Patent ID: 7043748

Claim:
A computer network, comprising: a plurality of interconnected nodes, each one of said plurality of nodes having a corresponding data terminal equipment (DTE) device coupled thereto, wherein each of said corresponding DTE devices comprises: a computing system located at a first location; a human interface located remotely from said first location, said human interface comprising a display device and an input/output (“I/O”) device; a first interface device operable to couple to said computing system; a second interface device operable to couple to said display device and said I/O device of said human interface, wherein the second interface device is not operable to execute application software; and at least one transmission line operable to couple said first and second interface devices; wherein said first interface device is operable to receive from said computing system a video signal to be transmitted to said display device and a non-video signal to be transmitted to said I/O device, and to convert each of said video signal and said non-video signal into a format suitable for transmission to said second interface device; wherein said first interface device is operable to transmit said converted video signal and said converted non-video signal to said second interface device via said at least one transmission line; wherein said second interface device is operable to receive said converted video signal and said converted non-video signal from said first interface device and to provide said video signal and said non-video signal to said display device and said I/O device, respectively; and wherein the computing systems of the DTE devices are commonly located at the first location.