Communications involving disparate protocol network/bus and device subsystems

A method for providing information among a plurality of disparate subsystems using a plurality of managers and a common module, comprising:

• registering at least first, second and third disparate subsystem managers using a base manager of said common module, said first disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a first disparate subsystem, said second disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a second disparate subsystem and said third disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a third disparate subsystem, said first, second and third disparate subsystems include:
• a wireless communications device, transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and one of the following:
• a security manager that monitors external applications attempting to connect to at least one of said first, second and third disparate subsystem managers, a flow manager that enables communications involving at least one of said disparate subsystem managers, and a configuration manager that performs configuration tasks;
• obtaining first information from said first disparate subsystem using said first disparate subsystem manager, said obtaining step includes creating a first child component process using at least said second disparate subsystem manager and registering said first child component process using said base manager;
• sending said first information from said first disparate subsystem;
• transmitting second information using said third disparate subsystem manager to an external application;
• and
• creating a second child component process and registering said second child component process using said base manager;
• wherein each of said registering steps includes associating an identifier with each of said first, second and third disparate subsystem managers and associating an identifier with each of said first and second child component processes.

A system for providing communications in a vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of disparate subsystems located in the vehicle and including a protocol stack, a global positioning system (GPS), voice recognition (VR) and at least one of:
• an intelligent transport system data bus (IDB) and a controller area network (CAN);
• and
• a communications apparatus operatively connected to each of said disparate subsystems that enables communications between them, said communications apparatus including:
• at least four disparate subsystem managers and each of said disparate subsystems being dedicated to one of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, wherein each of said disparate subsystems communicates with its dedicated disparate subsystem manager and any communication involving a particular one of said disparate subsystems requires communication with said disparate subsystem manager to which said particular one disparate subsystem is dedicated, at least some of said disparate subsystem managers provide messages to others of said disparate subsystem managers, respond to messages from others of said disparate subsystem managers and create connections with others of said disparate subsystem managers;
• and
• at least four common module managers, wherein each of said at least four disparate subsystem managers uses a common communications protocol when communicating with each of said at least four common module managers and each of said disparate subsystems communicates with its dedicated disparate subsystem manager using a native interface that is different from native interfaces of the others of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, and in which each of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, each of said disparate subsystems and each of said at least four common module managers is located with the vehicle.

A method for communicating with a number of vehicles, comprising:

• providing a plurality of communications apparatuses including a first communication apparatus and a second communications apparatus, each of the number of vehicles having a different one of said plurality of communications apparatuses;
• providing at least a first fleet management subsystem that manages at least a plurality of the number of vehicles in the fleet;
• providing a portal apparatus located remotely from each of said fleet management subsystem and each of said plurality of communications apparatuses;
• providing a first communications network by which said portal apparatus communicates with each of said plurality of communications apparatuses and a second communications network by which said portal apparatus communicates with said fleet management subsystem;
• maintaining information by said portal apparatus related to an identity of software being used by each of said communications apparatuses and in which said identity of software for said first communications apparatus is different from said identity of software for said second communications apparatus;
• updating software in each of said plurality of communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;
• obtaining vehicle operational data from each of said plurality of communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;
• storing said vehicle operational data in memory of said portal apparatus;
• gathering diagnostic data from each of said communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;
• storing said diagnostic data in said memory of said portal apparatus;
• notifying said first fleet management subsystem by said portal apparatus of said identity of software being used by at least said first and second communications apparatuses;
• and
• sending at least some of said vehicle operational data and said diagnostic data to said first fleet management subsystem by said portal apparatus.