Apparatus for networking computers for multimedia applications

A metropolitan area network for transport of computer generated video images and computer user input comprising:

• at least one central facility housing a plurality of personal computers each computer provided with storage apparatus for retaining software and data for producing high resolution multimedia video images, each said personal computer having a keyboard input port, mouse input port and a video image output port;
• an electrical to optical interface device provided for each personal computer, each interface device having:
• an optical input path for producing electric signalling in response to an input light beam on corresponding electrical terminations for said keyboard input port and mouse input port, said signalling adapted to be processed by the personal computer as keyboard input or mouse input respectively, and each interface device having:
• an optical output path for producing a modulated light beam in response to electrical signalling received on a corresponding electrical termination for said video image output port of said personal computer;
• a first fiber optic cable optically coupled to the optical input path and optical output path of said interface device extending therefrom and terminating at a fiber optic matrix switch configured to optically couple said first fiber optic cable to a second fiber optical cable extending to one of a plurality of remote user locations;
• each said remote user location having a fiber optic cable extending therefrom and optically terminated at one end on said fiber optic matrix switch of said central location and at the other end on an electrical to optical interface each interface device having:
• an optical output path for producing a modulated light beam in response to electrical signalling received on corresponding electrical terminations adapted to be attached to a computer keyboard device and a computer mouse device for producing said electrical signalling, and each interface device having:
• an optical input path for producing electric signalling in response to an input light beam on a corresponding electrical termination adapted to be attached to a video image display responsive to said electrical signalling;
• whereby user operation of said remotely located keyboard and mouse devices results in computer processing to occur at a corresponding centrally located personal computer the result of which processing is presented to said user on the remotely located video display.