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.

Known litigation involving US patent 12240457 includes the following cases:

1. District Court Litigation

   • Plaintiff(s): Bulletproof Property Management LLC
   • Defendant(s): Tesla, Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division
   • Case Number: 1:25-cv-00665
   • Filing Date: May 5, 2025
   • Outcome or Current Status: Closed. The complaint alleged patent infringement against Tesla, Inc. for US Patent No. 11,932,230 and several "Follow-On Patents," including US12240457.

2. PTAB Litigation

   • Petitioner(s): Not explicitly identified in the available search results. The Google Patents source lists "Petitioner: " without a name.
   • Defendant(s): Bulletproof Property Management LLC (as the assignee of US12240457B1).
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2026-00205
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly identified in the available search results beyond the case being "filed" in the context of IPR2026.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Pending.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding has been filed against US patent 12240457. This proceeding is currently active and pending an institution decision, meaning the patent's claims have not yet been challenged on the merits by the PTAB. This gives a defendant a neutral defensive posture, as the patent's validity in the face of inter partes review has not yet been tested.

IPR2026-00205 — Tesla, Inc. v. Bulletproof Property Management LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-01-20
• Status: Pending. The petition was filed by Tesla, Inc. on 2026-01-20, and the PTAB is currently reviewing it to determine whether to institute a trial.
• Judge panel: As of October 20, 2025, the decision on institution for all IPR and PGR proceedings is made by USPTO Director John Squires, in consultation with at least three PTAB judges. The specific judges for the consultative panel are not yet public.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims challenged, prior art, and statutory bases (e.g., § 102 for anticipation, § 103 for obviousness) are not yet publicly available in the search results.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The statutory deadline for the institution decision is approximately six months from the filing date, which would be around 2026-07-20.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable; the proceeding has not reached this stage.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; the proceeding is pending.
• Appeal: Not applicable.
• Defensive value: This pending IPR indicates that at least one major entity, Tesla, Inc., perceives grounds to challenge the patent's validity. However, as the institution decision has not yet been rendered, all claims of US12240457 remain legally intact and have not been subjected to a PTAB merits review. The outcome of the institution decision will be crucial for assessing the patent's strength.

Strategic summary

As of 2026-05-28, US patent 12240457 is subject to one active Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2026-00205, initiated by Tesla, Inc. This IPR is currently in the pre-institution phase, meaning the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has not yet decided whether to institute a trial on the merits of the challenged claims. Consequently, all claims of US12240457 remain legally valid and have not been canceled or sustained by a PTAB final decision.

The institution decision for IPR2026-00205 is anticipated around July 20, 2026. Recent procedural shifts at the USPTO are relevant here: as of October 20, 2025, institution decisions for all IPRs and PGRs are made by the USPTO Director in consultation with PTAB judges. Furthermore, new discretionary factors announced on March 11, 2026, which consider domestic manufacturing presence and small business status, could also play a role in the institution decision, potentially impacting the likelihood of trial institution irrespective of the merits of the prior art.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, since no trial has been instituted or concluded, there are currently no estoppel implications under § 315(e)(2) for this patent. All prior-art grounds remain available for potential future challenges, either by Tesla, Inc. (if the current IPR is denied institution) or by other parties. The filing of an IPR by Tesla, Inc. signals a potential pattern of defensive action against this patent family, given that Tesla, Inc. has also been cited as an applicant in related art (e.g., US20240051558A1 and US12534092B2, cited by the patent itself and related to automated vehicle direction).

Recommended next steps

For a defendant facing assertion of US patent 12240457, the most important immediate action is to closely monitor the progress of IPR2026-00205. The institution decision, expected by approximately 2026-07-20, will be a pivotal event.

If the PTAB decides to institute the IPR, it means that Tesla, Inc. has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that at least one challenged claim is unpatentable, and those claims will proceed to trial. This would provide significant leverage for a defendant. If institution is denied, it would strengthen the patent against the specific grounds raised in Tesla's petition, making future IPR challenges on similar grounds potentially more difficult due to discretionary denial rules and the Director's new policy considerations.

It is also advisable for a defendant to analyze the claims of US12240457, particularly those cited in any assertion, against known prior art to develop an independent validity assessment, especially since the specific grounds of IPR2026-00205 are not yet public.

Inventors

Bennet Langlotz. The patent text does not specify an employer for the inventor.

