Method and system for a thin client and blade architecture

• US 8,165,155 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: MacInnis, Alexander, El Zur, Uri
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US11/173,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,489 Days
• Field of Search: 708/203, 375/240.25, 380/217, 380/269, 709/203, 725/87, 725/109, 725143-148, 370/465, 370/466, 370/477
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

In a computing system, a method and system for a thin client and blade architecture are provided. A blade may generate video, audio, and peripheral control information that may be transmitted to a thin client (TC) by utilizing a video encoder, an audio bridge, and a peripheral bridge. Communication between the blade and the TC may occur based on a communication protocol that may operate independently of an operating system and/or applications running on the blade. The video encoder may dynamically compress the video information according to network capacity and/or video content and may dynamically select from various compression algorithms. The blade may configure and manage operations that interface with the TC. The TC may comprise a video decoder, a transceiver, a processor, a video display bridge, an audio bridge, and a peripheral bridge and may be adapted to communicate with peripheral devices.

Claims

1. A method for communicating and handling information, the method comprising:

in a thin client;

receiving compressed video information and peripheral devices output information via an Ethernet connection;

decompressing said received compressed video information;

modifying said received peripheral devices output information for communication to a first peripheral device that is remotely coupled to said thin client;

communicating said modified peripheral devices output information to said first peripheral device; and

communicating said decompressed video information to a second peripheral device remotely coupled to said thin client.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving via said Ethernet connection audio information by said thin client.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising transferring said received audio information to a third peripheral device that is remotely coupled to said thin client.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising receiving peripheral devices input information by said thin client from at least one of said first peripheral device, said second peripheral device and said third peripheral device.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising transferring via said Ethernet connection at least a portion of said received peripheral devices input information to a server.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one control signal is generated by a processing device to control a thin client interface coupled to said thin client when said thin client interface interfaces to a plurality of thin clients.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein information is communicated between said processing device and external storage via an Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) interface.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein information is communicated between said processing device and external storage via a remote direct memory access (RDMA) interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein information is communicated between said processing device and external storage and at least one thin client via a transceiver.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising, in said thin client, communicating via said Ethernet connection with a processing device, wherein said thin client and said processing device each utilizes one or both of a communication protocol and an operating system which operates independently from each other.

11. A method comprising:

in a processing device;

generating video information;

compressing said generated video information;

communicating said compressed generated video information onto an Ethernet connection;

generating peripheral devices output information;

modifying said peripheral devices output information for communication over said Ethernet connection; and

communicating said modified peripheral devices output information onto said Ethernet connection to one or more peripheral devices remotely coupled to said processing device.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising compressing said generated video information based on network capacity.

13. The method according to claim 11, comprising compressing said generated video information based on video content.

14. The method according to claim 11, comprising providing permission to install a peripheral device remotely communicatively coupled to a thin client and said permission is based on at least a portion of peripheral devices input information received from said thin client by said processing device via said Ethernet connection.

15. The method according to claim 11, comprising providing permission to install a peripheral device remotely communicatively coupled to a thin client and said permission is based on at least a portion of peripheral devices input information received from said thin client by a security machine via said Ethernet connection.

16. The method according to claim 11, comprising, in said processing device, communicating via said Ethernet connection with a thin client, wherein said thin client and said processing device each utilizes one or both of a communication protocol and an operating system which operates independently from each other.

17. A system comprising:

one or more circuits for a thin client, said one or more circuits being configured to;

receive compressed video information and peripheral devices output information via an Ethernet connection;

decompress said received compressed video information;

adapt said received peripheral devices output information for communication to a first peripheral device that is remotely coupled to said thin client;

communicate said adapted peripheral devices output information to said first peripheral device; and

communicate said decompressed video information to a second peripheral device remotely coupled to said thin client.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits receive audio information via said Ethernet connection.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to transfer said received audio information to a third peripheral device that is remotely coupled to said thin client.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said thin client is operable to communicate via said Ethernet connection with a processing device, wherein said thin client and said processing device each utilizes one or both of a communication protocol and an operating system which operates independently from each other.

21. A system comprising:

one or more circuits of a processing device, said one or more circuits being configured to;

generate video information;

compress said generated video information;

communicate said compressed video information onto an Ethernet connection;

generate peripheral devices output information;

adapt said peripheral devices output information for communication over said Ethernet connection; and

communicate said adapted peripheral devices output information onto said Ethernet connection to one or more peripheral devices remotely coupled to said processing device.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to receive said video information from a graphics generator via a digital video interface.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to compress said video information based on network capacity.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to compress said video information based on video content.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits comprise an audio bridge that processes audio information.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to transfer said processed audio information to a thin client via said Ethernet connection.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits comprise a peripheral bridge that is configured to process at least one of:

peripheral devices output information to be transferred to a thin client that is remotely coupled to said thin client and peripheral devices input information received from said thin client.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to transfer said processed peripheral devices output information to said thin client via said Ethernet connection.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to receive peripheral devices input information from said thin client via said Ethernet connection.

30. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits of said processing device are operable to communicate via said Ethernet connection with a thin client, wherein said thin client and said processing device each utilizes one or both of a communication protocol and an operating system which operates independently from each other.