Patent ID: 8831823

Claim:
A memory encoded with instructions for centralized management of a plurality of vehicle user interfaces using a central server located remotely from the plurality of vehicle user interfaces, each of the vehicle user interfaces associated with a different motor vehicle, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in: storing a digital configuration file in a datastore accessible to the central server, the digital configuration file including parameters for remotely controlling access to user interface resources of the vehicle user interfaces; wherein the stored parameters are each specific to a respective one of a plurality of user application programs executable in the motor vehicles; identifying a selected one of the user application programs to be downloaded to a particular one of the motor vehicles; transmitting a control signal from the central server to said particular motor vehicle, the control signal indicating, for the selected user application program, which user interface resources of the vehicle user interface of the particular motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by the selected user application program, based on the parameters stored in the digital configuration file; and generating a first list of applications by accumulating third party user application programs; generating a second list based on vehicle manufacturer selections from the first list; wherein identifying the selected one of the user application programs to be downloaded to the particular one of the motor vehicles is based on a vehicle operator selection from the second list, and wherein the selected user application program comprises one of the third party application programs; including the selected user application program into a download directory for the particular motor vehicle; and downloading the selected user application program to a memory device associated with said particular motor vehicle.