Apparatus and system for managing multiple computers

摘要

A system is presented for interconnecting a single user console having user interface devices, including a console keyboard, a console video display unit, a console mouse, and speakers, to a plurality of host computers each capable of using user interface devices, including a keyboard, a video display unit, and a mouse, and allowing the user to access one or more of the host computers from the single user console. The video output from each of the host computers is scaled and cropped as appropriate so that the video output of each host may be simultaneously displayed as host computer “windows” on the console video display unit or overlaid with the background suppressed to display application windows from multiple hosts on a single screen. The user may easily navigate between the host computers through a convenient and intuitive user interface that allows control of individual host computers, the transfer of files between computers using familiar a “drag and drop” interface, and copying and pasting of data between applications running on different computers. The audio output from each of the host computers may be mixed or switched for output to the speakers as desired.

主权项

1. A computer management system comprising:
a plurality of host computers; a user console having associated user interface devices including a keyboard, a cursor control device, and a video display unit; wherein the video display unit displays visual representations of video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers, each representation having a boundary defining a window; and a management device operatively connecting the user console to the plurality of host computers, wherein the management device manages keyboard control signals and cursor control signals transmitted from the user console for providing access to any one of the plurality of host computers, and manages the video signals transmitted from each of the plurality of host computers for simultaneously displaying video signals from at least two of the plurality of host computers in at least first and second windows on the video display unit; wherein the management device automatically activates a first one of the plurality of host computers after a user console pointer icon that is visually represented on the video display unit (a) is moved within the boundary of the first window and (b) interacts with the first window, said activation allowing access by the user console to said first one of the plurality of host computers; wherein said first window is one of equal to or smaller than said second window and said interaction with said first window results in the activation of said first one of said plurality of host computers while maintaining a size and a location of said first window on said video display unit; wherein the management device is configured to communicate location information of said user console pointer icon and a show-mouse-pointer command to said first one of said plurality of host computers when said first window is activated, at least said location information being communication so that only one pointer icon out of the user console pointer icon and the plurality of pointer icons associated with the plurality of host computers is visible on said video display unit at one time; wherein at least said location information is used to position said pointer icon of said first one of said plurality of host computers behind said user console pointer icon, thereby making only one pointer icon visible on the video display unit at one time.