Direct-access team/workgroup server shared by team/workgrouped computers without using a network operating system
First Claim
1. A multiple computer system comprising:
- a unitary chassis;
a plurality of CPU circuits, each such CPU circuit corresponding to a distinct computer;
a plurality of bus intercommunication circuits for data communications between said computers, each said bus intercommunication circuit corresponding to a distinct computer;
a plurality of display monitor control circuits for controlling display monitors, each such display monitor control circuit corresponding to a distinct computer;
said pluralities of CPU circuits, bus intercommunication circuits and display monitor control circuits being contained and electrically interconnected within said unitary chassis;
at least one power supply within said chassis for powering all of said circuits;
each said computer having a display monitor and a keyboard externally positioned relative to said chassis and connected to corresponding computer circuits within said chassis by associated cables;
each said CPU circuit being directly connected without a network operating system to at least one server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system of computers having team/workgroup features built in. A typical hardware component thereof is a unitary chassis of a regular single IBM-PC tower-chassis footprint, designed to house electronics for up to four personal computers, all operating on a single power supply. The unitary chassis provides interconnecting cable for connecting up to four corresponding display terminals and keyboards, which all can be located at other dispersed locations. Each such computer provides a communication/device-sharing card, which may for example be a SCSI-II card providing data rate transfer at 10 Megabytes per second on a single SCSI-II cable. Furthermore, each computer comprises a CPU card and a monitor interface card, such as a VGA card. The invention is especially suited for configuration as a PC-based, multiple-CPU, multi-user workgroup system. Such workgroup systems are especially adapted for collaborative, multimedia and client-server computing for small workgroups. The capability is facilitated by use of direct-access team/workgroup servers, for example a CD-ROM server, a media server, a peer-to-peer server and a file server. The computers recognize these servers as direct-access local drives which are shared by the users in a transparent manner without the need for a complicated Network Operating System.
47 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A multiple computer system comprising:
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a unitary chassis; a plurality of CPU circuits, each such CPU circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; a plurality of bus intercommunication circuits for data communications between said computers, each said bus intercommunication circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; a plurality of display monitor control circuits for controlling display monitors, each such display monitor control circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; said pluralities of CPU circuits, bus intercommunication circuits and display monitor control circuits being contained and electrically interconnected within said unitary chassis; at least one power supply within said chassis for powering all of said circuits; each said computer having a display monitor and a keyboard externally positioned relative to said chassis and connected to corresponding computer circuits within said chassis by associated cables; each said CPU circuit being directly connected without a network operating system to at least one server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A multiple computer system comprising:
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a plurality of CPU circuits, each such CPU circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; a plurality of bus intercommunication circuits for data communications between said computers, each said bus intercommunication circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; a plurality of display monitor control circuits for controlling display monitors, each such display monitor control circuit corresponding to a distinct computer; said pluralities of CPU circuits, bus intercommunication circuits and display monitor control circuits being electrically interconnected; at least one power supply for powering all of said circuits; each said computer having a display monitor and a keyboard connected to corresponding computer circuits by associated cables; each said CPU circuit being directly connected without a network operating system to at least one server. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification