Patent ID: 6505100
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: B60R,G08G

Abstract:
A distributed vehicle information processing and vehicle control system comprising:a first system part situated on board the vehicle and having hardware and software to perform at least a first vehicle-related information processing function; at least one second system part situated at a location physically separate from said first system part, and having hardware and software to perform at least a second vehicle-related information processing function; and a data transmission network via which said first system part and said at least one second system part communicate with one another, wherein: each of the first system part and the at least one second system part includes different software components which perform differing functionality, and which communicate and cooperate with one another to carry out different vehicle related applications using shared functionality of said components; each of said components has a function-calling interface, via which a function carried out by the component is accessible by other components in the same system part or in another system part, and a configuration interface, via which a configuration of the component is definable and variable; a configuration manager component is provided for configuring each component via its respective configuration interface, depending on what other components are present in the system, and depending on a location or relocation of components as between said first system part and said at least one second system part; and said system includes means for addition of components to or removal of components from, or movement of one or more components dynamically between, said first system part and said at least one second system part.