A peripheral switch is electrically interposed between a peripheral device and a plurality of computing devices respectively coupled to host computer ports. The peripheral switch includes host computer port state sensing means for determining a state of each host computer port and providing a communication path to the peripheral device from a host computer port at a state indicative of a server computer being coupled thereto. The peripheral switch further includes local handshaking means for simulating communications from a server computer to peripheral device if none of host computer ports are determined to be coupled to a server computer.
Patent Number: 7114017
Date Issued: September 26 2006