Abstract:
The invention is to provide a centralized computer system, i.e., so-called blade PC system. The centralized computer system according to the invention includes a plurality of centralized and bladed hosts. In particularly, the centralized computer system according to the invention enables a set of I/O peripherals to operate a host or a host switch connecting with the host to execute specific functions in a hot key way.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a centralized computer system, i.e., the so-called blade PC system and, more particularly, to a control method for enabling a set of I/O peripherals to operate a host or a host switch connecting with the host to execute specific functions in a hot key way. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Many commercial businesses and enterprises make extensive use of personal computers (PCs) in their daily operations. In a typical manner, each user of a PC in the enterprise has a networked PC at his/her desk or in the working area. As the number of networked computer systems utilized in an enterprise increases, the management of resources in the network may become increasingly complex and expensive. Therefore, some of the manageable issues involved in maintaining a large number of networked computer systems are required to be taken into consideration including the ease of installation and deployment, the topology and physical logistics of the network, asset management, scalability (the cost and effort involved in increasing the number of units), troubleshooting network or unit problems, support costs, software tracking and management, the issue of physical space such as space of the floor space or room on the desk, as well as security issues regarding physical assets, information protection, software control, and computer viruses. 
         [0005]    To overcome the mentioned-above problems, many IT companies have developed the centralized computer systems. Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a typical centralized computer system  1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the centralized computer system  1  includes a plurality of hosts  12 , where each host  12  is equipped with and operated by a set of peripherals  14  including at least one peripheral device. The hosts  12  in the centralized computer system  1  are bladed, i.e., each of the hosts  12  is implemented into a “card”. In other words, each host  12  comprised on a circuit card includes the components of the standard computer system. The centralized computer system  1  also includes a network  16  to provide the hosts  12  to communicate with the remote peripheral devices. As shown in  FIG. 1 , each set of peripherals  14  may include a display  142 , a keyboard  144 , a mouse  146 , and/or other peripheral devices for human interface. The centralized computer system  1  communicates with one set of peripherals  14  coupled to the host  12  by sending and receiving encoded I/O signals transmitted via the network  16 . In general, a host switch (not shown in  FIG. 1 ), connecting with the I/O interface of a host  12  in the centralized computer system  1 . Relatively, each set of I/O peripherals  14  is equipped with a peripheral switch  148  coupled to all of the peripheral devices of the set of I/O peripherals  14 . And, the I/O signals transmitted between one host  12  and the assigned set of I/O peripherals  14  are encoded and decoded by the corresponding host switch and the corresponding peripheral switch  148 , transmitted via the network  16 . The network  16  may be a Local Area Network (LAN), such as an intranet, or a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as the Internet, although other networks are taken into account. 
         [0006]    On summary, the distinct features and advantages of the typical centralized computer system as follows:
   (a) the centralized computer system can includes at least ten hosts in a chassis;   (b) because the hosts are bladed to reduce the volume, more hosts can be configure;   (c) because the centralized computer system is a highly integrated system, providing a management host to control and search the whole system is necessary;   (d) the hosts are centralized in the computer room to prevent man-made destruction and information stealing;   (e) by means of the setting of certain software, the user can read and retreat data but copy;   (f) because the hosts are centralized in the computer room, the user won&#39;t hear the noise generated by fans;   (g) with the centralized computer system, there are only a keyboard, a mouse, a display and a network connector on the user&#39;s desk, i.e., the user has more spatial usability;   (h) with the centralized computer system, two sets of I/O peripherals are enabled to operate the same host;   (i) with the centralized computer system, the manager can seamlessly monitor other hosts without being found out by other users; and   (j) with the centralized computer system, seamlessly broadcasting to all users is much easier.   
 
         [0017]    However, the solutions for enabling a set of I/O peripherals to execute functions provided by a look-up table to operate a host or a host switch by specific key signals nowadays all need to utilize a software-driven way. That is to say, the host being operated needs to install software before the set of I/O peripherals is being used to operate the host. Furthermore, all procedures have to be operated under the operating system (OS). Moreover, the operating functions are operable only when the software is being executed. 
         [0018]    Accordingly, one scope of the invention is to provide a centralized computer system utilizing a hot key way instead of a software-driven way to enable one set of I/O peripherals to operate a host or a host switch connecting with the host to execute specific functions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The invention is to provide a controlling method for a centralized computer system. The centralized computer system comprises a network, a host, a host switch connecting with the host and linking to the network, a peripheral switch linking to the network, and a set of I/O peripherals connecting with the peripheral switch. The host or the host switch is capable of executing a plurality of functions. The host switch comprises a look-up table for storing a plurality of first sets of key signals and a plurality of instructions which each corresponds to one of the first sets of key signals and represents execution of one of the functions. The control method utilizes the set of I/O peripherals to operate the host. 
         [0020]    According to the control method of the invention for the centralized computer system, first, by use of the host switch and the peripheral switch, I/O signals transmitted between the host and the set of I/O peripherals are encoded and decoded, and then the decoded I/O signals are transmitted via the network. Afterward, at the host switch, it is judged if a second set of key signals, decoded from the decoded I/O signals transmitted from the peripheral switch, matches one of the first sets of key signals stored in the look-up table, and if any, the host or the host switch is driven to execute the function whose representative instruction corresponds to the first set of key signals matching the second set of key signals. 
