System for sharing human-computer interface of a legacy device with expansion units

• US 8,291,123 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wight, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBERLY, ERIC T
• Application Number:
  US11/859,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 710/3
• US Class Current: 710/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A system for sharing a human-computer interface between a legacy device and an expansion unit for supplementing operation of the legacy device includes a logic device configured to selectively route input and output signals between the human-computer interface and the legacy device or the expansion unit. The expansion unit monitors input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface by either the expansion unit or the legacy device. The logic device includes a switching device that selectively decouples inputs from the human-computer interface from the legacy device during usage of the interface by the expansion unit to isolate the legacy device from input signals not intended for the legacy device.

Claims

1. A system for sharing a human-computer interface of a legacy device, the human-computer interface allowing a user to enter signals and to supply signals to the user, the system comprising:

an expansion radio configured to receive control codes entered via the human-computer interface, the expansion radio comprising a transmitter and a receiver; and

a logic device configured to receive input signals from the human-computer interface via an input link and to supply output signals to the human-computer interface via an output link, the logic device providing shared usage of the human-computer interface between the legacy device and the expansion radio by selective routing of input and output signals, wherein the logic device is configured to couple the input link to the expansion radio during operation to continuously supply the input signals to the expansion radio;

wherein the expansion radio is configured to continuously monitor the input signals for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface and to control an operating state of the logic device in response to control codes from the human computer interface, such that;

the expansion radio is configured to control the logic device to couple the expansion radio to the output link and decouple the legacy device from the input link in response to the expansion radio receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio; and

the expansion radio is configured to control the logic device to couple the legacy device to the input link and decouple the expansion radio from the output link in response to the expansion radio receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the legacy device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio comprises an input signal not recognized by the legacy device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the expansion radio lacks a human-computer interface suitable for supplying control signals to the expansion radio.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the expansion radio is one of a plurality of expansion radios coupled to the input link via the logic device, wherein each of the expansion radios monitors the input signals for a respective control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the respective expansion radio.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device further comprises:

an input switch configured to selectively connect the input link to the legacy device;

an output switch configured to selectively connect the output link to the expansion radio; and

a switch control configured to control states of the input switch and the output switch in response to commands from the expansion radio.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device further comprises a legacy monitor coupled to the output link and configured to monitor output signals from the legacy device, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to the legacy monitor receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the legacy device is designated for usage of the human-computer interface under default operating conditions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein during usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio, the logic device reverts control of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device by reconnecting the input link to the legacy device and decoupling the expansion radio from the output link.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the expansion radio is a software defined radio.

10. A logic device for facilitating sharing of a human-computer interface of a legacy device between the legacy device and an expansion radio configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, the logic device comprising:

an input signal path configured to be coupled to an input link for receiving input signals from the human-computer interface, wherein the input signal path is configured to continuously couple the input link to the expansion radio;

an output signal path configured to be coupled to an output link for supplying output signals to the human-computer interface;

an input switch configured to selectively couple the input signal path to the legacy device;

an output switch configured to selectively couple the expansion radio to the output signal path; and

a switch controller configured to selectively control states of the input and output switches to switch usage of the human-computer interface between the legacy device and the expansion radio in response to control signals from the expansion radio.

11. The logic device of claim 10, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface from the legacy device to the expansion radio unit by controlling the input switch to disconnect the legacy device from the input signal path and by controlling the output switch to connect the expansion radio to the output signal path, wherein during usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio, the logic device supplies to the output link only those output signals from the legacy device that are designated to override the expansion radio'"'"'s usage of the human-computer interface.

12. The logic device of claim 10, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface from the expansion radio to the legacy device by controlling the input switch to connect the legacy device to the input signal path and by controlling the output switch to disconnect the expansion radio from the output signal path.

13. The logic device of claim 10, wherein the logic device switches usage of the human-computer interface between the expansion radio and the legacy device in response to the expansion radio receiving predetermined signals from the human-computer interface.

14. The logic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a legacy monitor disposed along the output signal path and configured to monitor output signals from the legacy device and to selectively supply the output signals from the legacy device to the output link, wherein the logic device reverts usage of the human-computer interface to the legacy device in response to the legacy monitor receiving a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.

15. The logic device of claim 10, wherein the logic device is on a circuit card assembly.

20. The logic device of claim 10, wherein the input signal path is configured to continuously supply input signals from the human-computer interface to the expansion radio.

21. The logic device of claim 10, wherein during usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio, the switch controller controls the input switch to prevent input signals from the human-computer interface from reaching the legacy device in response to the expansion radio receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio.

16. A method of sharing a human-computer interface of a legacy device between the legacy device and an expansion radio configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, the method comprising:

monitoring at the expansion radio input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface;

supplying output signals from the expansion radio to the human-computer interface and preventing input signals from the human-computer interface from reaching the legacy device in response to the expansion radio receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the expansion radio; and

supplying input signals from the human-computer interface to the legacy device and preventing output signals from the expansion radio from reaching the human-computer interface in response to the expansion radio receiving a control code designating usage of the human-computer interface by the legacy device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the expansion radio is one of a plurality of expansion radios configured to supplement operation of the legacy device, wherein each of the expansion radios monitors the input signals from the human-computer interface for control codes designating usage of the human-computer interface, wherein each respective expansion radio has a distinct control code for instructing the respective expansion radio to use the human-computer interface.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the legacy device is designated for usage of the human-computer interface under default operating conditions.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reverting control of the human-computer interface from the expansion radio to the legacy device in response to a predetermined output signal from the legacy device.