Patent ID: 7269482

Claim:
A framework for a vehicle information system having a user interface, at least one device that generates data to be shown on the user interface as a display, and at least one application, the framework comprising: a communications manager in communication with said at least one device; a data warehouse in communication with the communications manager, wherein the communications manager manages input and output of data between the data warehouse and said at least one device and wherein the data warehouse registers the data from said at least one device and makes the registered data accessible to said at least one application; said application adapted to assign at least one notification condition to said registered data based on programmed rules that determine which data will be displayed during a given condition, and when said condition is assigned to said registered data said application requests display of said data from said warehouse; a variable format display in said user interface that allows data having different characteristics and protocols to be displayed in a shared physical display without requiring the use of multiple independent displays; and a display manager in communication with the data warehouse and said at least one application, wherein the display manager is programmable to determine which data is to be displayed on said interface display and where within said display said data will be written, and said display manager, based on said condition provided by said at least one application, decides whether to display on the user interface data requested from the data warehouse by said at least one application, wherein said at least one device includes at least one input-output module that generates bus messages having a bus message format, and wherein the communications manager registers said at least one input-output module to allow changes in the bus message format without changing the registered data in the data warehouse.