Matrix architecture for KVM extenders

• US 7,752,339 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Original Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Wei-hsien, Sim, Kheng-chuan, Hsieh, Chih-tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Niketa I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abad; Farley J
• Application Number:
  US11/247,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 710/68, 710/69, 710/4, 395/311
• US Class Current: 710/4
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/24 Keyboard-Video-Mouse [KVM] switch
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A matrix architecture for KVM extenders connecting a plurality of console terminals and a plurality of computers. The matrix architecture for KVM extenders includes a plurality of first extenders and a plurality of second extenders. The first extenders transform keyboard, mouse analog signals into keyboard, mouse data packets and transform video data packets into video signals for console terminals. The second extenders transform video signals into video data packets and transform keyboard, mouse data packets into keyboard, mouse analog signals. The broadcasters broadcast keyboard, video, mouse data packets, each having a source address and a target address to couple computers to console terminals by broadcasting video data packets from second extenders to first extenders and to couple console terminals to computers by broadcasting keyboard, mouse data packets from first extenders to second extenders.

Claims

1. A matrix architecture for transmitting keyboard, mouse signals generated by a plurality of console terminals and video signals generated by a plurality of computers via a plurality of broadcasters between the console terminals and the computers, the matrix architecture comprising:

a plurality of first extenders, each coupled to one of the console terminals, and coupled to one or more of the broadcasters via a network interface controller of the first extender, transforming keyboard, mouse signals from the coupled console terminal into the keyboard, mouse data packets and transforming video data packets received from the one or more broadcasters into video signals to be displayed on a monitor of the coupled console terminal, wherein each keyboard, mouse data packet has a source address associated with the coupled console terminal and a target address associated with one of the computers, wherein each video data packet has a source address associated with one of the computers and a target address associated with one of the console terminals, wherein the broadcasters broadcast the keyboard, mouse data packets and the video data packets; and

a plurality of second extenders, each coupled to one of the computers, and coupled to one or more of the broadcasters via a network interface controller of the second extender, transforming video signals from the coupled computer into the video data packets and transforming keyboard, mouse data packets received from the one or more broadcasters into the keyboard, mouse signals for the coupled computer, wherein each video data packet has a source address associated with the coupled computer and a target address associated with one of the console terminals, wherein each keyboard, mouse data packet has a source address associated with one of the console terminals and a target address associated with the coupled computer, wherein the broadcasters broadcast the video data packets and broadcast the keyboard, mouse data packets

wherein the broadcasters broadcast each keyboard, mouse data packet from any one of the first extenders to all of the second extenders, and broadcast each video data packet from any one of the second extenders to all of the first extenders, regardless of the target addresses in the data packets.

2. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the source address and the target address are IP addresses.

3. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the source address and the target address are MAC addresses.

4. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the first extender responds to the video data packets, each having the target address indicating the console terminal coupled with the first extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

5. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the second extender responds to the keyboard, mouse data packets, each having the target address indicating the computer coupled with the second extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

6. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the broadcasters are devices, which are capable of transmitting and receiving packets.

7. The matrix architecture of claim 6, wherein the devices are selected from the group consisting of hub, switch hub, bridge and router.

8. The matrix architecture of claim 7, wherein the devices broadcast the keyboard, video, mouse data packets in an Ethernet standard.

9. The matrix architecture of claim 7, wherein the transmission distances between the console terminals and computers are extended by additionally added one or more hubs.

10. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein each of the first extenders comprises:

a first central processing unit (CPU), decompressing the video data packets, each having target address indicating the console terminals; and

a digital-to-analog converter, transforming the video data packets into the video analog signals for the monitor of the console terminals.

11. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein each of the second extenders comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter, transforming the video analog signals from the computer into the video data packets; and

a second CPU, compressing the video data packets transformed from the video analog signals.

12. The matrix system of claim 1, wherein the broadcasters includes devices which are capable of transmitting and receiving packets.

13. The matrix system of claim 12, wherein the devices are selected from the group consisting of hub, switch hub, bridge and router.

14. The matrix system of claim 13, wherein the devices broadcast the keyboard, video, mouse data packets in an Ethernet standard.

15. The matrix system of claim 13, wherein the transmission distances between the console terminals and computers are extended by additionally added one or more hubs.

16. A matrix architecture for connecting a plurality of console terminals to a plurality of computers, wherein each of the console terminals has a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor, the matrix architecture comprising:

a plurality of first extenders, each coupled to one of the console terminals, transforming keyboard, mouse signals generated by the coupled console terminal into keyboard, mouse data packets and transforming received video data packets into video signals to be displayed on the monitor of the computed console terminal, wherein each of the keyboard, mouse data packets, has a source address associated with the coupled console terminal and a target address associated with one of the computers, and each of the video data packets has a source address associated with one of the computers and a target address associated with the coupled console terminal;

a plurality of second extenders each coupled to one of the computers, transforming video signals generated by the coupled computer into video data packets and transforming received keyboard, mouse data packets into the keyboard, mouse signals for the coupled computer, wherein each of the video data packets has a source address associated with the coupled computer and a target associated with one of the console terminals, and each of the keyboard, mouse data packets has a source address associated with one of the console terminals and a target address associated with one of the computers; and

a plurality of broadcasters, broadcasting the keyboard, mouse data packets from any one of the first extenders to all of the second extenders, and broadcasting the video data packets from any one of the second extenders to all of the first extenders, regardless of the target addresses in the data packets.

17. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein the source address and the target address are IP addresses.

18. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein the source address and the target address are MAC addresses.

19. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein the first extender responds to the video data packets, each having the target address indicating the console terminal coupled with the first extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

20. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein a second extender of the plurality of second extenders responds to the keyboard, mouse data packets, each having the target address indicating the computer coupled with the second extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

21. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein the broadcasters are devices, which are capable of transmitting and receiving packets.

22. The matrix architecture of claim 21, wherein the devices are selected from the group consisting of hub, switch hub, bridge and router.

23. The matrix architecture of claim 22, wherein the devices broadcast the keyboard, video, mouse data packets in an Ethernet standard.

24. The matrix architecture of claim 22, wherein the transmission distances between the console terminals and computers are extended by additionally added one or more hubs.

25. A method for routing data between one of a plurality of console terminals to one of a plurality of computers in a matrix architecture, wherein each console terminal is connected to one of a plurality of first extenders and each computer is connected to one of a plurality of second extenders, the method comprising the steps of:

each first extender transforming keyboard, mouse signals generated by the connected console terminal into keyboard, mouse data packets, each keyboard, mouse data packet having a source address associated with the one of the console terminals and a target address associated with one of the computers;

a broadcaster structure broadcasting the keyboard, mouse data packets from any one of the first extenders to all of the second extenders regardless of the target addresses in the data packets;

each second extender examining the target address of the keyboard, mouse data packets and transforming the keyboard, mouse data packets received from the broadcaster structure into the keyboard, mouse signals to control the connected computer based on the target address of the data packets;

each second extender transforming video signals generated from the connected computer into video data packets, each video data packet having a source address associated with the connected computer and a target address associated with one of the console terminals;

the broadcaster structure broadcasting the video data packets from any one of the second extenders to all of the first extenders regardless of the target addresses in the data packets; and

each first extender examining the target address of the keyboard, mouse data packets and transforming the video data packets received from the broadcaster structure into video signals to be displayed on a monitor of the connected console terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the steps of broadcasting are achieved by at least two broadcasters.

27. The method of the claim 25, wherein the steps of broadcasting are achieved by at least two devices, which are capable of transmitting and receiving packets.

28. The method of the claim 25, wherein the steps of broadcasting are achieved by at least two hubs.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and the second extenders respond to the keyboard, video, mouse data packets according to the standard of Ethernet to select one of the console terminals in response to predetermined one of the computers.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising a step of compressing the video data packets before the step of transforming the video signals into the video data packets by the second extenders.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising a step of decompressing the video data packets before the step of transforming video data packets into video signals to be displayed on a monitor of the console terminals.

32. A matrix system for connecting a plurality of console terminals to a plurality of computers, comprising:

a plurality of first extenders each for coupling to a corresponding console terminal, each first extender transforming keyboard and mouse signals from the corresponding console terminal into the keyboard and mouse data packets, each keyboard and mouse data packet having a source address associated with the coupled console terminal and a target address associated with one of the computers;

a plurality of second extenders each for coupling to a corresponding computer, each second extender transforming video signals from the corresponding computer into video data packets, each video data packet having a source address associated with the coupled computer and a target address associated with one of the console terminals; and

a broadcaster structure coupled to the plurality of first extenders and the plurality of second extenders, the broadcaster structure broadcasts the keyboard and mouse data packets from each first extender to all of the plurality of second extenders and broadcasts the video data packets from each second extender to all of the plurality of first extenders regardless of the target addresses in the data packets,

wherein each second extender transforms a keyboard and mouse data packet received from the broadcaster structure into keyboard and mouse signals and transfers the keyboard and mouse signals to the corresponding computer only if the target address of the keyboard and mouse data packet is associated with the corresponding computer, and

wherein each first extender transforms a video data packet received from the broadcaster structure into video signals and transfers the video signals to the corresponding console terminal only if the target address of the video data packet is associated with the corresponding console terminal.

33. The matrix system of claim 32, wherein the source addresses and target addresses are IP addresses or MAC addresses.

34. The matrix system of claim 32, wherein each first extender responds to the video data packets each having the target address indicating the console terminal coupled with the first extender according to the standard of Ethernet, and wherein each second extender responds to the keyboard, mouse data packets each having the target address indicating the computer coupled with the second extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

35. The matrix system of claim 32,

wherein each of the first extenders comprises:

a first central processing unit (CPU), decompressing the video data packets, each having target address indicating the console terminals; and

a digital-to-analog converter, transforming the video data packets into the video analog signals for the monitor of the console terminals; and

wherein each of the second extenders comprises;

an analog-to-digital converter, transforming the video analog signals from the computer into the video data packets; and

a second CPU, compressing the video data packets transformed from the video analog signals.