KVM switch and method of controlling the same

• US 8,169,407 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Satoshi, Ideura, Katsuji, Yasuno, Kazuhiro, Seki, Fujio
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Sanjiv D
• Application Number:
  US11/984,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/2.1, 345/160, 345/163, 345/156, 710 62- 74, 715/744, 375211-215, 375229-231, 455/14, 178/63.A, 178/70.R, 178/70.J
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A KVM switch including server units that are respectively connected to computers units, user units that are respectively connected to input-output units inputting and outputting a signal to the computer units, and a main unit that connects the server units and the user units selectively. The input-output unit switches between the computer units where the signal is input and output. The server unit has a first reference signal generator that generates a first reference signal used for a distortion control of a picture signal. The main unit has a first controller receiving the first reference signal and controlling the distortion of the picture signal and a second reference signal generator generating a second reference signal used for the distortion control of the picture signal. The user unit has a second controller that receives the second reference signal and controls the distortion of the picture signal.

Claims

1. A KVM switch comprising:

server units that are respectively connected to computers units;

user units that are respectively connected to input-output units inputting and outputting a signal to the computer units; and

a main unit that connects the server units and the user units selectively, wherein;

an input-output unit switches between the computer units where the signal is input and output;

a picture signal from a computer unit is fed into the input-output unit via a server unit, the main unit and a user unit in accordance with the following order;

the server unit has a first reference signal generator that generates a first reference signal used for a distortion control of the picture signal and a first switch device to select the picture signal from the computer unit or the first reference signal from the first reference signal generator for outputting to the main unit;

the main unit has a first controller that receives the first reference signal and the picture signal in common, and outputs the first reference signal or the picture signal with a controlled output voltage level, a first microcomputer which receives the first reference signal output from the first controller, and controls the output voltage level of the first controller based on the received first reference signal, a second reference signal generator generating a second reference signal used for the distortion control of the picture signal and a second switch device to select the picture signal from the server unit or the second reference signal from the second reference signal generator for outputting to the user unit; and

the user unit has a second controller that receives the second reference signal and the picture signal in common, a second microcomputer which receives the second reference signal output from the second controller, and controls the output voltage level of the second controller based on the received second reference signal.

2. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first controller and the second controller control the picture signal according to a calculated distortion amount of the received first and second reference signals respectively.

3. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller receives an operation input from the input-output unit and controls the distortion of the picture signal.

4. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller measures the distortion amount of a signal more than once, determines at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of the distortion amount, and determines that the distortion of the picture signal cannot be controlled if at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value is out of a given range.

6. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of the first controller or second controller sets off an alarm when at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value is out of a given range.

7. The KVM switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user manually controls distortion of the picture signal using a keyboard and mouse.

5. A method of controlling a KVM switch having server units that are respectively connected to computers units, user units that are respectively connected to input-output units, and a main unit that connects the server units and the user units selectively, comprising:

transmitting a picture signal from a computer unit to an input-output unit via a server unit, the main unit and a user unit in the following order, with a controlled output voltage level of a first controller in the main unit and a second controller in the user unit;

generating a first reference signal used for a distortion control of a picture signal with the server unit;

switching an output signal of the server unit from the picture signal received from the computer unit to the first reference signal;

receiving the first reference signal with the first controller in the main unit;

sending the first reference signal from the first controller to a first microcomputer in the main unit;

controlling the output voltage level of the first controller based on the received first reference signal with the first microcomputer;

generating a second reference signal used for the distortion control of the picture signal with the main unit;

switching an output signal of the main unit from the picture signal received from the server unit to the second reference signal; and

receiving the second reference signal with the second controller in the user unit;

sending the second reference signal from the second controller to a second microcomputer in the user unit; and

controlling the output voltage level of the second controller based on the received second reference signal with the second microcomputer.

8. A method of controlling signal distortion using a main computer unit, comprising:

receiving a first reference signal and a picture signal in common from at least one server unit using a first controller included in the main computer unit;

outputting the first reference signal or the picture signal using a first microcomputer included in the main computer unit by controlling an output voltage level of the first controller based on the received first reference signal;

generating a second reference signal by a second reference signal generator used for distortion control of the picture signal; and

sending the second reference signal and the picture signal in common to at least one user unit having a second controller and a second microcomputer, allowing the at least one user unit to output the second reference signal by controlling an output voltage of the second controller based on receiving the second reference signal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein main computer unit remotely controls at least one user unit, controlling the output voltage of the second controller and the distortion of the picture signal.