Patent ID: 7640289

Claim:
A computer switch comprising: a set of peripheral device ports for connecting to a set of peripheral devices; a first port; a second port; a control device coupled to the first port and the second port, the control device repeatedly detecting whether the first port is occupied to repeatedly determine a master or slave status of the computer switch, wherein if the first port is occupied, the control device determines the computer switch to be a slave and provides data to a first external computer switch connected to the first port, and if the first port is unoccupied, the control device determines the computer switch to be a master and controls a second external computer switch connected to the second port and obtains data from the second external computer switch; and a plurality of computer connection ports coupled to the control device for connecting to and controlling a plurality of computers, wherein the plurality of computers are controlled by the set of peripheral devices if the computer switch is determined to be a master, and are controlled by the first external computer switch connected to the first port if the computer switch is determined to be a slave.