legacy device to the input link and decouples the expansion unit from the output link in response to the expansion unit receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the legacy device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the human-computer interface is a component of the legacy device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion unit comprises an input signal not recognized by the legacy device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the expansion unit lacks a human-computer interface suitable for supplying control signals to the expansion unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to continuously couple the expansion unit to the input link during operation to monitor the input signals.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the expansion unit is one of a plurality of expansion units coupled to the input link via the logic device, wherein each of the expansion units monitors the input signals for a respective control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the respective expansion unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device further comprises:

an input switch configured to selectively connect the input link to the legacy device;

an output switch configured to selectively connect the output link to the expansion unit; and

a switch control configured to control states of the input switch and the output switch in response to commands from the expansion unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device further comprises a legacy monitor coupled to the output link and configured to monitor output signals from the legacy device, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to the legacy monitor receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the legacy device is designated for usage of the human-computer interface under default operating conditions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein during usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion unit, the logic device reverts control of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device by reconnecting the input link to the legacy device and decoupling the expansion unit from the output link.

12. A logic device for facilitating sharing of a human-computer interface of a legacy device between the legacy device and an expansion unit configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, the logic device comprising:

an input signal path configured to be coupled to an input link for receiving input signals from the human-computer interface, wherein the input signal path is configured to continuously couple the input link to the expansion unit;

an output signal path configured to be coupled to an output link for supplying output signals to the human-computer interface;

an input switch configured to selectively couple the input signal path to the legacy device;

an output switch configured to selectively couple the expansion unit to the output signal path; and

a switch controller configured to selectively control states of the input and output switches to switch usage of the human-computer interface between the legacy device and the expansion unit in response to control signals from the expansion unit.

13. The logic device of claim 12, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface from the legacy device to the expansion unit by controlling the input switch to disconnect the legacy device from the input signal path and by controlling the output switch to connect the expansion unit to the output signal path, wherein during usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion unit, the logic device supplies to the output link only those output signals from the legacy device that are designated to override the expansion unit'"'"'s usage of the human-computer interface.

14. The logic device of claim 12, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface from the expansion unit to the legacy device by controlling the input switch to connect the legacy device to the input signal path and by controlling the output switch to disconnect the expansion unit from the output signal path.

15. The logic device of claim 12, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface between the expansion unit and the legacy device in response to the expansion unit receiving predetermined signals from the human-computer interface.

16. The logic device of claim 12, further comprising:

a legacy monitor disposed along the output signal path and configured to monitor output signals from the legacy device and to selectively supply the output signals from the legacy device to the output link, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to the legacy monitor receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

17. The logic device of claim 12, wherein the logic device is on a circuit card assembly.

18. A method of sharing a human-computer interface of a legacy device between the legacy device and an expansion unit configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, the method comprising:

monitoring at the expansion unit input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface;

supplying output signals from the expansion unit to the human-computer interface and preventing input signals from the human-computer interface from reaching the legacy device in response to the expansion unit receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion unit; and

supplying input signals from the human-computer interface to the legacy device and preventing output signals from the expansion unit from reaching the human-computer interface in response to the expansion unit receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the legacy device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the expansion unit is one of a plurality of expansion units configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, wherein each of the expansion units monitors the input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface, wherein each respective expansion unit has a distinct control code for instructing the respective expansion unit to use the human-computer interface.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the legacy device is designated for usage of the human-computer interface under default operating conditions.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

reverting control of the human-computer interface from the expansion unit to the legacy device in response to a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.