Original assignee

The original assignee is Bulletproof Property Management LLC. The patent itself does not state whether Bulletproof Property Management LLC ships a product embodying the claims. The primary line of business for Bulletproof Property Management LLC is not explicitly stated in the patent. Based on the Google Patents legal status, the current status of the patent is "Active".

Assignment timeline

USPTO Assignment Search does not show any recorded assignments for US Patent 12240457. Therefore, it is assumed that the original assignee, Bulletproof Property Management LLC, still owns the patent.

Based on publicly available information, Bulletproof Property Management LLC appears to be involved in property management, with a presence in Clovis, CA, and Cuyahoga Falls, OH, operating as KMLK Property Management in the latter. It is unlikely that a property management company would ship a product embodying the claims of a vehicle gear selection control patent. There is also a company called "Bulletproof Innovations" that specializes in bulletproof doors and windows, and another called "BulletProof Real Estate Agent" that offers SEO services for real estate agents, but these appear to be distinct entities. Another "Bulletproof" brand is associated with health and wellness products, particularly "bulletproof coffee," but this also seems unrelated.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12240457
    2023 : Priority date
    2024 : Filed by Bulletproof Property Management LLC
    2025 : Issued to Bulletproof Property Management LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. There are no recorded assignments of the patent.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. While Bulletproof Property Management LLC is the plaintiff in a patent infringement lawsuit against Tesla, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (case 1:2025cv00665), whether this indicates it is a "known asserter" or NPE in a broader sense requires more extensive research into patent litigation databases and NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. There are no recorded assignments.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are no recorded assignments.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent was issued on March 4, 2025, and a litigation case (Bulletproof Property Management LLC v. Tesla, Inc.) was filed on May 5, 2025. This is within 6 months of issuance. However, without any recorded assignment, it's not a transfer specifically designed to enable assertion. The original assignee itself is the asserting entity.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy for Bulletproof Property Management LLC.
7. Privateering — unclear. There is no information in the patent or publicly available search results to suggest that Bulletproof Property Management LLC is asserting this patent on behalf of another operating company.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is not currently assigned to a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The patent is currently involved in litigation where Bulletproof Property Management LLC is the plaintiff against Tesla, Inc., and this litigation was filed shortly after the patent's issuance (May 5, 2025, vs. March 4, 2025 issuance date). Although there are no recorded assignments to a shell entity, it is highly unusual for a property management company to be the assignee and asserter of a vehicle gear selection control patent. This suggests that Bulletproof Property Management LLC, in the context of this patent, may be acting as a licensing or assertion entity, even if it also has a legitimate property management business. Further investigation into the company's other patent holdings and litigation history would be required for higher confidence.

USPTO Assignment Center Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

The USPTO database can be accessed via their Patent Public Search tool to look up specific patent numbers.

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art cited in US patent 12240457, considering each patent citation and its potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

US11932230B1 - Vehicle gear selection control

• Full Citation: US11932230B1, "Vehicle gear selection control"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: March 19, 2024. Filing date: June 5, 2023.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a vehicle gear selection control system where a controller selects a driving direction based on a pattern of steering angle movements, without explicit driver direction input, and preferably with only an indication of approval. It particularly focuses on "unparking" maneuvers, where the vehicle backs out, then shifts to drive. The system may use AI trained on fleet data to determine when an auto-shift is safe and desirable. Approval by the driver is preferably indicated by a non-direction-indicating signal, such as a brake tap or gesture.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent is a direct parent application (continuation-in-part) of US12240457B1, specifically 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. Therefore, it is highly relevant and likely anticipates many aspects of claims 1-22 under 35 U.S.C. § 102, particularly the core concept of automatically offering or enacting a gear shift based on steering patterns and driver approval during unparking maneuvers.

US20240051558A1 - Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis

• Full Citation: US20240051558A1, "Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: February 15, 2024. Priority date: August 12, 2022.
• Brief Description: This patent application, assigned to Tesla, Inc., describes systems for automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis. While the full text is not provided in the prompt, its title suggests a focus on autonomous or assisted driving systems that analyze the environment to influence vehicle direction.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1 and 12, particularly regarding a controller selecting a drive direction based on vehicle operation and environmental factors. The "automated adjustment of vehicle direction" might encompass or be analogous to the offering or enacting of a gear change based on detected driving patterns. Depending on the specifics of its claims, it may anticipate how steering or environmental analysis triggers a proposed direction change.

