US 12240458

US Patent 12240458, titled "Vehicle gear selection control," was issued to Bulletproof Property Management LLC. The patent lists Bennet Langlotz as the inventor. The application was filed on October 27, 2024, and the patent was granted and published on March 4, 2025.

The abstract describes a motor vehicle operated by a driver, featuring a frame with wheels and a motor. A steering control is connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle. A controller is operably connected to the steering control, motor, and wheels, and is capable of selectively driving the wheels forward in a drive mode or rearward in a reverse mode. Crucially, this controller can select a direction for driving the wheels solely based on patterns of steering angle movements, without requiring any operator indication of the desired direction.

A plain-language overview of the independent claims is as follows:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim defines a motor vehicle with a system that automatically chooses the driving direction (forward or reverse) based on how the steering wheel is moved. It includes a vehicle frame with wheels, a motor, and a steering control that dictates the steering angle. A "drive system" connects these components and can make the vehicle move forward or backward. The key aspect is that this drive system selects the direction based purely on steering angle movements, eliminating the need for the driver to manually indicate the direction (e.g., by shifting a lever or tapping a touchscreen).

• Independent Claim 11: Similar to Claim 1, this claim also describes a motor vehicle capable of automatic gear selection based on steering. It specifies a "controller" (rather than a "drive system") connected to the steering control, motor, and wheels. This controller is responsible for driving the wheels in either a forward or reverse mode and for selecting the appropriate direction based on patterns of steering angle movements, without the driver having to provide a specific directional input.

Regarding litigation, the patent family is currently involved in legal proceedings. A case related to this patent has been filed in the Texas Western District Court (case number 1:25-cv-00665). Additionally, a PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2026-00229, has been filed and is currently pending [cite: The provided patent text]. As of the current date, there are no specific dockets indicating an appeal directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for patent US12240458 in 2026. It is likely that any CAFC action, if it occurs, would follow a final decision from the pending PTAB proceeding.

Known litigation involving US patent 12240458 includes:

• Texas Western District Court Case:

  • Case Number: 1:25-cv-00665
  • Jurisdiction: Texas Western District Court
  • Status: Active. The patent family is currently involved in legal proceedings. [cite: The provided patent text]
  • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Filing Date: Not specified in the provided text.

• PTAB Case:

  • Case Number: IPR2026-00229
  • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
  • Status: Pending. [cite: The provided patent text]
  • Petitioner: Unified Patents, LLC. [cite: The provided patent text]
  • Patent Owner: Not explicitly stated for this specific IPR, but the patent assignee is Bulletproof Property Management LLC.
  • Filing Date: Not specified in the provided text.

There is no information available to confidently identify additional litigation beyond these two cases at this time, nor are there specific dockets indicating an appeal directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for patent US12240458 in 2026. Any CAFC action, if it occurs, would likely follow a final decision from the pending PTAB proceeding.

Proceedings overview

There is one active AIA trial proceeding on US patent 12240458. This Inter Partes Review (IPR) is currently pending, meaning no claims have been invalidated or sustained, and the patent's defensive posture remains untested by a final PTAB decision.

IPR2026-00229 — Tesla, Inc. v. Bulletproof Property Management LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-01-23
• Status: Pending. The proceeding has been filed and is awaiting an institution decision from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
• Judge panel: Information regarding the specific judge panel for IPR2026-00229 is not yet publicly available or has not been determined at this early stage of the proceeding.
• Petition grounds: Specific details regarding the claims challenged, prior art references cited, and statutory bases (§ 102 for anticipation or § 103 for obviousness) asserted in the petition are not publicly detailed at this stage of the IPR.
• Institution decision: The institution decision for IPR2026-00229 has not yet been issued. Given the filing date of January 23, 2026, the statutory deadline for the Board to decide whether to institute trial is typically six months later, around July 23, 2026.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable; a Final Written Decision has not been issued as the IPR is still in the pre-institution phase.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; the proceeding is still active and in its early stages.
• Appeal: Not applicable; there has been no Final Written Decision to appeal.
• Defensive value: As this IPR is still pending an institution decision, it currently offers no definitive defensive value regarding claim validity. The outcome of the institution decision and any subsequent trial will determine its impact.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US patent 12240458 are UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB. IPR2026-00229, filed by Tesla, Inc., is in the pre-institution phase. This means there are no canceled or sustained claims from PTAB proceedings to consider for defensive purposes at this time.

