BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a typical centralized computer system; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a centralized computer system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is to provide a centralized computer system and a controlling method in a centralized computer system where two sets of I/O peripherals are enabled to operate the same host in a hardware-driven way rather than a software-driven way. The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below, so as to fully describe the features, the spirits, the advantages, and the easiness of the practice
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a centralized computer system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the centralized computer system 2 includes a network 28, a first host 22, a first host switch 222, a first peripheral switch 248, and a second set of I/O peripherals 26. The first host switch 222 is connected with the first host 22 and linked to the network 28. The first host switch 222 has a plurality of I/O ports 2224, such as I/O port 2224a, 2224b, 2224c and 2224d shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, a first set of I/O peripherals 24 includes a first display 242 and M first I/O devices, such as a keyboard 244, a mouse 246, etc., wherein M is a natural number. The first display 242 and M first I/O devices are respectively electrically connected to the first peripheral switch 248. And the first peripheral switch 248 is linked to the network 28.
As shown in FIG. 2, a second set of I/O peripherals 26 includes a second display 262 and N second I/O devices, such as a keyboard 264, a mouse 266, etc., wherein N is a natural number. The second display 262 and N second I/O devices are respectively electrically connected to the second peripheral switch 268. And the second peripheral switch 268 is linked to the network 28.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first host switch 222 encodes a video output signal P2 of the I/O signals 2482, and redirects the encoded video signal P2′ to the first peripheral switch 248 and to the second peripheral switch 268 over the network 28. The first peripheral switch 248 receives the encoded video signal P2′, decodes the encoded video signal P2′ into the video signal P2′ and outputs the video signal P2′ to the first display 242. Similarly, the second peripheral switch 268 receives the encoded video signal P2′, decodes the encoded video signal P2′ into the video signal P2′ and outputs the video signal P2′ to the second display 262.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first host switch 222 is capable of designating each of M first I/O ports among the plurality of I/O ports 2224 to one of the M first I/O devices of the first set of I/O peripherals 24. The first host switch 222 and the first peripheral switch 248 encode and/or decode, according to the physical addresses of the designated first I/O ports 2224 and I/O signals transmitted between the first host 22 and the first set of I/O peripherals 24, and the encoded I/O signals are transmitted over the network 28. As shown in FIG. 2, the I/O signals which have not been encoded or have decoded are marked as P1, and the I/O signals which have been encoded are marked as P1′.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first host switch 222 is capable of designating each of N second I/O ports among the plurality of I/O ports 2224 to one of the N second I/O devices of the second set of I/O peripherals 26. The first host switch 222 and the second peripheral switch 268 encode and/or decode, according to the physical addresses of the designated second I/O ports 2224 and the I/O signals transmitted between the first host 22 and the second set of I/O peripherals 26, and the encoded I/O signals are transmitted over the network 28. As shown in FIG. 2, the I/O signals which have not been encoded or have decoded are marked as P1, and the I/O signals which have been encoded are marked as P1′. In this way, the first set of I/O peripherals 24 and the second set of I/O peripherals 26 are enabled to operate the first host 22.
In one embodiment, the first host 22 has a USB controller and a video controller 226. The first host switch 222 includes a USB hub device 2222. The USB hub device 2222 is electrically connected to the USB controller for providing and managing the I/O ports 2224. And the video controller 226 is for controlling the video signal P2.
The following will explain a controlling method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention which is used in the centralized computer system 2 shown in FIG. 2. The infrastructure of the centralized computer system 2 can be referred in FIG. 2. It is notable that the first set of I/O peripherals 24 is assigned to operate the first host 22 such that I/O signals transmitted between the first host 22 and the first set of I/O peripherals 24 are encoded and decoded by the first host switch 222 and the first peripheral switch 248, and is also transmitted over the network 28. Furthermore, according to the controlling method of the invention is to enable the second set of I/O peripherals 26 to operate the first host 22.
First, according to the controlling method of the present invention to encode a video output signal P2′ of the I/O signals 2482 and redirect the encoded video signal P2′ not only to the first peripheral switch 248 but also to the second peripheral switch 268 over the network 28. Next, the second peripheral switch 268 receives the encoded video signal P2′, decodes the encoded video signal P2′ into the video signal P2 and outputs the video signal P2′ to the display 262.
Then, according to the controlling method of the present invention, designate each of N I/O ports among the plurality of I/O ports 2224 of the first host switch 222 to one of the N I/O devices of the second set of I/O peripherals 26.
Finally, according to the physical addresses of the designated I/O ports 2224, encode and/or decode the I/O signals transmitted between the first host 22 and the second set of I/O peripherals 26 by the first host switch 222 and the second peripheral switch 268, transmitted the encoded I/O signals over the network 28. In this way, the first set of I/O peripherals 24 and the second set of I/O peripherals 26 both are able to operate the first host 22.
With the example and explanations above, it is obviously that according to the centralized computer system and the controlling method in a centralized computer system, two sets of I/O peripherals are enabled to operate the same host in a hardware-driven way, and the inconvenience caused by using software to achieve the same purpose is prevented.
With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20080065795
