Apparatus and system for managing multiple computers

• US 7,240,111 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin Corporation (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanHarlingen, Brian, Chen, Li-ter, Leibow, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US11/105,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/204, 348/564, 348/565, 348/14.07, 348/14.09
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/24 Keyboard-Video-Mouse [KVM] switch
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A switching device and system for interconnecting a single user console having user interface devices, including a console keyboard, a console video display unit, a console mouse, and speakers to a plurality of host computers each capable of using user interface devices, including a keyboard, a video display unit, and a mouse, and allowing the user to access one or more of the host computers from the single user console. The video output from each of the host computers are scaled and cropped as appropriate so that each of the host computer'"'"'s video output may be simultaneously displayed as host computer “windows” on the console video display unit. The user may easily navigate between the host computers through a convenient and intuitive user interface. The audio output from each of the host computers may be mixed or switched for output to the speakers as desired.

Claims

1. A computer management system comprising:

a plurality of host computers;

a user console having user interface devices including a keyboard, a cursor control device, and a video display unit, wherein the user console video display unit displays a visual representation of video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers, each representation having a boundary; and

a management device, operatively connecting the user console to the plurality of host computers, wherein the management device manages keyboard control signals and cursor control signals transmitted from the user console for providing access to any one of the plurality of host computers, and manages the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers for simultaneously displaying video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit, wherein the management device automatically activates and allows access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers right after a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit is moved within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

2. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the user console further comprises speakers operatively connected to the plurality of host computers via the management device, wherein audio signals from the plurality of host computers are mixed together prior to being output to the speakers.

3. The computer management system of claim 2, wherein the audio level of the audio signals from the one accessed host computer is higher than the audio level of audio signals from the non-accessed host computers.

4. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the user console further comprises speakers operatively connected to the plurality of host computers via the management device, wherein the audio level of audio signals from the one accessed host computer is higher than the audio level of audio signals from the non-accessed host computers, wherein the audio signals from the non-accessed host computers are audible.

5. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device processes the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of the user console pointer icon.

6. The computer management system of claim 5, wherein access by the user console over an accessed host computer is terminated when the user console pointer icon moves outside the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from the accessed host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

7. The computer management system of claim 5, wherein access by the user console over an accessed host computer is terminated after the user executes a predetermined command via the console keyboard.

8. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein active and inactive regions are determined by a circuit management device that further comprises:

a circuit for determining an active video region of the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers; and

at least one frame buffer corresponding to each of the plurality of host computers for storing frames of the respective video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers.

9. The computer management system of claim 8, wherein the user console video display unit displays a visual representation of the video signals transmitted from at least two of the plurality of host computers, each visual representation having an active region and an inactive region.

10. The computer management system of claim 9, wherein the management device processes the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit.

11. The computer management system of claim 10, wherein access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers is allowed when the user console pointer icon is within the active region of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

12. The computer management system of claim 11, wherein access by the user console over an accessed host computer is terminated when the user console pointer icon moves outside the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from the accessed host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

13. The computer management system of claim 11, wherein access by the user console over an accessed host computer is terminated after the user executes a command via the console keyboard.

14. The computer management system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer mouse pointer icons, the host computer pointer icon of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually displayed or hidden depending on whether or not the user console pointer icon is within the active region of the visual representation of the video signal from that host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

15. A computer management system comprising:

a plurality of host computers;

a user console having user interface devices including a keyboard, a cursor control device, and a video display unit, wherein the user console video display unit displays a visual representation of video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers, each representation having a boundary; and

a management device, operatively connecting the user console to the plurality of host computers, wherein the management device manages keyboard control signals and cursor control signals transmitted from the user console for providing access to any one of the plurality of host computers, and manages the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers for simultaneously displaying video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit,

wherein the management device processes the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit, and access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers is allowed when the user console pointer icon is within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit,

wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer mouse pointer icons, the host computer pointer icon of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually displayed or hidden depending at least on whether or not the user console pointer icon is within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer that is displayed on the user console video display unit.

16. A management device operatively connected to a plurality of host computers comprising:

a plurality of interfaces for receiving video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers;

a console interface for operatively connecting the management device to a user console having at least a keyboard, mouse, and video display unit;

a video processor for managing the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers to allow for the simultaneous display of video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit, wherein the video processor processes video signals received from at least two of the plurality of host computers to form a composite image of the video signals and the visual representation of video signals from each of the at least two of the plurality of host computers has a boundary; and

a controller for managing keyboard control signals and the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console for providing access to any one of the plurality of host computers, wherein the controller automatically activates and allows access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers right after a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit is moved within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer.

17. The management device of claim 16, further comprising an audio controller operatively connected to the plurality of host computers and operatively connected to an audio mixer for mixing audio signals from the plurality of host computers prior to being output to speakers operatively connected to the audio mixer.

18. The management device of claim 17, wherein the audio level of audio signals from the one accessed host computer is higher than the audio level of audio signals from the non-accessed host computers.

19. The management device of claim 16, further comprising an audio controller operatively connected to the plurality of host computers and operatively connected to an audio switch for passing the audio signals from the one accessed host computer and suppressing the audio signals from the non-accessed host computers, wherein the audio signals from the non-accessed host computers are audible.

20. The management device of claim 16, wherein the controller manages the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of a the user console pointer icon.

21. The management device of claim 20, wherein the controller terminates access of user console to an accessed host computer when the user console pointer icon moves outside the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from the accessed host computer.

22. The management device of claim 20, wherein the controller terminates access of user console to an accessed host computer after the user executes a predetermined command from the user console.

23. The management device of claim 16, wherein the video processor processes video signals received from at least two of the plurality of host computers to form a composite image of the video signals and the visual representation of video signals from each of the at least two of the plurality of host computers has an active region and an inactive region.

24. The management device of claim 23, wherein the controller manages the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit, and allows access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers when the user console pointer icon is within the active region of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer.

25. The management device of claim 24, wherein the controller terminates access of user console to an accessed host computer when the user console pointer icon moves outside the active region of the visual representation of video signals from the accessed host computer.

26. The management device of claim 24, wherein the controller terminates access of user console to an accessed host computer after the user executes a predetermined command from the user console.

27. The management device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer mouse pointer icons and the controller manages the display of the host computer pointer icons such that they are visually displayed or hidden depending at least on whether or not the user console pointer icon is within the active region of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer.

28. A management device operatively connected to a plurality of host computers comprising:

a plurality of interfaces for receiving video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers;

a console interface for operatively connecting the management device to a user console having at least a keyboard, mouse, and video display unit;

a video processor for managing the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers to allow for the simultaneous display of video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit, wherein the video processor processes video signals received from at least two of the plurality of host computers to form a composite image of the video signals and the visual representation of video signals from each of the at least two of the plurality of host computers has a boundary; and

a controller for managing keyboard control signals and the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console for providing access to any one of the plurality of host computers, wherein the controller manages the cursor control signals transmitted from the user console to provide absolute positional information of a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the user console video display unit, and allows access by the user console to any one of the plurality of host computers when the user console pointer icon is within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer,

wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer mouse pointer icons and the controller manages the display of the host computer pointer icons such that they are visually displayed or hidden depending at least on whether or not the user console pointer icon is within the boundary of the visual representation of video signals from that host computer.