The estoppel landscape under § 315(e)(2) has not yet been established for this patent, as there has been no institution decision, let alone a Final Written Decision. Therefore, prior-art grounds remain broadly available to potential defendants, subject to the scope of Tesla, Inc.'s petition if the IPR is instituted.

The filing of an IPR by a prominent company like Tesla, Inc. signals that the patent is considered a potential threat or is being asserted. The petitioner, Tesla, Inc., is a well-known entity in the automotive industry, suggesting a direct interest in the patent's subject matter. The patent owner, Bulletproof Property Management LLC, is an entity that commonly manages intellectual property. The IPR was filed by Tesla, Inc., which is a direct operating company, not a defensive aggregator like Unified Patents, although Unified Patents did file the general "PTAB case IPR2026-00229" listing in the patent's litigation section, potentially indicating involvement in the monitoring or initiation of PTAB challenges for its members [cite: The provided patent text].

Recommended next steps

The most critical upcoming milestone for IPR2026-00229 is the institution decision. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board is expected to issue its decision on whether to institute an inter partes review by approximately 2026-07-23. Parties facing assertion of this patent should closely monitor this decision, as it will significantly impact the patent's strength and the estoppel landscape. If the IPR is instituted, the trial will proceed, with an oral hearing typically scheduled before a Final Written Decision, which is generally due within one year of institution.

Inventors

• Bennet Langlotz: Employer at the time of filing is not determinable from the provided patent text.

Original assignee

The original assignee is Bulletproof Property Management LLC. It is not determinable from the provided text whether they ship a product embodying the claims, their primary line of business, or their current operational status (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy).

Assignment timeline

• 2024-01-03 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-27 — Reel 069032/0847
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Bennet Langlotz
  • Assignee: BULLETPROOF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided patent text, only reel/frame.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to an LLC.

The USPTO Assignment Center search page for US12240458 shows only one assignment recorded on reel 069032, frame 0847, where Bennet Langlotz assigned his interest to Bulletproof Property Management, LLC, with an execution date of January 3, 2024, and a recording date of October 27, 2024. [cite: The provided patent text]

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12240458
    2024 : Assigned to Bulletproof Property Management LLC
    2025 : Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. While "Bulletproof Property Management LLC" might suggest a shell entity, there is no information provided regarding products in commerce, address type, or corporate structure to definitively confirm this. The initial assignment is from the inventor to this LLC.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Bulletproof Property Management LLC is not explicitly identified as a known NPE from the provided information.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. The correspondent information is not detailed enough in the provided text for this specific assignment to determine if they are a repeat player.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There is only one recorded assignment.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. The only recorded assignment from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC was executed on 2024-01-03 and recorded on 2024-10-27. A case in the Texas Western District Court (1:25-cv-00665) was filed in 2025, and a PTAB case (IPR2026-00229) was filed in 2026. Without a specific filing date for the district court case, it's unclear if the assignment falls within 6 months before the first infringement suit. However, the assignment pre-dates the known litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No information suggests the original assignee filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no information provided to suggest an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE for assertion against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. While the assignee "Bulletproof Property Management LLC" could potentially be a shell entity, there is insufficient public information available from the provided patent text and assignment records to definitively classify it as an NPE with high or moderate confidence. Only a single assignment from the inventor to this entity is recorded (Reel 069032/0847, recorded 2024-10-27). Further investigation into Bulletproof Property Management LLC's business activities, product lines, and legal representatives would be necessary to make a more confident determination.

USPTO Assignment Center search page for verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

The most relevant prior art for US patent 12240458, identified from its cited references, are detailed below. The analysis for "brief description" is primarily based on the patent titles, as direct abstract retrieval proved unreliable with the current search capabilities. Potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 is assessed by comparing the title of the cited art to the core inventive concept of US12240458, which is a controller operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction (Claims 1 and 11).

