Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics display memory system – Frame buffer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-10
2004-11-30
Tung, Kee M. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics display memory system
Frame buffer
C345S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06825846
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to systems and methods used for emulation on a remote terminal of information displayed on a host computing system, and more particularly to a terminal emulation system and method that uses a hardware interface with the host computing system for capture of displayed information, capture of information concerning host computing system health information, and control of keyboard, mouse, and drives of the host computing system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years there has been a significant increase in reliance on computing systems to aid workers in performance of their assigned task. In fact, it is not uncommon for most, if not all, employees of a company or other organization to have access to some type of computing system. To increase productivity and sharing of system resources, many companies have further introduced computer networks linking all of the computing systems of the company together, thereby allowing for internal communication in the company and the sharing of files and other information between different computing systems. Many of these networks are not limited to one physical location, but instead, may link computing systems together that are located at many different geographic locations, such as the different offices of a company. Further, many of these networks allow users access via a telephone line or other data communication link, no matter where the computing system is located, such as in the case of an employee who is traveling with a laptop.
FIG. 1
illustrates a common network system
10
. In general, network systems typically include a network
12
, such as a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network or other similar network system. Connected to the network is a plurality of host computing systems,
14
a
-
14
n
, representing the individual computing systems used throughout the company or organization. The network system may also include one or several file servers
16
connected to the network
12
for storing and allowing access to shared files and resources. The network system
10
may also include web servers
18
for connecting the computing systems to the Internet. Other server systems
20
may also be present.
An important problem with computer networking is the ability to provide management and maintenance to each of the host computing systems and servers connected to the network. As stated, the computing systems and servers may be located at various locations throughout a company or organization, some of which may be in different geographic locations. As such, it is typically not feasible to provide maintenance and servicing of a particular computing system or server by going to the physical location of the computer or server. Further, providing maintenance information to the user of the computing system over the telephone is also not typically advantageous, as many computing system users are not as knowledgeable concerning computing system configuration and maintenance.
For this reason, management systems have been developed that allow network maintenance personnel, from a central location, to maintain computing systems and servers connected to a network. Specifically, with reference to
FIG. 1
, many network systems also include either one or several maintenance computing systems
22
connected to the network. The maintenance computing system, sometimes referred to as the client computing system, is capable of communicating with other host computing systems and servers in the network. The maintenance computing system monitors the health of the hardware of the host computing systems and also the information output to the display of the host computing systems. If a particular computing system or server is indicated to have errors, the maintenance computing system can access the health parameters associated with the host computing system or server and can also receive copies of the data output to the display of the host computing system or server. The data displayed on the host computing system is also displayed on the maintenance computing system, so that the maintenance personal can view errors and other diagnostic information typically displayed by the host computing system to its own terminal. In other words, the maintenance computing system acts as a terminal emulator emulating the data displayed on the display of the host computing system.
There are currently several terminal emulation systems commercially available for centralized maintenance of computing systems. These conventional systems mainly fall into two categories; software-based and software/hardware hybrid systems. While both types of systems allow maintenance personnel to perform maintenance, upgrades reconfiguration, etc. of host computing systems and servers from a remote location, there are some drawbacks to these conventional systems.
Specifically, as mentioned, some maintenance systems and servers are software based. One commercially available software-based maintenance system is PC Anywhere® developed and distributed by Symantec Corporation located in Cupertino, Calif. This software-based system is described more fully with reference to FIG.
2
A. In particular,
FIG. 2
a
illustrates portions of the network system
10
of
FIG. 1
, including a representative host computing system
14
the network
12
, and a maintenance computing system
22
. It is understood that the host computing system could be a server. The representative host computing system includes a CPU
24
. Connected to the CPU
24
is a first bus bridge typically referred to as a north bridge
26
. The north bridge connects a local bus to the CPU, where the bus among other things provides a communication link between the CPU and a memory controller
28
and a memory system
30
. The host computing system
14
also includes a second bridge, typical referred to as a south bridge
32
. The south bridge links various buses
34
a
-
34
n
to the CPU. For example, an industrial standard architecture (ISA) bus may be connected to the south bridge and a bus connecting the CPU to a keyboard controller
36
may also be present on one of the buses of the south bridge. The south bridge
32
is also connected to either one or several peripheral component interface (PCI) buses
38
. Connected to the PCI buses are slots for connection of peripherals such as displays, printers, etc. to the computing system. Important to the present discussion, one peripheral, (here shown connected to PCI Bus
0
), is a video controller
42
, such as a video graphic array (VGA), for controlling the display of information on a display
47
associated with the computing system.
With regard to the software-based computer maintenance systems, (PC Anywhere being one example), each host computing system
14
includes maintenance software
46
b
for operation on the CPU. The maintenance computing system
22
includes many of the same components and configurations as the host computing systems
14
. Importantly, the maintenance computing system also includes maintenance software
46
a
. The software
46
a
and
46
b
are operating system (OS) based software, meaning that they operate in conjunction with the operating system and can be run only after the operating system of the computer is running.
During normal operation of the computing system, after the operating system has been initiated, problems with a host computing system
14
located on a network
12
can be observed at a remote location using the maintenance computing system
22
. Specifically, when activated, health information concerning the host computing system is sent to the maintenance computing system
22
. This health information may include data concerning the health of the hardware components of the host computing system
14
, such as ambient temperature monitoring, PCI voltage, etc. This health information is gathered by the software
46
b
, compressed, and transmitted to the maintenance computing system. The software
46
a
of the maintenance computing system evaluates the health in
American Megatrends Inc.
Merchant & Gould
Tung Kee M.
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