Vehicle designs have traditionally been tailored to give information or feedback to the driver or operator, while the vehicle is in operation. In recent years, automobile makers have designed systems whereby the car can “communicate” through a standard electronic mail (“E-mail”) alert to the car owner or dealership regarding the general maintenance schedule for the car, a new problem or device failure on the car or another related issue. The “OnStar” system is a system found on some automobiles whereby the operator can communicate with a technician or emergency services personnel regarding operation of the car.
As vehicle systems evolve, there is a growing need for “non-vehicle operators” to monitor and interact with the vehicle. For example, parents may want to monitor an automobile when their children are driving, vehicle designers may want to monitor the vehicle operations during testing or normal every day use, companies may want to monitor company-owned or operated vehicles during operation for liability and information purposes, along with other related uses.