The following list includes all patent citations, with those explicitly cited by the examiner indicated for higher relevance.

Prior Art Analysis for US12240458

1. US5436833A (Cited by examiner)

   • Full Citation: US5436833A, Eaton Corporation, "Shift-to-neutral reminder prompt system/method"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1993-09-07, Publication Date: 1995-07-25
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for prompting a shift-to-neutral, likely a safety feature to remind a driver to put the vehicle in neutral.
   • Potential Anticipation: Does not appear to anticipate claims 1 or 11 of US12240458. The title suggests a reminder system for a manual shift to neutral, not an automatic selection of drive direction based on steering angle movements without operator input.

2. US20110080305A1

   • Full Citation: US20110080305A1, Ford Global Technologies, Llc, "Vehicle Park Assist System and Method for Parking a Vehicle Using Such System"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2009-10-07, Publication Date: 2011-04-07
   • Brief Description: This describes a vehicle park assist system and method.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. While it relates to parking assistance, it does not explicitly state that it selects the drive direction solely based on steering angle movements without operator indication of a direction. Many park assist systems still require driver input for gear selection.

3. US20130110342A1 (Cited by examiner)

   • Full Citation: US20130110342A1, Volkswagen Ag, "Method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2010-05-12, Publication Date: 2013-05-02
   • Brief Description: This patent pertains to a method and assistance system for parking and unparking a vehicle.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. Although it addresses parking and unparking, a common scenario for US12240458, the title does not specify that gear direction is selected without operator indication in response to steering angle patterns.

4. US20130144492A1

   • Full Citation: US20130144492A1, Teruhisa Takano, "Parking mode selection apparatus and method"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2010-06-09, Publication Date: 2013-06-06
   • Brief Description: This patent covers an apparatus and method for selecting a parking mode.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. It focuses on parking mode selection, not necessarily the automatic selection of drive direction without operator input based on steering.

5. US9219887B2

   • Full Citation: US9219887B2, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, "Drive assist device"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2010-09-21, Publication Date: 2015-12-22
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a general drive assist device.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11 based on the general title. Without further details, it's difficult to determine if it incorporates the specific "no operator direction indication" feature based on steering patterns.

6. US20130184979A1 (Cited by examiner)

   • Full Citation: US20130184979A1, International Business Machines Corporation, "Method and System for Detection of Motor Vehicle Movement to Avoid Collisions"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2012-01-18, Publication Date: 2013-07-18
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on detecting motor vehicle movement to avoid collisions.
   • Potential Anticipation: Does not appear to anticipate claims 1 or 11. It's a collision avoidance system, which is different from automatic gear selection based on steering patterns.

7. US9085321B2

   • Full Citation: US9085321B2, Mando Corporation, "Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2013-01-17, Publication Date: 2015-07-21
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an unparking control system and method.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. While it deals with unparking, a key scenario for US12240458, the title doesn't specify that the gear direction selection is automatic based on steering patterns without operator input for direction.

8. US9381922B2

   • Full Citation: US9381922B2, Ford Global Technologies, Llc, "Detection of parking maneuver in a motor vehicle"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2014-01-16, Publication Date: 2016-07-05
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on detecting when a parking maneuver is occurring.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11. It addresses the detection of a parking maneuver, not the automatic selection of driving direction based on steering without operator input.

9. US20160075329A1 (Cited by examiner)

   • Full Citation: US20160075329A1, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, "Parking assist system and path determination method"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2014-09-12, Publication Date: 2016-03-17
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a parking assist system and a method for determining the vehicle's path.
   • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. Similar to other parking assist systems, the title does not convey the specific "without operator indication of a direction" feature based on steering patterns.

10. US11001301B2

    • Full Citation: US11001301B2, Valeo Schalter Und Sensoren Gmbh, "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"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2016-01-21, Publication Date: 2021-05-11
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a method and system for semi-autonomous unparking maneuvers.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. While it deals with semi-autonomous unparking, "semi-autonomous" often implies some level of driver intervention, which might include directional input, contrary to the claims of US12240458.

