US 12240457

Here is a concise summary of US patent 12240457:

US Patent Number: US12240457B1

Title: Vehicle gear selection control

Assignee: Bulletproof Property Management LLC

Inventor: Bennet Langlotz

Filing Date: October 27, 2024 (for application US18/928,134)

Issue Date: March 4, 2025

Abstract: A motor vehicle for operation by a driver has a frame with wheels and a motor connected to the frame. A steering control is connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle. A controller is operably connected to the steering control, to the motor, and to the wheels, and is operable to selectably drive the wheels in a forward direction in a drive mode and in a rearward direction in a reverse mode. The controller is operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a vehicle's drive system to assist with gear changes. The system monitors the steering control while the vehicle is moving in one direction. Based on this steering input, the drive system suggests a change to the driver from the current drive mode (e.g., reverse) to the other drive mode (e.g., forward) or vice-versa. The vehicle then only performs this gear change if the driver provides an approval.
• Claim 12: This claim is structurally very similar to Claim 1. It describes a method where the vehicle's controller (rather than the "drive system" as in Claim 1) monitors the steering control while driving in a first direction. The controller then offers the driver a shift between drive and reverse modes based on the steering. The controller will only execute this gear change upon receiving driver approval.

Litigation Status:
The patent family for US12240457 is currently involved in litigation. A case has been filed in the Texas Western District Court (case number 1:25-cv-00665), and a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) case, IPR2026-00205, has also been filed and is currently pending.

No specific dockets for patent number 12240457 were found within the provided CAFC dockets for 2026. However, the Google Patents information confirms ongoing litigation related to the patent.