Manager level device/service arbitrator and methods

A method for managing access to service entities to enable use of the service entities under control of a plurality of computer applications to render a plurality of services that require the same first one of the service entities, a first of the computer applications consisting of a vehicle application to perform a non-emergency-warning service as the first service, the first service entity consisting of a vehicle component for performing the non-emergency-warning service for a driver of the vehicle, a second of the computer applications consisting of a vehicle-emergency-warning application to perform a vehicle-emergency-warning service as the second service, the vehicle component to be used by the vehicle-emergency-warning application to perform the vehicle-emergency-warning service to warn the vehicle driver of an urgent vehicle problem with respect to the vehicle;

• the method comprising the operations of:
• a first requesting of a first priority level, the first requesting being by the first application for rendering the first service, the first requesting being made to a first service manager that is specific to managing only the first service;
• a second requesting of a second priority level, the second requesting being by the second application for rendering the second service, the second requesting being made to a second service manager that is specific to managing only the second service;
• a first returning, the first returning being of a first priority object with a first assigned priority level, the first returning of the first priority level being by a first priority factory, the first priority factory being specific to the first service manager, the first returning being in response to the requesting of the first priority level, the first assigned priority level having a first value according to the importance of the first service relative to the importance of the second service;
• a second returning, the second returning being of a second priority object with a second assigned priority level, the second returning being by a second priority factory, the second priority factory being specific to the second service manager, the second returning being in response to the second requesting, the second assigned priority level having a second value according to the importance of the second service relative to the importance of the first service;
• a first making of a request, the first making requesting the first requested service from the first service manager, the first making being by the first application, the first making including data for carrying out the first service, the first making including the first priority object;
• first identifying the first service entity as being required to carry out the first service, the first identifying being by the first service manager that is specific to managing only the first service;
• a third requesting of access to the first service entity, the third requesting being by the first service manager, the third requesting including the returned first priority object, the returned first priority object including the first assigned priority level representing the priority of the first application for rendering the first service using the first service entity;
• first determining that the first service entity is not in-use;
• first granting access to the first service entity for the first application to control rendering the first service using the first service entity;
• a second making of a request, the second making requesting the second service from the second service manager, the second making being by the second application, the second making including data for carrying out the second service, the second making including the second priority object;
• second identifying the first service entity as being required to carry out the second service, the second identifying being by the second service manager that is specific to managing only the second service;
• a fourth requesting of access to the first service entity, the fourth requesting being by the second service manager, the fourth requesting end including the returned second priority object, the fourth requesting including the second assigned priority level representing the priority of the second application for rendering the second service using the first service entity;
• comparing the first value to the second value, the first value being of the first priority level that is in-use and under control of the first application with respect to the first service entity, the second value being of the second priority level requested to be in-use by the second application with respect to the first service entity for the second service;
• a second determining that the first value exceeds the second value;
• second granting of the request of the first making of a request, the second granting commanding the first application to continue rendering the first service using the first service entity and commanding the second application to not render the second service using the first service entity during the continued use;
• a third determining that the first value is less than the second value;
• discontinuing the rendering of the first service using the first service entity;
• and
• third granting of the request of the second making of a request, the granting commanding the second application to render the second service using the first service entity.