Patent ID: 7136946

Claim:
A switch to selectively communicate keyboard, video and mouse signals between a plurality of target computers and a controlling user interface, comprising: a target controller housing having thereon a plurality of target computer ports for coupling keyboard, mouse and video signals to and/or from associated target computers via associated target computer interfaces, the target controller housing also separately having a network port for communication with a network; a target controller within the target controller housing to translate keyboard, video and mouse signals between at least one of the target computer ports and the network port; and a target controller communication device for communicating the keyboard, video and mouse signals using a packet-based communication protocol on the network port wherein the controlling user interface operates to control a pre-selected target computer via a communication path including, in sequence, the network port utilizing the packet-based communication protocol, the target controller, at least one of the target computer ports utilizing a computer peripheral protocol understood by the controlling user interface and different from the packet-based communication protocol; and the controlling user interface.