Patent ID: 8045729

Claim:
An audio system for a vehicle, the vehicle having on-board processors, comprising: a) a wired audio source coupled to an audio amplifier; b) a processor coupled to the audio amplifier and to a display; c) a wireless network sensor coupled to the processor and configured to inform the processor when it detects a new device brought into or near the vehicle, wherein the new device is a wireless audio source; d) speakers coupled to at least the audio amplifier; and e) the processor further including a memory with stored program instructions that are executable to: (i) communicate with the detected wireless audio source, (ii) identify the detected wireless audio source from among a plurality of different types of wireless audio sources, (iii) indicate the type of the detected wireless audio source on the display, and (iv) make the detected wireless audio source available to the audio system to enable playing of audio information from the wireless audio source on at least one of the audio system speakers; and f) an application management system configured to: use a data manager to identify a particular type of data used in the new device and processed with a first software application controlled and operated by the new device; identify a second software application from among multiple different software applications located in a memory in the multiprocessor network, wherein the second software application is currently not loaded in or operated by any of the on-board processors, and the second software application is configured to process the same particular type of data processed by the first software application controlled and operated by the new device; use the data manager to select a particular one of the on-board processors for operating the second software application selected from the memory; automatically move the second software application from the memory in the multiprocessor network to the particular one of the on-board processors selected by the data manager; configure the particular one of the on-board processors to run the second software application moved from the memory, wherein running the second software application causes the particular one of the on-board processors to take over control and operation of the new device; and initiate transfer of the data from the new device to the particular one of the on-board processors and initiate processing of the particular type of data received from the new device with the second software application running on the particular one of the on-board processors.