Patent ID: 8831824

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a processing device 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 of a plurality of motor vehicles, the processing device configured to: store a digital configuration file in a data store 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; receive over an electronic network a transmission corresponding to a motor vehicle of the plurality of motor vehicles, the transmission providing a first identifier and a second identifier that is different than the first identifier; identify, responsive to a value of the second identifier, a selected one of the user application programs to be operated with the corresponding motor vehicle; determine whether to block an operation of the identified user application program on the vehicle user interface of the corresponding motor vehicle based at least in part on a value of the first identifier; and responsive to determining to not block the operation, send a control signal from the central server to the corresponding motor vehicle, the control signal indicating, for the selected user application program, which user interface resources of the vehicle user interface of the corresponding motor vehicle are permitted, or conversely are not permitted, to be utilized by the selected user application program, based at least in part on the parameters stored in the digital configuration file.