Vehicle computer system with open platform architecture

Abstract

A vehicle computer system has a housing sized to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard or other appropriate location. A computer is mounted within the housing and executes an open platform, multi-tasking operating system. The computer runs multiple applications on the operating system, including both vehicle-related applications (e.g., vehicle security application, vehicle diagnostics application, communications application, etc.) and non-vehicle-related applications (e.g., entertainment application, word processing, etc.). The applications may be supplied by the vehicle manufacturer and/or by the vehicle user.

1 . A vehicle computer system comprising: 
 a housing of a size suitable to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard;    a computer mounted within the housing;    an open platform operating system executing on the computer; and    multiple vehicle-related applications executing on the operating system to control operation of components in the vehicle.    
     
     
         2 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 1    wherein the housing has a form factor of a single DIN.  
     
     
         3 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 1    wherein the vehicle-related applications are selected from a group comprising a navigational application, a communications application, a vehicle security application, and a vehicle diagnostics application.  
     
     
         4 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 1    further comprising one or more non-vehicle-related applications executing on the operating system.  
     
     
         5 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 4    wherein the non-vehicle-related applications are selected from a group comprising an entertainment application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a database application, and an appointment/schedule application.  
     
     
         6 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 1    further comprising a storage drive to load individual applications from a storage medium onto the computer.  
     
     
         7 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 1    further comprising an Internet wireless link to download individual applications to the computer.  
     
     
         8 . A computer network system for an automobile, comprising: 
 a network;    at least one client computing device connected to the network; and    the vehicle computer as recited in    claim 1    connected to the network to serve content to the client computing device.    
     
     
         9 . A vehicle computer system comprising: 
 a support module having a bus;    a computer module connected to the bus, the computer module having a processor;    a faceplate module connected to the bus;    multiple applications stored on the computer module and executed by the processor.    
     
     
         10 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 9    wherein the applications comprise vehicle-related applications.  
     
     
         11 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 9    wherein the applications comprise both vehicle-related applications and non-vehicle-related applications.  
     
     
         12 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 9    further comprising a multitasking operating system stored and executed on the computer module.  
     
     
         13 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 9    wherein the applications are selected from a group comprising a navigational application, an entertainment application, a communications application, a vehicle security application, a vehicle diagnostics application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a database application, and an appointment/schedule application.  
     
     
         14 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 9    wherein the support module has a form factor of a single DIN.  
     
     
         15 . A computer network system for an automobile, comprising: 
 a network;    at least one client computing device connected to the network; and    the vehicle computer as recited in    claim 9    connected to the network to serve content to the client computing device.    
     
     
         16 . A vehicle computer system comprising: 
 a computer;    an open platform operating system executing on the computer; and    multiple applications executing on the operating system, the multiple applications including at least one vehicle-related application and at least one non-vehicle related application.    
     
     
         17 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 16    further comprising a storage drive to load individual applications from a storage medium onto the computer.  
     
     
         18 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 16    further comprising an Internet wireless link to download individual applications to the computer.  
     
     
         19 . A vehicle computer system as recited in    claim 16    wherein the applications are selected from a group comprising a navigational application, an entertainment application, a communications application, a vehicle security application, a vehicle diagnostics application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a database application, and an appointment/schedule application.  
     
     
         20 . A computer network system for an automobile, comprising: 
 a network;    at least one client computing device connected to the network; and    the vehicle computer as recited in    claim 16    connected to the network to serve content to the client computing device.