ASYNCHRONOUS/SYNCHRONOUS KVMP SWITCH FOR CONSOLE DEVICES AND PERIPHERAL DEVICES

• US 20090083453A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Original Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Inventors: YANG, Sampson, CHEN, Sun-Chung, HSUEH, Chao-Hsuan, HUANG, Yunghsun
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/36
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A signal switch for sharing a video monitor, a plurality of console devices compliant with an industry standard and one or more than one peripheral device in any of a plurality of computer systems, is provided. A KVM switch allows all the computers connected to the switch to share any USB peripheral devices, and which can switch the KVM channels and peripheral channels to a common computer or to different computers either asynchronously or synchronously without interruption of data flow to that peripheral when the switch is changed. In another embodiment the KVM switch allows a keyboard and a mouse of a user console to separately control two different computers. In another embodiment, the KVM switch is connected to the computers via computer connection modules and connected to a user console and peripheral devices via a console connection module.

Claims

1. A keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch, comprising:

a first computer port for connecting to a first computer;

a second computer port for connecting to a second computer;

a peripheral port for connecting to at least one peripheral device;

a console port for connecting to a plurality of user console devices;

a first communication link connecting the first computer port and the console port;

a second communication link connecting the first computer port and the peripheral port;

a third communication link connecting the second computer port and the console port; and

a switching unit connected to the first computer port, the second computer port, the peripheral port and the console port for switching between the first and third communication links without interrupting the second communication link.

2. The KVM switch of claim 1, wherein when one of the first and third communication links is established, the other one of the first and third communication links is disconnected and the second communication link remains connected.

3. A keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch system, comprising:

a first computer connection module for connecting to a first computer;

a second computer connection module for connecting to a second computer;

a console connection module, the console connection module including at least one console connector for connecting to at least one user console device and at least one peripheral connector for connecting to at least one peripheral device;

a first communication link connecting the first computer connection module and the console connector of the console connection module;

a second communication link connecting the first computer connection module and the peripheral connector of the console connection module;

a third communication link connecting the second computer connection module and the console connector of the console connection module; and

a switching module connected to the first computer connection module, the second computer connection module and the console connection module for switching between the first and third communication links without interrupting the second communication link.

4. The KVM switch system of claim 3, wherein each of the first computer connection module and the second computer connection module includes a body and three cables connected to the body.

5. The KVM switch system of claim 4, wherein each of the three cables includes a plug, the plugs being a VGA interface, a PS/2 interface, and a PS/2 interface, respectively, for connecting to the first or second computer.

6. The KVM switch system of claim 3, wherein the switching module connects to each of the first computer connection module, the second computer connection module, and the console connection module via a Category 5 cable.

7. The KVM switch system of claim 3, wherein each of the first computer connection module and the second computer connection module includes a body and two cables connected to the body.

8. The KVM switch system of claim 7, wherein each of the two cables includes a plug, the plugs being a VGA interface and a USB interface, respectively, for connecting to the first or second computer.

9. The KVM switch system of claim 3, wherein the switching module comprises:

a CPU comprising a first memory for storing a management program for managing the switching module;

a hub switch module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with the first computer and second computer, and the user peripheral device, such that a signal transmitted from the hub switch module to the peripheral device emulates signals originating from one of the computers;

a device control module connected to the CPU and the hub switch module for emulating the user console device according to a standard;

a host control module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with the user console device; and

a video control device module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with a video monitor device.

10. The KVM switch system of claim 9, wherein the switching module further comprises analog signal decoders, which decode the video signals received from the first computer and the second computer via the first computer connection module and second computer connection module and transmit the decoded video signals to the USB hub switch module.

11. The KVM switch system of claim 9, wherein the switching module further comprises digital signal decoders/encoders, which encode keyboard and mouse signals received from the USB hub switch module and transmit the keyboard and mouse signals to the first computer and second computer via the first computer connection module and second computer connection module, and decode data signals received from the first computer and second computer via the first computer connection module and second computer connection module and transmit them to the USB hub switch module.

12. The KVM switch system of claim 9, wherein the switching module further comprises an analog signal encoder, which encodes the video signals received from the video control device module and transmits the video signals to a monitor via the console connection module.

13. The KVM switch system of claim 9, wherein the switching module further comprises a digital signal encoder/decoder, which decodes keyboard and mouse signals received from the user console device via the console connection module and transmits them to the USB host control module, wherein the digital signal encoder/decoder encodes the data signals received from the USB hub switch module and transmits them to the peripheral devices via the console connection module, and wherein the digital signal encoder/decoder receives data signals from the peripheral devices via the console connection module and decodes them then transmits them to the USB hub switch module.

14. A signal switch for sharing a set of console devices and one or more peripheral devices among any of a plurality of computer systems, comprising:

a first channel for connecting the set of console devices comprising a first console device and a second console device to a first computer system selected from the plurality of computer systems;

a second channel for connecting the first selected computer system to a peripheral device selected from the one or more peripheral devices;

a third channel for connecting the first console device to the first selected computer system;

a fourth channel for connecting the second console device to a second selected computer system; and

a switching module for switching the set of console devices from the first channel to the third channel and the fourth channel without changing the second channel between the first selected computer system and the selected peripheral device.

15. The signal switch of claim 14, wherein one of the first and second console devices is a keyboard and the other one of the first and second console devices is a mouse.

16. The signal switch of claim 14, wherein the set of console devices further comprise a third console device.

17. The signal switch of claim 16, wherein the third console device is a monitor.

18. The signal switch of claim 16, wherein the third channel allows the first console device and the third console device to connect to the first selected computer system.

19. The signal switch of claim 16, wherein the fourth channel allows the second console device and the third console device to connect to the second selected computer system.

20. The signal switch of claim 14, wherein the switching module switches the set of console devices from the third and fourth channels to first channel without changing the second channel between the first selected computer system and the selected peripheral device.