Vehicle application store for console

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an application store on board a vehicle. The application store contains, in one configuration, a plurality of applications for installation on an on board computer of the vehicle, with the applications provided to the vehicle operator being provided to the operator being based on predetermined types of information related to the vehicle, its state, operation, and/or configuration, vehicle location, vehicle type, make, model, and/or year of manufacture, and/or occupant(s) and/or occupant(s) of other vehicles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 providing, by a microprocessor executable application manager, a vehicle operator with an application store, the application store comprising information relating to a plurality of applications available for installation on a vehicle computer;   receiving, from the vehicle operator, a request to install at least one of the plurality of applications; and   installing, by the application manager, the selected at least one of the plurality of applications in an electronic readable memory of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 configuring the application store based on one or more of vehicle state, configuration, and/or operation.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said configuring comprises at least one of:
 (i) determining a relative ranking of each of the plurality of applications;   (ii) determining which applications are to be included in the plurality of applications; and   (iii) enabling and/or disabling one or more features and/or functions of the application store.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of applications comprise applications directed to one or more of the following: a vehicle control application, application associated with at least one vehicle task, function, and operation, application related to handicap and accessibility graphical user interfaces, email client, web browser, communications application, game, entertainment application, satellite positioning system receiver application, automotive navigation application or device, map application, medical information application, emergency service application, noise suppression application, news-related application, vehicle manual related application, weather information-related application, biometric application, travel application, speech recognition application such as to provide hands-free voice control of other applications, application to read to the operator Really Simple Syndication (“RSS”) feeds, Twitter messages, email messages, and/or instant messages, social networking application, streaming media application, and utility application, wherein the application store configuration is based on sensed information received from one or more vehicle sensors, and wherein the sensed information comprises one or more of the following: wheel state, vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, wheel rotation, wheel speed, wheel slip, power source energy output, engine speed, energy input and/or output, turbine speed, input speed, crankshaft position, manifold absolute pressure, mass flow, switch state, a transmission setting, a gear control current setting, a setting of a power controller, a state of a braking system, a seat setting, a weight and/or identity of seated occupant, exterior sound levels, interior sound levels, safety system state, light setting, brake control setting, accelerator pedal setting or angle, clutch pedal setting, emergency brake pedal setting, door setting, engine temperature, passenger compartment or cabin temperature sensor, window setting, imaging output, odometer reading, trip mileage reading, wind speed, radar transmitter/receiver output, brake wear, steering/torque, oxygen level, ambient lighting, ranging sensor output, parking sensor output, heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor output, water sensor output, air-fuel ratio meter output, blind spot monitor output, hall effect sensor output, radio frequency (RF) sensor output, infrared (IR) sensor output, vehicle control system sensor output, wireless network sensor output, vehicle location, vehicle direction of travel, and cellular data sensor output. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application store configuration is based on observed behavior of the vehicle operator and/or behaviors of operators of other vehicles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application store configuration is based on one or more of a type, make, model and/or year of manufacture of the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the configuring comprises step (i). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the configuring comprises step (ii). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the configuring comprises step (iii). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein an application store configuration is based on one or more of whether a communication device, separate from the vehicle, is docked or otherwise in signal communication with the application manager and a configuration of and/or applications stored on and executable by the communication device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the application manager changes license restrictions or permissions to enable one or more of the applications stored on the communication device to execute on a processor on-board the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . A tangible, non-transient computer readable medium, comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed, perform the following steps:
 providing a vehicle operator with an application store, the application store comprising information relating to a plurality of applications available for installation on a vehicle computer; and   receiving, from the vehicle operator, a request to install at least one of the plurality of applications in an electronic readable memory of the vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, perform the further step:
 configuring the application store based on one or more of vehicle state, configuration, and/or operation.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said configuring comprises at least one of:
 (i) determining a relative ranking of each of the plurality of applications;   (ii) determining which applications are to be included in the plurality of applications; and   (iii) enabling and/or disabling one or more features and/or functions of the application store.   