US20110080305A1 - Vehicle Park Assist System and Method for Parking a Vehicle Using Such System

• Full Citation: US20110080305A1, "Vehicle Park Assist System and Method for Parking a Vehicle Using Such System"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 7, 2011. Priority date: October 7, 2009.
• Brief Description: This Ford Global Technologies patent application describes a vehicle park assist system and method for parking a vehicle. Parking assist systems often involve automated steering and sometimes automated gear changes.
• Potential Anticipation: This likely anticipates systems that automatically assist with parking maneuvers, which inherently involve gear changes (e.g., between drive and reverse). Specifically, it could anticipate elements of claims 1 and 12 related to monitoring vehicle movement and initiating a change in drive mode within the context of parking, even if the driver still provides directional input.

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"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: May 2, 2013. Priority date: May 12, 2010.
• Brief Description: This Volkswagen AG patent application describes a method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space, and an associated assistance system and vehicle. This directly relates to parking and unparking scenarios.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference is highly relevant to US12240457B1, as the latter explicitly discusses "unparking" as a typical operation. This patent likely anticipates aspects of claims 1 and 12 concerning the vehicle controller monitoring steering and offering or enacting gear changes during parking/unparking maneuvers. The specifics of how "assistance" is provided and whether it includes implicit direction changes without explicit driver input would determine the exact scope of anticipation.

US9085321B2 - Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same

• Full Citation: US9085321B2, "Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: July 21, 2015. Priority date: January 17, 2013.
• Brief Description: This patent, assigned to Mando Corporation, explicitly covers an "unparking control system and unparking control method." This directly addresses the problem space of US12240457B1.
• Potential Anticipation: This is a very strong prior art candidate for claims 1 and 12, given its direct focus on unparking control. It likely anticipates methods where a vehicle system assists with the unparking process, which would involve managing gear changes. The critical factor for anticipation under § 102 would be whether this patent discloses the specific feature of offering a gear change based on steering control without operator indication of a direction, and then enacting it based on a non-directional approval.

US20160075329A1 - Parking assist system and path determination method

• Full Citation: US20160075329A1, "Parking assist system and path determination method"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: March 17, 2016. Priority date: September 12, 2014.
• Brief Description: This Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha patent application describes a parking assist system and a path determination method. Such systems are fundamental to automated or assisted parking.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference could anticipate elements of claims 1 and 12 related to automated parking assistance, which inherently involves coordinated control of steering and propulsion (and thus gear changes). Its relevance depends on whether it describes offering or enacting gear changes based on steering patterns and non-directional driver approval.

US20200404192A1 - Vehicle-mounted device

• Full Citation: US20200404192A1, "Vehicle-mounted device"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: December 24, 2020. Priority date: March 9, 2018.
• Brief Description: This Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. patent application relates to a "vehicle-mounted device." This is a broad category, but the citation in the context of gear selection suggests it likely pertains to vehicle control or driver assistance.
• Potential Anticipation: Without further details on the specific "vehicle-mounted device," it is difficult to precisely assess its anticipation. However, given its citation in US12240457B1, it might describe components or methods used in vehicle control systems, possibly related to sensing, processing, or driver interaction that could be relevant to the gear selection control, especially for claims 1 and 12 if it touches upon automated functions and driver input.

US20210300349A1 - Vehicle movement assist system

• Full Citation: US20210300349A1, "Vehicle movement assist system"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: September 30, 2021. Priority date: March 31, 2020.
• Brief Description: This Honda Motor Co., Ltd. patent application focuses on a "vehicle movement assist system." Such systems typically aid drivers in various maneuvers, including parking or low-speed operations.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference is likely to anticipate aspects of claims 1 and 12, as "vehicle movement assist" would almost certainly involve controlling the drive system and potentially suggesting or automating gear changes. The key differentiating factor for US12240457B1 would be the absence of explicit directional input from the driver for the gear change itself, relying instead on approval.

Other cited patents:

The remaining cited patents appear to be less directly relevant to the core novelty of US12240457B1 as defined by its independent claims, which focus on offering a gear change based on steering patterns without explicit directional input and awaiting driver approval. Many of these relate to general vehicle control, braking, or broader parking assist systems. While they contribute to the overall landscape of vehicle control, their direct anticipation of claims 1 and 12 regarding the specific interaction of steering-based offering and non-directional approval for gear shifts is less apparent from their titles alone.

