Patent ID: 7979620

Claim:
A method for controlling multiple computers in a configuration including a central processing unit for each computer, a set of peripheral units for all the computers, and a multiplexing device for selectively physically connecting the peripheral units with the central unit of a selected one of the computers and selectively physically disconnecting the peripheral units with the central unit of non-selected computers of the computers, wherein the method includes the steps of: transmitting input information from at least one of the peripheral units to the central unit of the selected computer through the multiplexing device, transmitting output information from the central unit of the selected computer to at least one of the peripheral units through the multiplexing device, transmitting status information of each non-selected computer of the non-selected computers from the central unit of each non-selected computer to a port of the multiplexing device that is also used for transmitting selected computer input information from the at least one of the peripheral units to the central unit of non-selected computer when the non-selected computer is instead operating as the selected computer, wherein the multiplexing device disconnects the each non-selected computer from the peripheral units when non-selected except for the status information, and routing the status information by the multiplexing device to at least one of the peripheral units to have the at least one peripheral unit output the status information.