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of applications comprise applications directed to one or more of the following: a vehicle control application, application associated with at least one vehicle task, function, and operation, application related to handicap and accessibility graphical user interfaces, email client, web browser, communications application, game, entertainment application, satellite positioning system receiver application, automotive navigation application or device, map application, medical information application, emergency service application, noise suppression application, news-related application, vehicle manual related application, weather information-related application, biometric application, travel application, speech recognition application such as to provide hands-free voice control of other applications, application to read to the operator Really Simple Syndication (“RSS”) feeds, Twitter messages, email messages, and/or instant messages, social networking application, streaming media application, and utility application, wherein the application store configuration is based on sensed information received from one or more vehicle sensors, and wherein the sensed information comprises one or more of the following: wheel state, vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, wheel rotation, wheel speed, wheel slip, power source energy output, engine speed, energy input and/or output, turbine speed, input speed, crankshaft position, manifold absolute pressure, mass flow, switch state, a transmission setting, a gear control current setting, a setting of a power controller, a state of a braking system, a seat setting, a weight and/or identity of seated occupant, exterior sound levels, interior sound levels, safety system state, light setting, brake control setting, accelerator pedal setting or angle, clutch pedal setting, emergency brake pedal setting, door setting, engine temperature, passenger compartment or cabin temperature sensor, window setting, imaging output, odometer reading, trip mileage reading, wind speed, radar transmitter/receiver output, brake wear, steering/torque, oxygen level, ambient lighting, ranging sensor output, parking sensor output, heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor output, water sensor output, air-fuel ratio meter output, blind spot monitor output, hall effect sensor output, radio frequency (RF) sensor output, infrared (IR) sensor output, vehicle control system sensor output, wireless network sensor output, vehicle location, vehicle direction of travel, and cellular data sensor output. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the application store configuration is based on observed behavior of the vehicle operator and/or behaviors of operators of other vehicles. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the application store configuration is based on one or more of a type, make, model and/or year of manufacture of the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the configuring comprises step (i). 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the configuring comprises step (ii). 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the configuring comprises step (iii). 
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein an application store configuration is based on one or more of whether a communication device, separate from the vehicle, is docked or otherwise in signal communication with the microprocessor and a configuration of and/or applications stored on and executable by the communication device. 
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the microprocessor changes license restrictions or permissions to enable one or more of the applications stored on the communication device to execute on a processor on-board the vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . A device, comprising:
 a microprocessor executable application manager operable to:
 provide a vehicle operator with an application store, the application store comprising information relating to a plurality of applications available for installation on a vehicle computer; 
 receive, from the vehicle operator, a request to install at least one of the plurality of applications; and 
 install, by the application manager, the selected at least one of the plurality of applications in an electronic readable memory of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the application manager is further operable to:
 configure the application store based on one or more of vehicle state, configuration, and/or operation.   
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said configuring comprises at least one of:
 (i) determining a relative ranking of each of the plurality of applications;   (ii) determining which applications are to be included in the plurality of applications; and   (iii) enabling and/or disabling one or more features and/or functions of the application store.   
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of applications comprise applications directed to one or more of the following: a vehicle control application, application associated with at least one vehicle task, function, and operation, application related to handicap and accessibility graphical user interfaces, email client, web browser, communications application, game, entertainment application, satellite positioning system receiver application, automotive navigation application or device, map application, medical information application, emergency service application, noise suppression application, news-related application, vehicle manual related application, weather information-related application, biometric application, travel application, speech recognition application such as to provide hands-free voice control of other applications, application to read to the operator Really Simple Syndication (“RSS”) feeds, Twitter messages, email messages, and/or instant messages, social networking application, streaming media application, and utility application, wherein the application store configuration is based on sensed information received from one or more vehicle sensors, and wherein the sensed information comprises one or more of the following: wheel state, vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, wheel rotation, wheel speed, wheel slip, power source energy output, engine speed, energy input and/or output, turbine speed, input speed, crankshaft position, manifold absolute pressure, mass flow, switch state, a transmission setting, a gear control current setting, a setting of a power controller, a state of a braking system, a seat setting, a weight and/or identity of seated occupant, exterior sound levels, interior sound levels, safety system state, light setting, brake control setting, accelerator pedal setting or angle, clutch pedal setting, emergency brake pedal setting, door setting, engine temperature, passenger compartment or cabin temperature sensor, window setting, imaging output, odometer reading, trip mileage reading, wind speed, radar transmitter/receiver output, brake wear, steering/torque, oxygen level, ambient lighting, ranging sensor output, parking sensor output, heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor output, water sensor output, air-fuel ratio meter output, blind spot monitor output, hall effect sensor output, radio frequency (RF) sensor output, infrared (IR) sensor output, vehicle control system sensor output, wireless network sensor output, vehicle location, vehicle direction of travel, and cellular data sensor output. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the application store configuration is based on observed behavior of the vehicle operator and/or behaviors of operators of other vehicles. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the application store configuration is based on one or more of a type, make, model and/or year of manufacture of the vehicle. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the configuring comprises operation (i). 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the configuring comprises operation (ii). 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the configuring comprises operation (iii). 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein an application store configuration is based on one or more of whether a communication device, separate from the vehicle, is docked or otherwise in signal communication with the application manager and a configuration of and/or applications stored on and executable by the communication device. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the application manager changes license restrictions or permissions to enable one or more of the applications stored on the communication device to execute on a processor on-board the vehicle. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a passenger compartment for the vehicle operator;   a transmission;   a power source to provide power to the transmission;   a plurality of sensors to collect the sensed information; and   a vehicle control system to control vehicle operations.