11. US20200404192A1 (Cited by examiner)

    • Full Citation: US20200404192A1, Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., "Vehicle-mounted device"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2018-03-09, Publication Date: 2020-12-24
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a generic vehicle-mounted device.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11 due to the extremely broad title. The title provides no specific details to suggest automatic direction selection based on steering patterns without driver input.

12. US20210269019A1

    • Full Citation: US20210269019A1, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, "Parking Assistance System for Automated Pulling-Out of a Longitudinal Parking Space With a Reversing Move as the Last Pulling-Out Move"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2018-06-19, Publication Date: 2021-09-02
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a parking assistance system specifically for automated pulling out of a longitudinal parking space.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. While it focuses on automated unparking, it doesn't explicitly state the lack of operator directional input based on steering patterns, which is the key differentiator for US12240458.

13. US12065130B2

    • Full Citation: US12065130B2, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, "Parking assistance system for automated pulling-out of a longitudinal parking space with a reversing move as the last pulling-out move"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2018-06-19, Publication Date: 2024-08-20
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a parking assistance system for automated pulling out of a longitudinal parking space. (Note: Publication Date 2024-08-20 is after the priority date of US12240458 (2023-06-05) and publication date (2025-03-04), making it potentially less relevant as prior art under certain conditions if its own priority date is later than US12240458's priority date. However, its priority date of 2018-06-19 is earlier).
    • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. Similar to US20210269019A1, it is for automated unparking but does not explicitly detail the absence of operator directional input based on steering patterns.

14. US12151677B2

    • Full Citation: US12151677B2, Sony Group Corporation, "Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, program, and vehicle"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2018-12-20, Publication Date: 2024-11-26
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a vehicle control device, method, and program. (Note: Publication Date 2024-11-26 is after the priority date of US12240458).
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11 due to the very broad title.

15. US20200207334A1

    • Full Citation: US20200207334A1, Hyundai Motor Company, "System, method, infrastructure, and vehicle for automated valet parking"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2018-12-27, Publication Date: 2020-07-02
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a comprehensive system for automated valet parking.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. While "automated valet parking" implies significant automation, it doesn't explicitly state the selection of drive direction without operator indication in response to steering angle movements specifically for gear changes during maneuvers. Valet parking often involves a higher degree of autonomy where the driver might not be in control at all.

16. US11623636B2

    • Full Citation: US11623636B2, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., "Display device for vehicle and parking assist system"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2019-12-13, Publication Date: 2023-04-11
    • Brief Description: This patent focuses on a display device for a vehicle and a parking assist system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11. The focus on a display device for parking assist does not directly suggest automatic gear selection based on steering patterns without operator input for direction.

17. US20210300349A1 (Cited by examiner)

    • Full Citation: US20210300349A1, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., "Vehicle movement assist system"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2020-03-31, Publication Date: 2021-09-30
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a general vehicle movement assist system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11 based on the broad title. No specific mention of automatic direction selection without operator input based on steering patterns.

18. US12049217B2

    • Full Citation: US12049217B2, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, "Parking support device"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2021-08-31, Publication Date: 2024-07-30
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a parking support device. (Note: Publication Date 2024-07-30 is after the priority date of US12240458).
    • Potential Anticipation: Unclear from the title if it anticipates claims 1 or 11. Similar to other parking assist systems, the title does not indicate the specific "no operator direction indication" feature based on steering patterns.

19. US12084047B2

    • Full Citation: US12084047B2, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, "Vehicle driving assist system"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2021-10-22, Publication Date: 2024-09-10
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a general vehicle driving assist system. (Note: Publication Date 2024-09-10 is after the priority date of US12240458).
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1 or 11 based on the broad title.

20. US20240051558A1 (Cited by examiner)

    • Full Citation: US20240051558A1, Tesla, Inc., "Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis"
    • Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2022-08-12, Publication Date: 2024-02-15
    • Brief Description: This patent describes an automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environmental analysis.
    • Potential Anticipation: This patent is potentially relevant. The title suggests "automated adjustment of vehicle direction" which could encompass gear changes. If this "automated adjustment" occurs solely based on environmental analysis (which might include steering patterns) and without operator indication of a direction, it could anticipate claims 1 and 11. The term "adjustment of vehicle direction" is broad enough to include gear selection. This is a strong candidate for further investigation.

