KVM system for controlling computers and method thereof

• US 7,441,063 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Original Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Inventors: Ke, Cheng-chang, Tseng, Kuo-chou
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Khanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cleary; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US11/302,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/72, 710/73, 710/100, 710/305, 710/65, 710/316, 709/203, 713/200, 725/151, 345/161, 345/629, 348/569, 348/584
• US Class Current: 710/305
• 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

Abstract

A system for connecting a console device to computers comprising a graphic user interface menu apparatus for controlling the computers. The system comprises a user-side circuit, a central crosspoint switch, a plurality of computer-side circuits, a menu generating unit and a first switching device. The user-side circuit coupled to the console device receives electronic signals produced by the keyboard and cursor control device and creates a data packet. The central crosspoint switch is coupled to the user-side circuits, receives the data packets and routes the data packets. The computer-side circuits coupled to the central crosspoint switch and the computers receive the data packets from the central crosspoint switch for supplying the data packets to the computers. The menu generating unit generates a menu to be displayed. The first switching device alternately outputs a video signal of the menu data and a video signal from the computers to the video monitor according to a vertical synchronization signal.

Claims

1. A system for connecting a console device including a keyboard, cursor control device and video monitor to a number of computers, the system comprising:

a user-side circuit coupled to the console device for receiving electronic signals produced by the keyboard and cursor control device and for creating a data packet that includes the electronic signals;

a central crosspoint switch, coupled to the user-side circuits, including a number of inputs and a number of outputs, the central crosspoint switch receiving the data packets from one of the inputs and routing the data packets to one or more of the outputs;

a plurality of computer-side circuits coupled to the central crosspoint switch and the computers, for receiving the data packets transmitted from the central crosspoint switch and for supplying the data packets to one of the computers;

a menu generating unit for generating menu data;

a video signal generator for generating a first analog video signal from the menu data;

an analog-to-differential converter coupled to the video signal generator for transforming the first analog video signal into a differential video signal representing the menu data;

a first switching device, for selectively outputting the differential video signal representing the menu data or a real-time video signal from one of the computers to the video monitor;

an analog-to-digital convener to transform a second analog video signal into video data; and

a differential-to-analog converter to transform the real-time video signal into the second analog video signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprises an image capture device, deposited between the console device and the number of computers, for capturing a video signal from at least one of the computers to construct at least one preview image.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the image capture device is located in the user-side circuit.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the image capture device is located in the central crosspoint switch.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second switching device, for selecting one of the computers to output the real-time video signal from the one of the computer to the first switching device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the menu generating unit generates an OSD menu.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising a synchronization signal source for the menu generating unit.

8. The system according to claim 6, further comprising a vertical synchronization signal source for generating a synchronization signal for the first switching device.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first switching device alternately outputs the menu data and the real-time video signals from one of the computers to the video monitor according to the synchronization signal.

10. A graphic user interface menu apparatus applied in a connection between a console device including a keyboard, cursor control device and video monitor and a number of computers, the apparatus comprising:

a menu generating unit for generating menu data;

a video signal generator for generating a first analog video signal from the menu data;

an analog-to-differential converter coupled to the video signal generator for transforming the first analog video signal into a differential video signal representing the menu data; and

a first switching device, for selectively outputting the differential video signal representing the menu data or a real-time video signal from one of the computers to the video monitor; and

a differential-to-analog converter to transform the real-time video signal into a second analog video signal.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an image capture device, disposed between the console device and the computers, for capturing a video signal from at least one of the computers to construct at least one preview image.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a second switching device, for selecting one of the computers to output the video signal from the one of the computer to the first switching device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter to transform the video signal into video data.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the menu generating unit generates an OSD menu.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a synchronization signal source for the menu generating unit to generate the menu data.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a vertical synchronization signal source for generating a vertical synchronization signal for the first switching device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first switching unit alternately outputs the menu data and the real-time video signals from one of the computers to the video monitor according to the vertical synchronization signal.

18. A method for controlling a number of computers in a connection from a console device including a keyboard, cursor control device and video monitor, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

generating menu data by a menu generating unit;

generating a first analog video signal from the menu data;

transforming the first analog video signal into a differential video signal representing the menu data; and

outputting the differential video signal representing the menu data or a real-time video signal from one of the computers to the video monitor according to a vertical synchronization signal;

transforming a second analog video signal into video data after a step of selecting one of the computers to output the video signal by an analog-to-digital converter; and

transforming the real-time video signal into the second analog video signal before the step of transforming the second analog video signal into the video data by a differential-to-analog converter.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of capturing a video signal from at least one of the computers to construct at least one preview image by an image capture device before the step of generating the menu data.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of capturing a video signal from at least one of the computers to construct at least one preview image, combining the preview image with a menu image after the step of outputting the menu data.