Patent ID: 7567233

Claim:
An integrated control and display system for operating a plurality of separate computer systems each having a visual display, comprising: a composite display configured to display the associated visual displays of at least two of the separate computer systems on the composite display; an input display system configured for connection to and receiving display input from each of the separate computer systems, and configured to output the associated visual displays to the composite display for displaying the associated visual displays of at least two of the separate computer systems; a single cursor control input device being movable for providing an input signal for controlling the position of a single cursor movable on the composite display among the visual displays of the separate computer systems; a master control computer in communication with the single cursor control input device and the input display system, being configured to generate the display of the visual displays associated with at least two of the separate computer systems on the composite display, and further being configured to assign the cursor control input device to one of the separate computer systems based on the position of the single cursor on the composite display, wherein the master control computer determines which separate computer system should be subject to inputs via the cursor control input device based on current cursor position as determined by position and movement of the single cursor control input device, so as to tie the single cursor control input device to a select separate computer system when the single cursor is positioned over the associated visual display of the select separate computer system, such that the single cursor control input device can be used to operate the computer system associated with the display on which the cursor appears; and a control circuit configured to connect the separate computer systems together without modifying the separate computer systems, comprising a serial bus connected to a plurality of Universal Serial Bus (USB) microcontrollers associated with each separate computer system, the control circuit being configured to receive inputs from the master control computer, and to translate said inputs into USB inputs, wherein the control circuit instructs the USB microcontroller corresponding to the select separate computer system to generate inputs directly interpretable by the select separate computer system, to thereby allow a user to manipulate the single cursor on the composite display using a single cursor control input device to control any of the separate computer systems whose visual displays are displayed on the composite display.