Keyboard-video-mouse system and method of providing and using the same
View Patent ↗Some embodiments include keyboard-video-mouse systems. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.
1. A system comprising:
a keyboard-video-mouse switching device configured to communicate with one or more host computer systems, a control terminal, and a user interface;
wherein:
the keyboard-video-mouse switching device comprises a virtual port through which the user interface communicates with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device and one or more physical ports through which the one or more host computer systems communicate with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
the user interface is configured to permit selection of at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems after the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
the user interface is unable to select the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems until the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device; and
when the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is communicating with the one or more host computer systems and the control terminal and when the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device, the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is configured to route host computer audio-visual data from the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems to the control terminal;
the keyboard-video-mouse switching device and the user interface are configured to communicate with a common access card reader; and
the common access card reader is configured to secure at least one of the one or more host computer systems by requiring authentication of a common access card at the common access card reader before the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is able to route the host computer audio-visual data from the at least one selected host computer system to the control terminal if the at least one selected host computer system comprises the at least one of the one or more host computer systems being secured by the common access card reader.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface is separate from the control terminal even when being located proximate to the control terminal.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface comprises one or more user interface inputs configured to control the selection of the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems while the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device; and
each of the one or more user interface inputs is configured to be associated with one of the one or more host computer systems as configured by a user of the system.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the one or more user interface inputs comprise one or more mechanical buttons comprising one or more color chips.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface is configured to control the common access card reader to secure the at least one of the one or more host computer systems with the common access card reader.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
the user interface.
7. A method comprising:
manufacturing a keyboard-video-mouse switching device comprising a virtual port and one or more physical ports;
configuring the keyboard-video-mouse switching device to communicate with one or more host computer systems, a control terminal, and a user interface, the keyboard-video-mouse switching device being configured to communicate with the user interface through the virtual port and to communicate with the one or more host computer systems through the one or more physical ports;
configuring the user interface to permit selection of at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems after the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
configuring the user interface to be unable to select the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems until the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
configuring the keyboard-video-mouse switching device such that when (a) the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is communicating with the one or more host computer systems and the control terminal and (b) the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device, the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is configured to route host computer audio-visual data from the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems to the control terminal; and
configuring the keyboard-video-mouse switching device to communicate with a common access card reader, the common access card reader being configured to communicate with the user interface and to secure at least one of the one or more host computer systems by requiring authentication of a common access card at the common access card reader before the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is able to route the host computer audio-visual data from the at least one selected host computer system to the control terminal if the at least one selected host computer system comprises the at least one of the one or more host computer systems being secured by the common access card reader.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
manufacturing the user interface.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein:
manufacturing the user interface comprises providing at the user interface one or more user interface inputs configured to control the selection of the at least one selected host computer system of the one or more host computer systems while the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device, each of the one or more user interface inputs being configured to be associated with a different one of the one or more host computer systems as configured by a user of the keyboard-video-mouse switching device.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
providing at the user interface the one or more user interface inputs comprises manufacturing one or more mechanical buttons comprising one or more color chips.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one of:
manufacturing the user interface comprises configuring the user interface to control the common access card reader to secure the at least one of the one or more host computer systems with the common access card reader;
manufacturing the keyboard-video-mouse switching device comprises configuring the one or more physical ports to be disabled until the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
manufacturing the user interface comprises providing a touch screen electronic display at the user interface;
the method further comprises configuring the keyboard-video-mouse switching device to communicate with at least one other slave device, where the common access card reader comprises a slave device;
manufacturing the user interface comprises configuring the user interface to be paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device upon entry of a code; or
manufacturing the user interface comprises configuring the user interface to disable at least one of the one or more physical ports.
12. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more physical ports are configured to be disabled until the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface comprises a touch screen electronic display.
14. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the common access card reader is a slave device, and the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is configured to communicate with at least one other slave device.
15. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface is configured to be paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device upon entry of a code.
16. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface is configured to disable at least one of the one or more physical ports.
17. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the one or more host computer systems.
18. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the control terminal.
19. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the user interface is configured to control the common access card reader to secure the at least one of the one or more host computer systems with the common access card reader
the one or more physical ports are configured to be disabled until the user interface is paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device;
the user interface comprises a touch screen electronic display;
the common access card reader is a slave device, and the keyboard-video-mouse switching device is configured to communicate with at least one other slave device;
the user interface is configured to be paired with the keyboard-video-mouse switching device upon entry of a code; and
the user interface is configured to disable at least one of the one or more physical ports.
20. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the user interface;
the one or more host computer systems; and
the control terminal.