Interface device, and method and computer readable product for updating firmware in the interface device
AssigneeFujitsu Component Limited
InventorNaoyuki Nagao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is to provide a KVM device that can perform emulation with any type of device. In this KVM device, firmware for performing a suitable operation for a connected device (KVM) is stored in a memory. The connected device is inspected, and suitable firmware for the device is selected and then installed. The firmware stored in the memory can be rewritten freely. More specifically, the memory is formed by a non-volatile memory so that firmware inputted through an external interface can be stored therein. Thus, the KVM device of the present invention can always cope with the latest type of device.
Claims20
An interface device communicably connected to computers, comprising:
- a memory storing one or more firmware for emulating peripheral devices including one or more of a keyboard, video, or mouse;
- a peripheral device control microcontroller unit (MCU) connected to the peripheral devices;
- external interfaces to which the computers are connectable;
- and
- emulation microcontroller units (MCUs) respectively connectable to the computers via the external interfaces, and each executing the firmware emulating the peripheral devices for the computers,
- wherein the peripheral device control MCU checks, according to the memory storing the firmware, for a version of the firmware suitable for any of the peripheral devices that is selectively connected to any of the computers via any of the emulation MCUs and installs the suitable firmware in any of the emulation MCUs connected to any of the computers.
A method of updating firmware in an interface device communicably connected to devices, the method comprising:
- storing one or more firmware for emulating peripheral devices;
- connecting a peripheral device control microcontroller to the peripheral devices;
- providing external interfaces to which the devices are connectable:
- providing emulation microcontroller units (MCUs) respectively connectable to the devices via the external interfaces and each executing the firmware emulating the peripheral devices for the devices;
- recognizing one of devices connected to one of the external interfaces;
- comparing version information of the stored firmware corresponding to the recognized device with version information of the firmware installed in a corresponding emulation MCU;
- and
- automatically updating the firmware installed in the corresponding emulation MCU, upon connecting the device to said corresponding emulation MCU via a corresponding external interface, with the stored firmware, when the version of the firmware installed in the corresponding emulation MCU is older than the version of the stored firmware.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.