What is claimed is:
1. A switch node, for connecting a keyboard video mouse (KVM) combination and a server in an array of servers, each server attached-to the switch node or attached to another switch node, all of the switch nodes constituting a network of interconnected switch nodes, the switch node comprising:
a) a KVM port for providing a connection to an attached KVM;
b) a plurality of server ports for providing connections to a plurality of attached servers;
c) a plurality of expansion ports for providing connections to other switch nodes in the network of switch nodes;
d) a cross connect, for providing connections between the KVM and one of the server ports or one of the expansion ports;
e) a node operating system, for providing to a user of the KVM an indication of each server in the array of servers, for determining a path to use for a connection between the KVM and a server selected by the user, for configuring the cross connect to provide the path, for requesting others of the switch nodes to configure their respective cross connects so as to provide the path determined; and
f) an internode link port, for providing a network connection enabling communication between the node operating system of the switch node and the node operating system of other switch nodes in the network of switch nodes.
2. A switch node as in claim 1, wherein the configuring of the cross connect to provide the path is based on information provided by the node operating systems of other switch nodes in the network of switch nodes.
3. A switch node as in claim 1, wherein the requesting of others of the switch nodes to configure their respective cross connects so as to provide the path determined is according to directions provided by the switch node.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An automated method of recognizing an inputted information item by matching the inputted information item to a target set of potential information items stored in a database, wherein at least some of the information items in the target set of potential information items is indicated in the database as belonging to one or more different categories, the method comprising:
(a) receiving in a processor:
(i) a currently entered inputted information item, and
(ii) a category designation to be associated with the currently entered inputted information item;
(b) reducing the target set of potential information items to only the information items that belong to the category designation associated with the currently entered inputted information item; and
(c) electronically matching, using the processor, the currently entered inputted information item to the closest information item in the reduced target set of potential information items.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(d) tracking recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories to which potential information items are indicated in the database as belonging is recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein the processor is configured to receive in step (a)(ii) a category designation of recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the receipt of the category designation in step (a)(ii) occurs automatically.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(d) tracking previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories to which potential information items are indicated in the database as belonging is previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein the processor is configured to receive in step (a)(ii) a category designation of previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the receipt of the category designation in step (a)(ii) occurs automatically.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the inputted information item is a spoken utterance and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential utterances.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the inputted information item is a handwritten expression and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential textural expressions.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the inputted information item is a typed expression and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential typed expressions.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the categories include types of categories.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the categories include modality-based categories.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the categories include phatic communication categories.
15. An automated method of recognizing an inputted information item by matching the inputted information item to a target set of potential information items stored in a database, wherein at least some of the information items in the target set of potential information items is indicated in the database as belonging to one or more different categories, the method comprising:
(a) receiving in a processor:
(i) a currently entered inputted information item, and
(ii) a category designation to be associated with the currently entered inputted information item;
(b) assigning weightings to the information items in the target set of potential information items, wherein the information items that belong to the category designation received in step (a)(ii) are more heavily weighted than the remaining information items; and
(c) electronically matching, using the processor, the currently entered inputted information item to the closest information item in the target set of potential information items, wherein the assigned weightings are used when determining the closest match.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
(d) tracking recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories to which potential information items are indicated in the database as belonging is recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein the processor is configured to receive in step (a)(ii) a category designation of recently entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the receipt of the category designation in step (a)(ii) occurs automatically.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
(d) tracking previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories to which potential information items are indicated in the database as belonging is previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein the processor is configured to receive in step (a)(ii) a category designation of previously entered inputted information items that were entered by a specific user.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the receipt of the category designation in step (a)(ii) occurs automatically.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
22. The method of claim 15 wherein the inputted information item is a spoken utterance and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential utterances.
23. The method of claim 15 wherein the inputted information item is a handwritten expression and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential textural expressions.
24. The method of claim 15 wherein the inputted information item is a typed expression and the target set of potential information items is a target set of potential typed expressions.
25. The method of claim 15 wherein the categories include types of categories.
26. The method of claim 15 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
27. The method of claim 15 wherein the categories include modality-based categories.
28. The method of claim 15 wherein the categories include phatic communication categories.
29. A method for allowing a user to select a phatic communication item displayed on an electronic device for communicating the phatic communication item to a recipient, the electronic device being in communication with a database of phatic communication items, at least some of the phatic communication items being indicated in the database as belonging to one or more different categories, the electronic device having (i) a first selection mode wherein a category designation of a phatic communication item is selected, (ii) a second selection mode wherein a phatic communication item is selected, and (iii) a display, the method comprising:
(a) receiving by the electronic device when the electronic device is in the first selection mode an indication of the category designation of a phatic communication item that the user wishes to select; and
(b) displaying on the display a plurality of phatic communication items that belong to the category designation; and
(c) receiving by the electronic device when the electronic device is in the second selection mode a selection by the user of one of the plurality of phatic communication items on the display that the user wishes to communicate to a recipient.
30. The method claim 29 wherein step (a) further comprises displaying on the display a plurality of category designations for selection by the user when the electronic device is in the first selection mode.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein the plurality of category designations displayed on the display when the electronic device is in the first selection mode include non-pictorial graphical patterns or designs that singly or in combination clearly and uniquely identify a specific category designation.
32. The method of claim 29 wherein the plurality of phatic communication items displayed on the display in step (b) include non-pictorial graphical patterns or designs that singly or in combination clearly and uniquely identify a specific phatic communication item.
33. The method of claim 29 wherein the plurality of phatic communication items displayed on the display in step (b) convey similar emotive content so that regardless of which selection is made in step (c), a similar emotive message is communicated to the recipient.
34. The method of claim 29 wherein the phatic communication items are textural expressions.
35. The method of claim 29 wherein the categories include types of categories.
36. The method of claim 29 wherein the categories include demographic-based categories.
37. The method of claim 29 wherein the categories include modality-based categories.
38. The method of claim 29 wherein the database further includes recently entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories is recently entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein step (a) further comprises receiving by the electronic device a category designation of recently entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user.
39. The method of claim 29 wherein the database further includes previously entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user, wherein one of the categories is previously entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user, and wherein step (a) further comprises receiving by the electronic device a category designation of previously entered inputted phatic communication items that were entered by a specific user.
40. The method of claim 29 wherein the categories include phatic communication categories.