Patent ID: 8548646

Claim:
A distributed hardware system for controlling a vehicle, comprising: a network; a central control module for controlling the distributed hardware system; a plurality of electronic hardware modules in communication with the central control module via the network, each of the plurality of electronic hardware modules enabled to: communicate with one another via the network; issue requests for information from the central control module via network; transmit data over the network in a common format to perform tasks respective to a respective function; and at least one of: independently sense one or more of a respective status of the distributed hardware system and at least one respective environmental parameter; and independently control the respective function of the vehicle, and at least a portion of the plurality of electronic hardware modules enabled to: be physically removed and physically inserted from the distributed hardware system as plug and play modules; and determine when at least one of the plurality of electronic hardware modules is physically removed or physically inserted from the distributed hardware system and transition to a corresponding state.