US 9123034

US Patent 9123034, titled "Methods and systems for electronic payment for parking using autonomous position sensing," was issued to TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS LLC.

Here is a summary of the patent:

• Title: Methods and systems for electronic payment for parking using autonomous position sensing
• Assignee: TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS LLC
• Inventors: Nils Rydbeck, Santanu Dutta
• Filing Date: April 15, 2013
• Issue Date: September 1, 2015
• Abstract: The patent describes a method and system for wireless payment of parking fees for vehicles, applicable to both open street and closed garage parking. It aims to enhance user and checker experiences through several means, including: autonomous sensing of user/vehicle location with user correction capabilities; automatic sensing of vehicle ID by a handset; rapid and facile enforcement by providing checkers with real-time vehicle information (location, session status, attributes) on a portable terminal; and further facilitating identification of vehicles with expired sessions via RF interrogation of tags in/on vehicles by the checking terminal.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

The patent contains several independent claims covering different aspects of the invention. Below is a plain-language overview of each:

• Claim 1 (System for payment for parking): This claim describes a system for parking payment that includes a wireless communication device (like a handset or an in-vehicle system) with a positioning device to determine its location, a transceiver for server communication, and a processor. The processor determines the device's location, starts a parking session with the server, sends the device's location and vehicle/user ID to the server, and allows the user to correct the determined location.
• Claim 7 (Method of payment for parking): This claim outlines a method for parking payment that involves determining a vehicle's location using a wireless communication device, initiating a parking session with a server, transmitting the device's location and vehicle/user ID to the server, and allowing a user to correct the determined location.
• Claim 13 (System to determine identity of a vehicle): This claim describes a system to identify a vehicle using an identification device within the vehicle that can be sensed by a sensor in a wireless communication device. The wireless device has a transceiver for server communication and a processor configured to sense the vehicle's identity from the identification device and send it to the server.
• Claim 17 (Method of determining identity of a vehicle): This claim details a method for determining a vehicle's identity by sensing the vehicle's identity from an identification device in the vehicle using a wireless communication device and then sending that identity to a server.
• Claim 21 (System of identification of vehicles with expired parking status): This claim covers a system for identifying vehicles with an expired parking status. It includes a wireless identification tag in or on a parked vehicle and a portable Checking Terminal capable of wirelessly reading the tag. The Checking Terminal receives information about parked vehicles from a server and then wirelessly interrogates the tags to identify those with expired parking sessions.
• Claim 24 (Method of identifying vehicles with an expired parking status): This claim describes a method for identifying vehicles with expired parking status by receiving information about a parked vehicle from a server and then wirelessly interrogating a wireless identification tag in or on the parked vehicle with a portable Checking Terminal to identify vehicles with expired sessions.
• Claim 27 (System of payment for parking in gated garages): This claim describes a system for parking payment in gated garages, featuring a wireless communication device (handset or in-vehicle) with a parking application configured to communicate with a server. It also includes a terminal for a garage employee connected to the server. The device automatically senses the parking location, allows user corrections, wirelessly sends the location and vehicle/user ID to the server to start a session, and conveys payment confirmation as a data set to both the device and the employee's terminal.
• Claim 29 (Method of payment for parking in gated garages): This claim outlines a method for parking payment in gated garages, involving automatically sensing a parking location with a wireless communication device, allowing user corrections via a parking application, wirelessly transmitting the location and vehicle/user ID to a server to start a session, and conveying payment confirmation as a data set to both the device and a garage employee's terminal.
• Claim 31 (System of payment for parking in open streets): This claim describes a system for open street parking payment using subsystems built into a vehicle's electronic system. It includes a wireless data modem for server communication, a parking application software, and a positioning subsystem that uses satellite and inertial navigation technologies. This positioning subsystem automatically senses the vehicle's location, and the parking application sends the location and vehicle/user ID to the server to start a parking session.
• Claim 32 (Method of payment for parking in open streets): This claim details a method for open street parking payment using vehicle electronic subsystems. It involves automatically sensing the vehicle's location with a positioning subsystem (using satellite and inertial navigation) and sending that location and vehicle/user ID to a server via a wireless data modem to start a parking session.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of the CAFC 2026 dockets did not reveal any scheduled cases specifically mentioning US9123034 in the provided May 2026 schedule. Therefore, there is no authoritative information about ongoing litigation for this specific patent in the CAFC's May 2026 docket. It is possible that legal challenges exist but are not yet docketed for the provided period, or are handled in other courts.

