Patent ID: 8744678

Claim:
An apparatus for use in selectively restricting functionality of a vehicle-mounted computer in a public service vehicle responsive to a vehicle status, the apparatus comprising: a tangible computer program product executable on a computer for restricting functionality of the vehicle-mounted computer responsive to a vehicle status being outside a preset parameter; a microprocessor in communication with an onboard diagnostic (“OBD”) system of the public service vehicle, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to translate a query message for a vehicle status of one or more parameters of the public service vehicle received from the computer into a protocol readable by the OBD system of the public service vehicle and translate a response message received from the OBD system into a vehicle status message containing the vehicle status in format readable by the computer program product; wherein the computer program product is configured to periodically query the microprocessor for a vehicle status of one or more parameters of the public service vehicle and restrict one or more functions of the vehicle-mounted computer responsive to the vehicle status received from the microprocessor being outside a preset parameter; and, wherein the computer program product is configured to be overridden with a kill switch or administrator rights on the computer wherein the one or more restricted functions can be overridden.