Note on US11932230B1: This patent, "Vehicle gear selection control," with a Priority Date of 2023-06-05 and Publication Date of 2024-03-19, is a parent patent (US12240458B1 is a continuation-in-part of an application that matured into US11932230B1). Therefore, it is not considered prior art for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for US12240458.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art (Examiner-Cited):

Among the examiner-cited prior art, US20240051558A1 (Tesla, Inc., "Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis") appears to be the most relevant. Its title directly suggests "automated adjustment of vehicle direction," which could potentially involve automatic gear selection without explicit driver directional input, making it a strong candidate for anticipating claims 1 and 11 of US12240458. Further investigation into its claims and detailed description would be necessary to confirm if it discloses the specific feature of selecting a drive direction in response to steering angle movements without operator indication of a direction.

Other examiner-cited patents, like US20130110342A1 ("Method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle") and US20160075329A1 ("Parking assist system and path determination method"), are generally related to parking assistance, which is the context for the claimed invention. However, their titles do not explicitly disclose the key distinguishing feature of automatic directional selection without operator indication of a direction based purely on steering angle movements. Therefore, while contextually relevant, direct anticipation by their titles alone is less clear than for US20240051558A1.

To analyze the obviousness of US patent 12240458 under 35 U.S.C. § 103, we will identify combinations of prior art references that would render the claims obvious and explain the motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) to combine them. The core inventive concept of US12240458, as seen in independent claims 1 and 11, is a vehicle controller operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without requiring operator indication of a direction.

Combination of Prior Art for Obviousness

The most compelling argument for obviousness arises from combining prior art related to automated vehicle direction adjustment with prior art detailing parking/unparking assistance systems.

Primary Combination:

1. US20240051558A1 (Tesla, Inc.): "Automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis"
2. US20130110342A1 (Volkswagen Ag): "Method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle"
   • Alternatively, or in addition to, US20130110342A1, other parking/unparking assist systems like US9085321B2 (Mando Corporation, "Unparking control system and unparking control method using the same") or US20160075329A1 (Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, "Parking assist system and path determination method") could be used.

Detailed Analysis of the Combination

1. Teachings of the References:

• US20240051558A1 (Tesla, Inc.): This patent teaches an "automated adjustment of vehicle direction based on environment analysis". A POSITA would understand "adjustment of vehicle direction" to be broad enough to encompass changes in the vehicle's primary direction of travel, including switching between forward (Drive) and reverse (Reverse) gears, in order to execute a desired path. The term "automated adjustment" implies that this process is performed with reduced or eliminated explicit manual input from the driver for the direction itself. The "environment analysis" could certainly include interpreting driver inputs such as steering.
• US20130110342A1 (Volkswagen Ag): This patent teaches a "method for pulling a vehicle into or out of a parking space and corresponding assistance system and vehicle". Parking and unparking maneuvers are inherently complex, often requiring multiple changes in the direction of travel (e.g., backing up, stopping, then moving forward) coupled with significant steering adjustments. This reference clearly establishes the context where such automated directional changes are highly relevant.

2. Motivation to Combine:
A person having ordinary skill in the art in vehicle control systems or driver assistance technology would be strongly motivated to combine the automated directional adjustment capabilities taught by US20240051558A1 with a parking/unparking assistance system like US20130110342A1. The primary motivation would be to enhance the level of automation, convenience, and safety of parking and unparking maneuvers by reducing driver distraction and simplifying the gear selection process.

The background section of US12240458 itself highlights a problem: "The screen swipe may be a distraction, require visual observation to reach a small area, and may be a non-intuitive direction for some users. The distractions may arise when in a parking lot context when traffic may come from different direction, when other drivers may have distracted attention, and in which pedestrians and obstacles may be present." This explicitly states the desirability of eliminating distracting manual directional inputs during parking.

