Vehicle and device software updates propagated via a viral communication contact

Abstract

A system for vehicle to another party communications that includes a vehicle personality module adapted to create a vehicle personality and a communications system that utilizes the created vehicle personality for one or more communications instead of a user's profile. The one or more communications are associated with one or more of an identifier and an icon representing the vehicle personality, with this identifier and/or icon sent with at least one communication and displayable to the recipient of the communication.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system for updating one or more of software and firmware between vehicles comprising:
 a vehicle detection module that determines a proximity of one or more other vehicles within a communication range of a vehicle;   a message module that queries the one or more other vehicles within the communication range of the vehicle to determine a version of the one or more of software and firmware in the one or more other vehicles;   a status module that determines whether the vehicle has an update to the version of the one or more of software and firmware in the one or more other vehicles; and   a vehicle firmware/software system that pushes all or a portion of the update from the vehicle to the one or more other vehicles when the vehicle has the update.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is partially pushed to the one or more other vehicles from a plurality of update providing vehicles. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is partially updated from a central repository. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is pushed based on one or more rules or preferences associated with the one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is pushed based on a projected proximity of the vehicle to the one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is pushed from the one or more other vehicles to one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the update is sharable with one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein a diagnostics module confirms an integrity of the update. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the message module broadcasts the availability of the update to one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the message module confirms the update is correct for the one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         31 . A method for updating one or more of software and firmware between vehicles comprising:
 determining a proximity of one or more other vehicles within a communication range of a vehicle;   querying the one or more other vehicles within the communication range of the vehicle to determine a version of the one or more of software and firmware in the one or more other vehicles;   determining whether the vehicle has an update to the version of the one or more of software and firmware in the one or more other vehicles; and   pushing all or a portion of the update from the vehicle to the one or more other vehicles when the vehicle has the update.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is partially pushed to the one or more other vehicles from a plurality of update providing vehicles. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is partially updated from a central repository. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is pushed based on one or more rules or preferences associated with the one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is pushed based on a projected proximity of the vehicle to the one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is pushed from the one or more other vehicles to one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the update is sharable with one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein a diagnostics module confirms an integrity of the update. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the message module broadcasts the availability of the update to one or more additional vehicles. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the message module confirms the update is correct for the one or more other vehicles.