Patent Application
20090077222
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to KVM switches, and more particularly to KVM switches displaying system information of computers connected thereto and a multi-computer system incorporating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A KVM switch (with KVM being an abbreviation for Keyboard, Video, and Mouse) is a hardware device that allows a user to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, video monitor and mouse.
The invention discloses KVM switches comprising a body, a data transceiver, a micro control unit, and a display disposed on the body. The data transceiver receives data from a plurality of computers. The micro control unit analyzes and operates the received data to generate an image. The display displays the image. The data transceiver may communicate with the computers via a USB protocol, a wireless protocol, or a serial protocol.
The data provided by the computers are generated by application programs of the computers. In some embodiments, the application program retrieves system information of the corresponding computer as the data. The system information may be CPU loading, CPU temperature, fan rotation, disc information, time, or date. The image displayed by the display is a list of the system information. In some embodiments, the application program retrieves discs of the corresponding computer to get the data. The data retrieved from the discs may be photos, emails, notes, or address books. In some embodiments, the application program downloads information from the internet as the data. The downloaded information may be the weather report or stock quotes.
In some embodiments, the micro control unit further generates an on-screen display (OSD) to be displayed by the display.
In some embodiment, the display is a touch panel. The micro control unit receives commands from the touch panel and transmits the commands to the computers. A user can communicate with the computers directly by the KVM switch of the invention without using the devices of the console (such as the video monitor, the KB/MS and the audio device).
The invention further discloses multi-computer systems utilizing the KVM switch of the invention. In addition to the KVM switch of the invention, the multi-computer system comprises a plurality of computers each comprising a data terminal for coupling to the data transceiver of the KVM switch.
The invention further discloses KVM switches comprising a body, a display disposed on the body, a micro control unit, and a display driver. The micro control unit generates an on-screen display (OSD). The display driver is coupled between the micro control unit and the display to drive the display to show the OSD.
The above and other advantages will become more apparent with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
Referring to
The computers (computer 1 and computer 2) each comprises at least one application program generating the data. In some embodiments, the application program retrieves system information of the corresponding computer as the data. The system information may be CPU loading, CPU temperature, fan rotation, disc information, time, or date. The image may show the system information of the computers in a list.
In some embodiments, the application program retrieves discs of the corresponding computer to get the data. The data retrieved from the discs may be photos, emails, notes, or address books. The micro control unit 226 generates an image comprising the retrieved data and the display driver 228 drives the display 230 to show the image.
In some embodiments, the application program downloads information from a network database in the network as the data. The downloaded information may be the weather report or stock quotes. The micro control unit 226 generates an image comprising the information and the display driver 228 drives the display 230 to show the image. In one embodiment, the network may be Internet, Ethernet, Intranet, Local area network (LAN), Wide area network (WAN) or wireless network.
In some embodiment, the application programs are specifically designed to retrieve data from the computers that are in a standby or sleep mode. In these cases, the display 230 displays data from the computers (computer 1 and computer 2) even though the computers are in a standby or sleep mode.
In some embodiment, the display 230 is a touch panel. The micro control unit 226 receives commands from the touch panel 230 and transmits the commands to the computers (computer 1 or computer 2). A user can directly communicate with the computers without using the devices of the console. For example, when the data are photos stored in the computers (computer 1 and computer 2), the micro control unit 226 generates an image comprising the pictures of the photos. The display driver 228 drives the display 230 to display the image. A user can select one photo by touching the display 230. The selection is transmitted to the micro control unit 226. After determining where the selected photo is located, the micro control unit 226 communicates with the computer comprising the selected photo via the data transceiver 224 to retrieve the selected photo. The selected photo is transmitted to the KVM switch 200 via the data transceiver 224 and displayed by the display 230. A user can directly retrieve one photo from the computers directly by the display 230 without using the devices of the console (202-206).
In some embodiments, the micro control unit 226 generates an on-screen display (OSD). The display driver 228 drives the display 230 to show the OSD for expressing the work situation of the KVM switch 200. When the display 230 is a touch panel, a user can select a computer to control directly via the KVM switch 200 without using the devices of the console. A user may switch the connection between the console and the computers via the OSD in the display 230. In one embodiment, the OSD is generated when the KVM switch 200 detects a predefined input from the console. The predefined input may be hot key of the keyboard, button click combination of the mouse, or the button of the monitor.
In one embodiment, the display 304 is vertically disposed on the body 302. In another embodiment, the display 304 is horizontally disposed on the body 302. In other embodiment, the display 304 is foldable and is disposed on the body 302.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the Art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded to the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
