System and method for a graphics terminal multiplier

A method of interacting with a server system, said method comprising:

• receiving output data that includes an address of a terminal interface circuit among a plurality of terminal interface circuits located at the terminal multiplier apparatus from the server system on a bi-directional digital interface, the output data associated with one of a plurality of thin-client terminals;
• processing the output data with a control system;
• passing the output data to the terminal interface circuit from among the plurality of terminal interface circuits housed in a graphics terminal multiplier device, based on the address, each terminal interface circuit for processing the output data and providing processed output data to a corresponding thin-client terminal of the plurality of thin-client terminal systems, the each terminal interface circuit of the graphics terminal multiplier device comprising a screen buffer for storing a digital representation of a video display for the corresponding thin-client terminal, at least one terminal interface circuit of the plurality of terminal interface circuits further comprising at least one input/output device port configured to directly connect with a user input/output device of a thin-client terminal corresponding to the at least one terminal interface circuit;
• reading the screen buffer;
• and
• generating an analog video signal for the corresponding thin-client terminal.

A terminal multiplier apparatus, comprising:

• a control system configured to receive output data for a plurality of thin-client terminals from a server system;
• a plurality of terminal interface circuits, each terminal interface circuit configured to:
• receive output data that includes an address of a terminal interface circuit among a plurality of terminal interface circuits at the terminal multiplier apparatus, from the control system;
• and
• provide processed output data to a thin-client terminal among the plurality of thin client terminals based on the address, each terminal interface circuit comprising an input interface to receive input information from the thin-client terminal, and
• at least one terminal interface circuit of the plurality of terminal interface circuits further comprising at least one input/output device port configured to directly connect with a user input/output device of a thin-client terminal corresponding to the at least one terminal interface circuit, the terminal interface circuit comprising a video adapter to read the screen buffer and generate an analog video signal for the corresponding terminal system.