Dashboard including rules to display data

1. Apparatus for displaying a dashboard display in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle data bus interface for communicating with vehicle subsystems of a vehicle management system;

a rules store for storing a set of dashboard display rules;

a dashboard display module for:

obtaining a dashboard display definition;

determining whether the dashboard display definition is in compliance with the dashboard display rules;

obtaining, where it is so determined, data from one or more of the vehicle subsystems in accordance with the dashboard display definition; and

displaying the obtained data in accordance with the dashboard display definition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dashboard display module is further configured to, where it is determined that the dashboard display definition is not in compliance with the dashboard display rules, modify the dashboard display definition to bring it into conformity with the dashboard display rules.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle data bus interface communicates with the vehicle subsystems through a vehicle data access manager of the vehicle management system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one set of rules stored in the rules store are obtained from the vehicle management system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one set of rules stored in the rules store are obtained from other than the vehicle management system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dashboard display module is further configured to obtain a geographical location of the vehicle and to determine compliance with at least some of the rules based on the obtained geographical location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface module for receiving user inputs and for sending control signals in response thereto to at least one of the vehicle subsystems.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a computing device removably attachable to the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the dashboard display is displayed on one of either a display element integral to the computing device or a display element external to the computing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the user interface module is configured to receive user inputs from at least one of the computing device, a display element integral to the computing device and a display element external to the computing device.

11. A computer implemented method of displaying a dashboard comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, a dashboard definition file;

determining, by the processor, whether the dashboard definition file complies with a set of dashboard display rules;

obtaining, by the processor, vehicle data from a vehicle management system in accordance with the dashboard definition file; and

displaying, on a display element coupled to the processor, the vehicle data in accordance with the dashboard definition file.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving, at the processor, user inputs associated with a vehicle subsystem, and sending control signals based on the receive inputs to the associated vehicle management system.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, receiving, at the processor, user inputs intended to modify the dashboard definition file; and determining, by the processor, whether the intended modifications comply with the set of dashboard display rules.

14. A vehicle management system comprising:

a vehicle data bus;

a plurality of vehicle subsystems connected via the vehicle bus;

a rules store for storing a set of dashboard display rules;

a dashboard display module for:

obtaining a dashboard display definition;

determining whether the dashboard display definition is in compliance with the dashboard display rules; and

a vehicle data access manager configured to:

receive a request to obtain data from a vehicle subsystem in accordance with the dashboard display definition, the request coming from a device external to the vehicle management system;

determine whether the request is acceptable;

obtaining, where it is so determined, the requested data; and

sending the obtained data to the device external to the vehicle management system.

15. The vehicle management system of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle data access manager is further configured to:

receive control signals intended to be sent to one of the vehicle subsystems;

determine whether control signals may be sent to the vehicle subsystem; and

sending, where it is so determined, the received control signals to the appropriate vehicle subsystem.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the set of dashboard display rules are stored in a rules store and are obtained from the vehicle management system.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising obtaining a geographical location of a vehicle in which the vehicle management system resides and determining compliance with at least some of the dashboard display rules based on the obtained geographical location.

18. The vehicle management system of claim 14 , wherein the set of dashboard display rules stored in the rules store are obtained from the vehicle management system.

19. The vehicle management system of claim 14 , wherein the dashboard display module is further obtains a geographical location of the vehicle in which the vehicle management system resides and determines compliance with at least some of the dashboard display rules based on the obtained geographical location.

20. The vehicle management system of claim 14 , wherein the dashboard display module further, where it is determined that the dashboard display definition is not in compliance with the dashboard display rules, modify the dashboard display definition to bring it into conformity with the dashboard display rules.