• US5436833A - Shift-to-neutral reminder prompt system/method: This likely covers systems that remind a driver to shift to neutral, which is different from automatically offering a drive/reverse shift based on steering and accepting non-directional input.
• US20130144492A1 - Parking mode selection apparatus and method: This may involve driver selection of a parking mode, but not necessarily an automated direction change without explicit directional input.
• US20130184979A1 - Method and System for Detection of Motor Vehicle Movement to Avoid Collisions: Focuses on collision avoidance, not direct gear selection control based on steering patterns for routine maneuvers.
• US9219887B2 - Drive assist device: Broad title, but likely covers various assist functions, not necessarily the specific gear selection mechanism claimed. (Note: The search results for this patent number provided information for "Delayed release pancreatin compositions", which is clearly unrelated. This suggests that the patent number US9219887B2 cited in the Google Patents listing for US12240457B1 may be a typo or refers to a different patent.)
• US9381922B2 - Detection of parking maneuver in a motor vehicle: Focuses on detecting a parking maneuver, which is a precursor to the claimed invention, but not the inventive step of offering a direction change without explicit directional input.
• US20200207334A1 - System, method, infrastructure, and vehicle for automated valet parking: While involving automated parking, the emphasis is on "valet parking," which often implies a higher level of autonomy than the driver-approved shift in US12240457B1.
• US11001301B2 - Method for moving a motor vehicle out of a parking space with at least semi-autonomous manoeuvring of the motor vehicle up to an end position, driver assistance system and motor vehicle: This is highly relevant as it addresses moving out of a parking space (unparking) with semi-autonomous maneuvering. It could be close prior art if it describes a system that offers a direction change without explicit driver direction input and accepts non-directional approval.
• US20210269019A1 - Parking Assistance System for Automated Pulling-Out of a Longitudinal Parking Space With a Reversing Move as the Last Pulling-Out Move: This is also very relevant to unparking, specifically from longitudinal spaces. Similar to the above, its anticipation hinges on the specific interaction of offering and non-directional approval.
• US11623636B2 - Display device for vehicle and parking assist system: Focuses on the display aspect of a parking assist system, not necessarily the core logic of automatic gear selection based on steering patterns and non-directional approval.
• US12049217B2 - Parking support device: Broad, but generally related to parking assistance.
• US12084047B2 - Vehicle driving assist system: Broad, covers general driving assistance.
• US12151677B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, program, and vehicle: Broad, covers general vehicle control.

Correction Regarding US9219887B2:
Upon closer inspection of the search results, the USPTO entry for patent number US9219887B2 shows the title "Delayed release pancreatin compositions". This is a clear contradiction with the expected subject matter of "Vehicle gear selection control" given its presence as a citation in US12240457B1. It appears there might be an error in the Google Patents citation list for US12240457B1, or a different patent with this number exists in another jurisdiction which is not being returned by a US-specific search. For the purpose of this analysis, based on the USPTO search result, US9219887B2 (Delayed release pancreatin compositions) is not relevant prior art to US12240457B1.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 12240457 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis assesses the obviousness of claims 1 and 12 of US Patent 12240457B1 by combining elements from the cited prior art references. A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in vehicle control systems would have been motivated to combine these references to achieve the claimed invention.

Independent Claims

The two independent claims, Claim 1 and Claim 12, are substantially similar. For the purpose of this obviousness analysis, we will focus on the elements common to both:

• A method of operating a motor vehicle having a steering control and a drive system/controller operable to selectably drive wheels in a drive mode and in a reverse mode.
• Step 1: The drive system/controller monitoring the steering control while driving in a first direction.
• Step 2: The drive system/controller offering a driver a change from one of the drive mode and reverse mode to the other based on the steering control.
• Step 3: The drive system/controller changing from the one of the drive mode and reverse mode to the other in response to an approval by the driver of the offered change.

Combination of Prior Art References

We propose the combination of:

1. US9085321B2 (Mando Corporation): "Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same." This patent describes a system that performs automatic unparking control, inherently involving monitoring vehicle conditions and executing gear changes.
2. Prior Art Acknowledged in US12240457B1's Background: The background section of US12240457B1 explicitly describes an existing system that offers a driver a proposed direction (e.g., when initially proceeding from a parked condition) and accepts a non-directional input for driver confirmation.

