Patent ID: 8145402

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a first computer in a first vehicle driving off-road, global positioning system (GPS) data; the first computer automatically determining a location of the first vehicle driving off-road based on said received GPS data, said determined location having an unpaved and off-road ground surface; the first computer automatically identifying terrain map information associated with said determined unpaved and off-road location of the first vehicle; based on the identified terrain map information, the first computer automatically determining a surface traction characteristic of the unpaved and off-road ground surface at the determined location; the first computer automatically retrieving weather information associated with the determined unpaved and off-road location; and the first computer automatically transmitting said surface traction characteristic information and said weather information from the first vehicle driving off-road to a second vehicle driving off-road; a second computer receiving said transmitted data at the second vehicle driving off-road; selecting, by an operator of the second vehicle driving off-road, an operation mode of the second vehicle; at the second computer in the second vehicle driving off-road, combining the surface traction characteristic information received from the first vehicle, the weather information received from the first vehicle, and the operation mode selected by the operator of the second vehicle driving off-road; and responsive to said combining, the second computer automatically modifying at least one operating characteristic of the second vehicle driving off-road.