Assignment history

Inventors

Bennet Langlotz is the sole named inventor. His employer at the time of filing is not explicitly stated in the patent document. There is no information to suggest inventors departing the original assignee.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent US12240457B1 is Bulletproof Property Management LLC.

Based on the provided patent text, there is no information about whether Bulletproof Property Management LLC ships a product embodying the claims, its primary line of business, or its current operational status (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy).

Assignment timeline

A search on the USPTO Assignment Center for patent number US12240457B1 yields the following recorded assignment:

• 2024-01-03 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-27 — Reel 069032/0845
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LANGLOTZ, Bennet
  • Assignee: BULLETPROOF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRENT JOHNSON (LAW OFFICE OF BRENT JOHNSON, P.C. 14212 N. MAY AVE., STE. 100, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73134)
  • Context: Original assignment from inventor to assignee.

This is the only assignment record found for US12240457B1 on the USPTO Assignment Center. This means that, as of today, Bulletproof Property Management LLC is the recorded owner of the patent.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12240457B1
    2023 : Priority date
    2024 : Filed and assigned to Bulletproof Property Mgmt LLC
    2025 : Issued
    2025 : Litigation filed against Tesla
    2026 : IPR filed by Unified Patents

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. The initial assignment is from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC. While "Property Management LLC" in the name might suggest a business focused on real estate rather than product manufacturing, there's no direct evidence within the patent itself to confirm whether they ship a product embodying the claims. However, searching for "Bulletproof Property Management LLC" reveals it is doing business as KMLK Property Management, an active residential property management company in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This suggests it is an operating company in the property management sector, not necessarily a shell for patent assertion in the automotive industry. Other entities like "Bulletproof Innovations LLC" and "BulletProof Real Estate Agent" exist, dealing with physical security products and real estate agent SEO, respectively, but they are distinct from "Bulletproof Property Management LLC". It's unclear if an operating property management company would also be involved in vehicle gear selection control technology.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Bulletproof Property Management LLC is not a known entity on common NPE lists. However, Google Patents indicates litigation against Tesla, Inc. This is a strong indicator of assertion, even if the entity is not widely known as an NPE yet.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. Only one assignment from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC is recorded. The correspondent for this assignment is BRENT JOHNSON (LAW OFFICE OF BRENT JOHNSON, P.C. 14212 N. MAY AVE., STE. 100, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73134). Without further assignments for this patent or a broader search of this site's tracked patents, it is not possible to determine if this correspondent recurs.

4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There is only a single assignment recorded for this patent.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. The assignment from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC was recorded on October 27, 2024 (Reel 069032/0845). The district court litigation against Tesla, Inc. (1:25-cv-00665) was filed on May 5, 2025. This means the assignment occurred approximately six months before the lawsuit was filed. While close, this is on the edge of the 6-month window to definitively mark it as a "pre-litigation transfer."

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication of the original assignee filing for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no public information or SEC filings available to suggest that Bulletproof Property Management LLC is asserting this patent on behalf of an operating company against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain does not end at a defensive aggregator. Instead, an IPR has been filed against the patent by Unified Patents, which is an anti-NPE organization. This indicates that Unified Patents views this patent as one that could be used in an NPE assertion campaign.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The moderate confidence stems from the combination of the timing of the assignment relative to the litigation filing and the fact that Bulletproof Property Management LLC, primarily a property management company, is asserting a vehicle technology patent against Tesla, Inc. The assignment from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC was recorded on October 27, 2024 (Reel 069032/0845), approximately six months before the infringement suit against Tesla, Inc. was filed on May 5, 2025. This proximity, along with the assignee's apparent primary business outside of automotive technology, are signals consistent with NPE activity. Furthermore, Unified Patents, a defensive aggregator, has filed an IPR against this patent (IPR2026-00205), suggesting they perceive it as a threat from an NPE.

For verification, you can search the USPTO Assignment Center for US12240457B1 at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.