Fault tolerant communications using a universal serial bus

A computer using a universal serial bus system for communication between one or more universal serial bus functions and two or more universal serial bus hosts, the computer comprising:

• multiple universal serial bus hosts;
• multiple first universal serial bus segments, each of the first universal serial bus segments having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to one of the multiple a universal serial bus hosts, each of the first universal serial bus segments being associated with the universal serial bus host to which it is connected;
• multiple connectors forming a universal serial bus nodes, each suitable for receiving a universal serial bus function;
• multiple second universal serial bus segments, each of the second universal serial bus segments having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to one of the multiple connectors, each second universal serial bus segment being associated with a universal serial bus host;
• and
• two or more isolators, each of the isolators being connected to the second end of a first universal serial bus segment and a second end of a second universal serial bus segment, each isolator being associated with a universal serial bus host, the isolators allowing communication between the a connector and a universal serial bus host when it is disabled, the isolators isolating a connector from a universal serial bus host when it is enabled.

A method of switching communications from between a universal serial bus function and a first universal serial bus host to between the universal serial bus function and a second universal serial bus host wherein the universal serial bus function is one of at least one universal serial bus functions and the first and second universal serial bus hosts are two of at least two universal serial bus hosts, the at least one universal serial bus function is connected to and communications with the at least two universal serial bus hosts by way of at least two universal serial buses wherein the universal serial bus between a universal serial bus function and a universal serial bus host contains an isolator therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

• enabling the isolator located between the universal serial bus function and the first universal serial bus host, the first universal serial bus host being initially active, the first universal serial bus host being initially in communication with the function;
• disconnecting the first universal serial bus host;
• disabling the isolator located between the universal serial bus function and the second universal serial bus host, the second universal serial bus host being initially in a standby state, the second universal serial bus host now being the active universal serial bus host, the first universal serial bus host being initially isolated from the function;
• detecting the presence of a signal on the universal serial bus function by the second universal serial bus host;
• and
• enumerating the universal serial bus function by the second universal serial bus host.