Obviousness Argument

Step 1: Monitoring steering control while driving in a first direction.
US9085321B2 (Mando) teaches an "unparking control system and unparking control method" that involves "performing automatic unparking control based on the unparking condition". This automatic control requires the system to monitor various vehicle parameters, including steering angle and vehicle movement (e.g., "moving the vehicle backward or forward while controlling the steering angle of the vehicle wheels"). Therefore, Mando clearly teaches the drive system/controller monitoring the steering control while driving in a first direction (e.g., reversing out of a parking spot).

Step 2: Offering a driver a change from one of the drive mode and reverse mode to the other based on the steering control.
Mando's unparking system inherently determines when a gear change is necessary (e.g., from reverse to drive to complete the unparking maneuver), based on the calculated optimal path, which is driven by steering angle and vehicle position. A PHOSITA would understand that the algorithms within Mando's system (or similar parking assist systems like US20130110342A1 by Volkswagen) use steering angle patterns and other vehicle parameters to identify the appropriate moment for a gear shift to facilitate the maneuver. The concept of "offering" this shift to the driver, rather than performing it automatically, would be a straightforward design choice to ensure driver oversight and safety.

Step 3: Changing modes in response to an approval by the driver of the offered change.
The background of US12240457B1 explicitly details prior art where a vehicle system "may then offer the driver that proposed direction, and the driver then for safety reasons indicates (such as by a tap on the brake) that the proposed direction is safe and correct.". It further clarifies that "the driver confirmation of the direction is provided by a control input that conveys no direction information and is the same input regardless of direction proposed.". This directly teaches the concept of offering a direction change and accepting a non-directional driver approval. Examples of such non-directional approval, explicitly mentioned in the patent's description, include "a brake tap sequence 140 or other non-direction indicating signal such as a button click, voice command, or visually-detected gesture.".

Motivation to Combine

A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the teachings of Mando (or similar unparking assist systems) with the known "offer-and-approve" mechanism for gear selection for the following reasons:

1. Enhanced Convenience and Reduced Distraction: Unparking maneuvers often involve multiple gear shifts and steering adjustments in dynamic environments (e.g., parking lots with other vehicles and pedestrians). The patent itself notes that "The screen swipe [for gear selection] may be a distraction, require visual observation to reach a small area, and may be a non-intuitive direction for some users." By leveraging the gear change determination logic of an unparking system like Mando's and presenting it as an offer requiring only a non-directional approval (as described in the patent's background), the driver's task is simplified. This reduces cognitive load and visual distraction, allowing the driver to focus on the surroundings during a critical maneuver.
2. Improved Safety: Integrating a clear offer with driver confirmation (even non-directional) ensures that the driver retains ultimate control and can override or approve the system's suggestion, which is crucial for safety. The patent explicitly states, "Errors of enacted shifts are intolerable as they may cause accidents, so approval preferably needs to be indicated before an offered shift is enacted." Applying the known non-directional approval method to the gear changes calculated by an unparking system provides this safety mechanism while still offering convenience.
3. Efficiency: The patent highlights that "Auto-shifting may reduce exposer to traffic and enable safe unparking with smaller traffic gaps by reducing the D-E time period that would be taken enacting a manual shift, with the attendant distraction." This demonstrates a clear motivation for combining existing automated shift determination with streamlined, non-directional driver approval to make unparking more efficient.

Therefore, it would have been obvious for a PHOSITA to combine an unparking control system that determines optimal gear shifts based on steering (as taught by Mando or Volkswagen) with the well-known mechanism of offering a proposed gear direction and accepting a non-directional driver approval (as acknowledged in the patent's own background), to create a more convenient, safer, and efficient vehicle operation during unparking maneuvers.

The dependent claims, which further specify criteria such as patterns/sequences of steering movements (claims 2, 3, 13, 14), specific approval inputs like brake actuation (claims 4, 5, 11, 15, 16, 22), steering angle thresholds (claims 6, 17), velocity thresholds (claims 7, 18), and distance traveled (claims 8, 19), describe parameters and methods that are commonly employed in sophisticated vehicle control and driver assistance systems and would be readily apparent to a PHOSITA implementing the combination described above. These are merely conventional implementations of the broader concept.