Apparatus and system for managing multiple computers

• US 7,568,029 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Li-ter, Leibow, Michael, VanHarlingen, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US11/773,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/223, 709/224, 348/14.07, 348/14.09, 348/564, 348/565
• 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 associated user interface devices including a keyboard, a cursor control device, and a video display unit; 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 to the plurality of host computers, buffers incoming video frames received from the plurality of host computers, and permits selective user manipulation of the incoming video frames;

wherein, the management device enables simultaneous display of selectively manipulated incoming video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit, enables simultaneous communication of cursor control signals to plural ones of the plurality of host computers, and enables communication of keyboard control signals to a selected one of the plurality of host computers.

2. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device further comprises at least one frame buffer corresponding to each of the plurality of host computers for buffering the incoming video frames transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers.

3. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device enables simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit in an at least partially overlapping manner.

4. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device enables simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit in a split screen manner.

5. The computer management system of claim 4, wherein the management device further enables selective alteration of a center point for orientation of the selectively manipulated video frames in the split screen manner.

6. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device enables display of the selectively manipulated video frames of at least one of the plurality of host computers on at least a portion of the user console video display unit.

7. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device enables simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames on the user console video display unit in an at least partially cascading manner.

8. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device further comprises at least one scaling module adapted to selectively alter scale of the video frames.

9. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device further comprises at least one cropping module adapted to selectively crop the video frames.

10. 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 management device enables selective mixing of audio signals from the plurality of host computers prior to being sent to the speakers.

11. The computer management system of claim 10, wherein level of the audio signals from the selected one of the plurality of host computers is higher than the corresponding level of audio signals from other ones of the plurality of host computers.

12. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the selectively manipulated video frames include a corresponding boundary represented on the user console video display unit.

13. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device provides absolute positional information of a user console cursor that is visually represented on the user console video display unit.

14. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the management device enables selection of one of the plurality of host computers for communication of keyboard control signals thereto upon movement of a user console cursor outside of a displayed portion of the selectively manipulated video frames from the selected host computer and upon receipt of a predetermined user activation command.

15. The computer management system of claim 14, wherein the management device terminates selection of the selected host computer upon movement of the user console cursor outside of a displayed portion of the selectively manipulated video frames from the selected host computer and upon receipt of a predetermined user termination command.

16. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer cursors, the host computer cursor of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually displayed upon movement of the user console cursor within a displayed portion of the corresponding selectively manipulated video frames.

17. The computer management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer cursors, the host computer cursor of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually hidden upon movement of the user console cursor out of a displayed portion of the corresponding selectively manipulated video frames.

18. In a computer management system comprising a plurality of host computers and a user console having user interface devices including a keyboard, a cursor control device, and a video display unit, a management device operatively connects 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 to the plurality of host computers, buffers incoming video frames received from the plurality of host computers, and permits selective user manipulation of the video frames;

wherein, the management device enables simultaneous display of selectively manipulated video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit, enables simultaneous communication of cursor control signals to plural ones of the plurality of host computers, and enables communication of keyboard control signals to a selected one of the plurality of host computers.

19. The management device of claim 18, further comprising at least one frame buffer corresponding to each of the plurality of host computers for buffering the incoming video frames transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers.

20. The management device of claim 18, further enabling simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit in an at least partially overlapping manner.

21. The management device of claim 18, further enabling simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames of plural ones of the plurality of host computers on the user console video display unit in a split screen manner.

22. The management device of claim 21, further enabling selective alteration of a center point for orientation of the selectively manipulated video frames in the split screen manner.

23. The management device of claim 18, further enabling display of the selectively manipulated video frames of at least one of the plurality of host computers on at least a portion of the user console video display unit.

24. The management device of claim 18, further enabling simultaneous display of the selectively manipulated video frames on the user console video display unit in an at least partially cascading manner.

25. The management device of claim 18, further comprising at least one scaling module adapted to selectively alter scale of the video frames.

26. The management device of claim 18, further comprising at least one cropping module adapted to selectively crop the video frames.

27. The management device of claim 18, wherein the user console further comprises speakers operatively connected to the plurality of host computers via the management device, further enabling selective mixing of audio signals from the plurality of host computers prior to being sent to the speakers.

28. The management device of claim 27, wherein level of the audio signals from the selected one of the plurality of host computers is higher than the corresponding level of audio signals from other ones of the plurality of host computers.

29. The management device of claim 18, wherein the selectively manipulated video frames include a corresponding boundary represented on the user console video display unit.

30. The management device of claim 18, further providing absolute positional information of a user console cursor that is visually represented on the user console video display unit.

31. The management device of claim 18, further enabling selection of one of the plurality of host computers for communication of keyboard control signals thereto upon movement of the user console cursor outside of a displayed portion of the selectively manipulated video frames from the selected host computer and upon receipt of a predetermined user activation command.

32. The management device of claim 31, further enabling termination of selection of the selected host computer upon movement of the user console cursor outside of a displayed portion of the selectively manipulated video frames from the selected host computer and upon receipt of a predetermined user termination command.

33. The management device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer cursors, the host computer cursor of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually displayed upon movement of the user console cursor within a displayed portion of the corresponding selectively manipulated video frames.

34. The management device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of host computers have respective host computer cursors, the host computer cursor of any one of the plurality of host computers being visually hidden upon movement of the user console cursor out of a displayed portion of the corresponding selectively manipulated video frames.