         [0021]    Additionally, the invention is to provide a centralized computer system comprising a network, a host, a host switch, a peripheral switch, and a set of I/O peripherals. The host switch connects with the host and links to the network. The host switch comprises a look-up table for storing a plurality of first sets of key signals and a plurality of instructions. Each instruction corresponds to one of the first sets of key signals and represents execution of one of the functions, wherein the host or the host switch is capable of executing these functions. The peripheral switch links to the network. The set of I/O peripherals electrically connects with the peripheral switch and operates the host, wherein I/O signals transmitted between the host and the set of I/O peripherals are encoded and decoded by the host switch and the peripheral switch, and then the decoded I/O signals are transmitted via the network. The host switch also judges if a second set of key signals, decoded from the decoded I/O signals transmitted from the peripheral switch, matches one of the first sets of key signals stored in the look-up table, and if any, the host or the host switch is driven to execute the function whose representative instruction corresponds to the first set of key signals matching the second set of key signals. 
         [0022]    The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following recitations together with the appended drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a typical centralized computer system; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a centralized computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a partial infrastructure of a centralized computer system shown in  FIG. 2  to illustrate the comparison between input signals in a processing module and a look-up table; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the look-up table shown in  FIG. 3A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The invention is to provide a centralized computer system and a controlling method thereof and, more particularly, the invention utilizes a hot key way instead of a software-driven way to enable a set of peripherals to operate a host or a host switch connecting with the host to execute specific functions. By the descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the invention in the following, the features, spirits, advantages, and convenience of the implement are illustrated adequately. Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an infrastructure of a centralized computer system  2  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the centralized computer system  2  comprises a network  28 , a host  22 , a host switch  222 , a peripheral switch  248 , and a set of I/O peripherals  24 . The host switch  222  connects with the host  22  and links to the network  28 . Afterward, referring to  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a partial infrastructure of the centralized computer system  2  shown in  FIG. 2 , so as to illustrate the comparison between input signals in a processing module  2224  and a look-up table  2222 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the host switch  222  comprises the look-up table  2222  for storing a plurality of first sets of key signals and a plurality of instructions. Referring to  FIG. 3B ,  FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram illustrating parts of the look-up table  2222  shown in  FIG. 3A . As shown in  FIG. 3B , each of the instructions corresponds to one of the first sets of key signals and represents execution of one of a plurality of functions, wherein the host  22  or the host switch  222  is capable of executing the functions. The peripheral switch  248  links to the network  28 . The first set of I/O peripherals  24  electrically connects with the peripheral switch  248 . The first set of I/O peripherals  24  is assigned to operate the host  22 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first set of I/O peripherals  24  comprises a display  242  and M I/O devices, such as a keyboard  244 , a mouse  246 , and the like, wherein M is a natural number. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the I/O signals transmitted between the host  22  and the first set of I/O peripherals  24  are encoded and decoded by the use of the host switch  222  and the peripheral switch  248 , and then the decoded I/O signals are transmitted via the network  28 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , the host switch  222  also judges if a second set of key signals matches one of the first sets of key signals stored in the look-up table  2222 , and if any, the host  22  or the host switch  222  is driven to execute the function whose representative instruction corresponds to the first set of key signals matching the second set of key signals. 
         [0031]    To achieve optimum quality of video or audio, when enough network bandwidth is provided, the frequency of retrieving data and the quality of video or audio can be improved. Namely, a better quantization table can be used to improve the quality of video quality and/or a lower compression ratio can be used to improve the quality of audio. Similarly, when enough network bandwidth is not provided, the frequency of retrieving data and the quality of video or audio should be accepted or rejected. Namely, a worse quantization table can be used to debase the quality of video and/or a higher compression ratio can be used to debase the quality of audio, so as to achieve operating requirement under narrow bandwidth. Therefore, in this embodiment, the functions comprise one selected from the group consisting of an image-capturing frequency setting function regarding a video signal of the I/O signals, a bit rate setting function regarding the video signal of the I/O signals, a bandwidth allocation function, an A/V sync control function, and a bit rate setting function regarding an audio output signal of the I/O signals. 
         [0032]    Afterward, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a control method for the centralized computer system  2  will be illustrated. The infrastructure related to the centralized computer system  2  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  and the corresponding description thereof, so the related description is not described here. 
         [0033]    According to the control method of the invention for the centralized computer system  2 , first, the host switch  222  and the peripheral switch  248  are utilized to encode and decode the I/O signals, transmitted between the host  22  and the first set of I/O peripherals  24 , and then the decoded I/O signals are transmitted via the network  28 . 
         [0034]    Afterward, at the host switch  222 , it is judged if a second set of key signals, decoded from the decoded I/O signals transmitted from the peripheral switch  248 , matches one of the first sets of key signals stored in the look-up table  2222 , and if any, the host  22  or the host switch  222  is driven to execute the function whose representative instruction corresponds to the first set of key signals matching the second set of key signals. 
         [0035]    Compared to the prior art, obviously, according to the centralized computer system  2  and the control method thereof, the invention enables the set of I/O peripherals  24  to operate the host  22  or the host switch  222  connecting with the host  22  to execute specific functions in a hot key way, so as to avoid the inconvenience of the software-driven way. 
         [0036]    With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.