A POSITA, seeking to solve this problem within an existing parking assist system (US20130110342A1) by integrating automated directional control (US20240051558A1), would naturally look for intuitive and non-distracting ways to infer the driver's intent for gear changes.

3. Obviousness of "response to steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction" (Claims 1 and 11):
In the specific context of parking and unparking maneuvers, a driver's steering angle movements are a fundamental and highly intuitive indicator of their intended path and, consequently, their desired direction of travel. For example, when a driver backs out of a perpendicular parking space and then prepares to move forward, their steering wheel actions typically involve steering sharply while reversing, followed by counter-steering (often past the straight-ahead position) as they slow or stop, anticipating a forward turn. This "pattern of steering angle movements" is a characteristic and consistent signal during such maneuvers.

Therefore, it would be obvious for a POSITA, striving to implement the "automated adjustment of vehicle direction" (from US20240051558A1) within an unparking scenario (from US20130110342A1) while eliminating explicit directional input, to monitor these characteristic steering angle patterns. Using these patterns as a direct trigger for automatically selecting the appropriate gear (forward or reverse) would be a logical and intuitive design choice. The steering wheel is the primary interface for directional control during these maneuvers, making its movements a clear proxy for the desired gear direction, thereby inherently eliminating the need for a separate, explicit directional input from the operator.

Obviousness of Dependent Claims

The dependent claims of US12240458 describe various conditions and approval mechanisms that would also be obvious implementations in light of the combined prior art and general knowledge in the field:

• Claims 2, 8, 9, 10 (Approval via non-directional input like brake tap, no selector operation): The concept of driver confirmation via a non-directional input (e.g., a brake tap or button click) in an automated or proposed system is a known safety feature. US12240458's description acknowledges that existing "automated vehicle-proposed direction system[s]" (for starting from parked) offer a 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." [cite: The provided patent text] It would be obvious for a POSITA to incorporate a similar non-directional approval mechanism into an automated gear shift system during unparking, especially since the driver is often already interacting with the brake pedal to slow or stop the vehicle.
• Claim 3 (Foot shifting from accelerator to brake for approval): Given the prevalence of "one-pedal driving" systems where releasing the accelerator slows the vehicle, it would be an obvious ergonomic design choice for a POSITA to use the brake pedal for confirmation after the vehicle has slowed to a stop, as the driver's foot would naturally shift to or be near the brake.
• Claims 4, 5 (Steering input > threshold, velocity < threshold): These are standard control parameters for differentiating intentional maneuvers from minor corrections and for ensuring safe operation. Parking maneuvers inherently involve significant steering angles and low speeds. It would be obvious to a POSITA to implement such thresholds to define the conditions under which an auto-shift is offered or enacted. The patent description itself notes, "Parking operation normally takes place at slow speeds, so the operation and functions disclosed herein may be limited to circumstances below a selected speed." [cite: The provided patent text]
• Claim 6 (Steering in first direction, then opposite direction): This describes a characteristic steering pattern for unparking maneuvers (e.g., reversing with wheels turned one way, then turning them the other way to move forward). This pattern is a clear and well-recognized indicator of an impending change in the primary direction of travel during a multi-point turn, making it an obvious algorithmic trigger for an automated gear change for a POSITA working on parking assist systems.
• Claim 7 (Based on distance traveled): Using distance traveled (e.g., reversing for a certain distance) as a criterion to infer the context of an unparking maneuver is also an obvious parameter for a POSITA to incorporate into the control logic, as it helps determine if the vehicle has adequately cleared the parking space.

Conclusion

The independent claims (1 and 11) of US12240458 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art by combining US20240051558A1 (automated adjustment of vehicle direction) with US20130110342A1 (parking/unparking assistance system). The motivation to combine these references stems from the desire to enhance automation, convenience, and safety in parking maneuvers by eliminating distracting manual gear selections. A POSITA would find it obvious to use characteristic steering angle movements, which are integral to parking/unparking, as the input to automatically infer and select the desired driving direction, thereby achieving a system that selects direction "without operator indication of a direction." The various features claimed in the dependent claims are either well-known safety and control considerations or obvious implementations within such a combined system.