Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12240456, I will examine the "Citations" section of the patent document. This section lists the prior art references considered by the patent examiner.

Based on the provided patent text for US12240456, here's an analysis of the cited prior art:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US12240456

The patent itself identifies prior art in its "Background and Summary" and "Citations" sections. The core of US12240456 lies in a drive system that selects a driving direction based on steering angle patterns, without operator indication of a direction (Claim 1). This differentiates it from prior systems requiring explicit directional input or those limited to initial movements from a stopped position.

Here are the prior art references that appear most relevant to the distinct claims of US12240456, particularly those that deal with automated parking or gear selection:

1. US11932230B1 (Vehicle gear selection control)

   • Full Citation: US11932230B1, "Vehicle gear selection control," published 2024-03-19.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2023-06-05. Publication date: 2024-03-19. This patent is explicitly cited as a parent application of US12240456, making it highly relevant.
   • Brief Description: This patent is titled identically to US12240456 and is a direct continuation-in-part of US18/205,823, which later issued as US11932230B1. It likely covers foundational or related aspects of automated gear selection control in vehicles. The detailed description of US12240456 states, "This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/403,221 filed on Jan. 3, 2024, entitled “VEHICLE GEAR SELECTION CONTROL,” which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/205,823 filed on Jun. 5, 2023 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,932,230, entitled “VEHICLE GEAR SELECTION CONTROL,” which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all that is taught and disclosed therein." This establishes a direct lineage.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Given its direct relationship, this patent could potentially anticipate all claims of US12240456, depending on the scope of claims in US11932230B1 and how they overlap with the specific "pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction" claimed in US12240456. Further analysis of US11932230B1's claims would be needed for a precise determination.

2. US9085321B2 (Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same)

   • Full Citation: US9085321B2, "Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same," to Mando Corporation, published 2015-07-21.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2013-01-17. Publication date: 2015-07-21.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for unparking a vehicle. The description in US12240456 emphasizes "unparking" as a typical operation for its system. This reference is directly related to the application context.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: This patent could potentially anticipate claims related to automated gear selection during unparking maneuvers, specifically where the selection is based on vehicle state or driver actions, if it teaches selection "without operator indication of a direction." For example, elements of Claim 1 related to driving in a forward/rearward direction in response to patterns, or claims 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 which refer to specific thresholds or sequences of steering/velocity/distance, could be impacted if the Mando patent discloses similar automated unparking logic.

3. US20130110342A1 (Method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle)

   • Full Citation: US20130110342A1, "Method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle," to Volkswagen Ag, published 2013-05-02.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2010-05-12. Publication date: 2013-05-02.
   • Brief Description: This publication describes an assistance system and method for maneuvering a vehicle into or out of a parking space. This is highly relevant as US12240456 focuses on gear selection control during parking and unparking.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: Similar to US9085321B2, this reference could potentially anticipate aspects of Claim 1, as well as claims 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10, if it teaches automated direction selection during parking maneuvers based on vehicle parameters or driver inputs, particularly if it explicitly or implicitly removes the need for explicit directional input from the driver.

4. US20240051558A1 (Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis)

   • Full Citation: US20240051558A1, "Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis," to Tesla, Inc., published 2024-02-15.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2022-08-12. Publication date: 2024-02-15.
   • Brief Description: This Tesla publication concerns automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environmental analysis. Given Tesla is the defendant in the litigation, this is a highly relevant internal prior art for them, potentially describing systems that could be seen as infringing or anticipatory. The abstract of US12240456 specifically mentions "vehicle vision of other sensors may detect a circumstance in which there is an obstacle... The system may then offer the driver that proposed direction...".
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference could potentially anticipate Claim 1 and its dependent claims if it describes selecting a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements or environmental factors, without requiring explicit operator indication of direction. The "automated adjustment of vehicle direction" implies a degree of automation that could overlap.

5. CNET Cars, "Elon Musk explains Auto Shift feature in Model S," YouTube, Jun. 11, 2021.

   • Full Citation: CNET Cars, "Elon Musk explains Auto Shift feature in Model S," YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4bskxzZvEA, Jun. 11, 2021, Accessed Mar. 25, 2024.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: June 11, 2021.
   • Brief Description: This non-patent literature describes Elon Musk explaining the "Auto Shift" feature in the Tesla Model S. This is highly relevant as it directly discusses a vehicle's automatic gear shifting, particularly from a well-known manufacturer that is also a litigant. The patent itself mentions "Modern vehicles may employ computer touchscreen control, such as swiping up on the left edge of the screen to go forward and down to go in reverse. All these controls have a direction or element associated with each direction, and the driver indicates by the control operation which direction is desired." This suggests the patent is building upon or differentiating itself from existing automated shifting features.
   • Potential Anticipated Claims: This video could potentially anticipate aspects of Claim 1 if it demonstrates or describes a vehicle's ability to select a drive direction (e.g., from reverse to drive during an unparking maneuver) based on steering patterns, without requiring the driver to manually select the direction via a traditional shifter or touchscreen swipe. Specific details in the video about how the "Auto Shift" works would be crucial for a direct comparison against the "pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction" element of Claim 1 and its dependent claims.