Computer multiple communications port unit
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorPui Lun Lau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiple port unit includes plural peripheral communications ports and two network ports for connect the peripheral devices with at least one remote controlling computer. Multiple port unit further includes a controller which interrogates network links coupled to the network ports and alternately switching network links. The controller also interrogates computers coupled to the network links and ascertains that a computer controlling devices coupled to the communication ports is working properly.
Claims18
A multiple port unit adapted for coupling one or more computers to multiple peripheral devices over a network, said multiple port unit comprising:
- plural network ports, each of said network ports being configured to couple the multiple port unit to a computer via one or more hubs over a respective network link;
- plural communication serial ports, each of said communication serial ports being configured to couple the multiple port unit to a peripheral device;
- and
- a control unit to interrogate the network links and to communicatively couple said communication serial ports to a selected one of said network ports based on the interrogation of the network links, the control unit further determining whether it is time to interrogate the network links;
- and
- the control unit interrogating the network links including checking an availability of a computer over each of the network links including comparing a single current time value received from the computer with a previous single time value received from the computer, wherein each of the single time values received from the computer reflects a period of time from a particular reference time of a day and wherein the control unit determines whether the computer is available solely on whether the current single time value is greater than the previous single time value;
- wherein said network ports are configured to couple the multiple port unit to plural computers and wherein said control unit is configured to interrogate each of the plural computers and to select an active computer to control the peripheral devices based on the interrogation of the computers;
- further wherein the control unit is configured to identify a network link as not operating properly based on the interrogation and to prevent further interrogation thereof for a preset period of time.
A method of coupling plural peripheral devices to computers, said method comprising the steps of:
- interrogating the status of plural network connections with a control unit of a multiple port unit having plural network ports coupled to the computers via one or more hubs over the plural network connections and plural communication serial ports coupled to peripheral devices, the control unit determining whether it is time to interrogate prior to performing the interrogation;
- and
- coupling the plural communication serial ports to one of the network connections based on the results of said step of interrogating the status of plural network connections;
- and
- the interrogating including checking an availability of a computer over each of the network links including comparing a single current time value received from the computer with a previous single time value received from the computer, wherein each of the single time values received from the computer reflects a period of time from a particular reference time of a day and wherein the availability of a computer is solely determined by whether the current single time value is greater than the previous single time value;
- interrogating the status of plural computers respectively coupled to the network connections;
- and controlling the peripheral devices based on the results of said step of interrogating the status of plural computers;
- and
- identifying a network link as not operating properly based on the interrogating and to prevent further interrogating thereof for a preset period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.