Patent ID: 7496697

Claim:
A computer management apparatus, comprising: a body; a switching circuit contained within the body, the switching circuit having a first state and a second state; a set of connector ports operatively coupled to the switching circuit and adapted to connect to respective first and second host computers; a first group of cables extending from the body, the first group operatively coupled to at least the switching circuit, a first keyboard port, a first mouse port, a first video port, and a first audio port; a second group of cables extending from the body, the second group operatively coupled to at least the switching circuit, a second keyboard port, a second mouse port, a second video port, and a second audio port; and a remote control device removably connected to the body via a remote control connector, the remote control device being operatively coupled to the switching circuit, the remote control device comprising: a device button for toggling between the first state and the second state of the switching circuit; and a device indicator that indicates whether the switching circuit is in the first state or the second state, the device indicator indicating a first color code when the switching circuit is in the first state, the device indicator indicating a second color code when the switching circuit is in the second state; wherein the first host computer operatively coupled to the first group of cables is selected when the switching circuit is in the first state and the second host computer operatively coupled to the second group of cables is selected when the switching circuit is in the second state.