MULTI-USER COMPUTER SYSTEM

摘要

A system for connecting multiple users to multiple computers uses a switch for making and breaking connections between individual computers and input/output devices such as display screens, keyboards and pointing devices at user locations. A supervisory computer system maintains a database of the available computers and connections to user locations. The supervisory computer system includes one or more helper computers which run programs to aid the user in selecting connections to be made. The switch is arranged to capture preselected input sequences as designating commands, such as a command to connect the helper computer, and to forward these to the supervisory computer system. The supervisory computer system actuates the switch in response to these commands so that the user can establish communication with the helper computer.