Matrix architecture for KVM extenders

• US 7,945,703 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Original Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chih-tao, Liu, Wei-hsien, Sim, Kheng-chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred; Alford W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abad; Farley
• Application Number:
  US12/784,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 710/4, 710/68, 710/69
• 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 broadcaster structure between the console terminals and the computers, the matrix architecture comprising:

a plurality of extenders, each coupled to one of the console terminals, and coupled to the broadcaster structure via a network interface controller of the extender, transforming keyboard, mouse signals from the coupled console terminal into the keyboard, mouse data packets and transforming video data packets received from the broadcaster structure 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; and

a plurality of devices, each coupled to at least one of the computers, and coupled to the broadcaster structure via a network interface controller of the device, transmitting video data packets to the broadcaster structure and receiving keyboard, mouse data packets from the broadcaster structure, wherein each video data packet has a source address associated with a 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 one of the computers,

wherein the broadcaster structure broadcasts each keyboard, mouse data packet from any one of the extenders to all of the devices, and broadcast each video data packet from any one of the devices to all of the 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 or MAC addresses.

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

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

5. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the broadcaster structure comprises components selected from the group consisting of hub, switch hub, bridge and router.

6. The matrix architecture of claim 5, wherein the transmission distances between the console terminals and computers are extended by additionally added one or more hubs.

7. The matrix architecture of claim 1, wherein the broadcaster structure broadcasts the keyboard, video, mouse data packets in an Ethernet standard.

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

a processing unit, decompressing the video data packets, each having target address indicating the console terminals; and

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

9. The matrix architecture of claim 8, wherein the video converter is a digital-to-analog converter for transforming the video data packets into video analog signals.

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

a video converter, transforming video signals from the computer into the video data packets; and

a processing unit, compressing the video data packets transformed from the video signals.

11. The matrix architecture of claim 10, wherein the video converter is an analog-to-digital converter for transforming video analog signals from the computer into the video data packets.

12. 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 broadcaster structure between the console terminals and the computers, the matrix architecture comprising:

a plurality of devices, each coupled to one of the console terminals, and coupled to the broadcaster structure via a network interface controller of the device, transmitting keyboard, mouse data packets to the broadcaster structure and receiving video data packets from the broadcaster structure, 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; and

a plurality of extenders, each coupled to one of the computers, and coupled to the broadcaster structure via a network interface controller of the extender, transforming video signals from the coupled computer into the video data packets and transforming keyboard, mouse data packets received from the broadcaster structure 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 one of the computers,

wherein the broadcaster structure broadcasts each keyboard, mouse data packet from any one of the extenders to all of the devices, and broadcast each video data packet from any one of the devices to all of the extenders, regardless of the target addresses in the data packets.

13. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein the source address and the target address are IP addresses or MAC addresses.

14. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein each device responds to the video data packets, each having the target address indicating the console terminal coupled with the extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

15. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein the each extender responds to the keyboard, mouse data packets, each having the target address indicating the computer coupled with the extender according to the standard of Ethernet.

16. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein the broadcaster structure comprises components selected from the group consisting of hub, switch hub, bridge and router.

17. The matrix architecture of claim 16, wherein the transmission distances between the console terminals and computers are extended by additionally added one or more hubs.

18. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein the broadcaster structure broadcasts the keyboard, video, mouse data packets in an Ethernet standard.

19. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein each of the device comprises:

a processing unit, decompressing the video data packets, each having target address indicating the console terminals; and

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

20. The matrix architecture of claim 19, wherein the video converter is a digital-to-analog converter for transforming the video data packets into video analog signals.

21. The matrix architecture of claim 12, wherein each of the extenders comprises:

an video converter, transforming the video signals from the computer into the video data packets; and

a processing unit, compressing the video data packets transformed from the video signals.

22. The matrix architecture of claim 21, wherein the video converter is an analog-to-digital converter for transforming video analog signals from the computer into the video data packets.