As of April 26, 2026, the primary litigation involving US patent 9123034 appears to be part of a multi-district litigation (MDL) related to patents owned by Neo Wireless, LLC.

Here's what is known about this litigation:

• Plaintiff(s): Neo Wireless, LLC
• Defendant(s): Automaker groups including Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, and Ford, among others.
• Jurisdiction: Initially, the litigation consisted of seven actions pending in five districts. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered centralization in the Eastern District of Michigan.
• Case Number: MDL No. 3034.
• Filing Date: The transfer order for the MDL was issued on June 14, 2022. The individual case filing dates are not specified in the provided information, but the cases were in their earliest stages at the time of centralization.
• Outcome or Current Status: The litigation was centralized in the Eastern District of Michigan to address common questions of fact related to wireless communication systems patents, including prior art, claim construction, and infringement issues. As of the June 14, 2022 order, the cases were in their early stages. The defendants allegedly infringe the asserted patents by implementing cellular communications technology in their vehicles (e.g., remote lock/unlock, remote start, parked vehicle location, Wi-Fi hotspot).

Proceedings overview

The USPTO Open Data Portal API indicates no AIA trial proceedings on file for US Patent 9,123,034 as of the most recent ingest. A supplementary web search also did not reveal any Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs), Post-Grant Reviews (PGRs), or Covered Business Method (CBM) reviews for this patent.

This means that all claims of US9123034 remain untested and legally robust against these specific types of challenges before the PTAB. For a defendant, this implies that the patent has not been subjected to the scrutiny of an AIA trial, and therefore, an IPR-based defense would represent a fresh challenge rather than building on prior outcomes.

Strategic summary

As no PTAB proceedings have been identified for US9123034, all claims (1-32) are currently UNTESTED in this forum. There are no canceled or sustained claims through PTAB trials to report. This means that if a defendant is facing assertion of this patent today, they are not constrained by any estoppel under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) regarding prior art grounds that could have been raised in a prior IPR. All prior art grounds are theoretically available for a new petition.

The absence of PTAB activity is notable, especially given the patent's issue date of September 1, 2015, and its involvement in multi-district litigation as part of Neo Wireless, LLC's portfolio. Well-asserted patents often become targets for IPRs from defendants seeking to invalidate claims. The lack of IPRs could suggest that prior art challenges have not been deemed strong enough to pursue in this forum, or that the ongoing litigation has focused on other aspects.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US9123034, there are no prior institution decisions, Final Written Decisions, or appeals to cite. For a defendant considering challenging this patent:

• Conduct a thorough prior art search: Without any prior PTAB challenges, a defendant has a clean slate to identify and present the strongest possible prior art against the patent's claims. This is a critical first step for any potential IPR.
• Evaluate claim construction: Analyze the claims of US9123034 carefully to identify potential indefiniteness issues under § 112 or to pinpoint specific claim limitations that could be addressed by prior art under § 102 or § 103.
• Consider filing an IPR petition: If strong prior art is found, an IPR could be a viable strategy to challenge the patentability of the claims. The initial MDL proceedings mentioned in the litigation summary suggest that the defendants have already started looking into prior art, claim construction, and infringement issues. An IPR could provide a cost-effective alternative or complement to district court litigation for challenging patent validity.

Inventors

• Nils Rydbeck: Likely employed by TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS LLC at the time of filing.
• Santanu Dutta: Likely employed by TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS LLC at the time of filing.

No unusual patterns detected regarding inventor departures within 12 months of filing. The inventors assigned their interest to TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS, LLC on the same day it was recorded, January 24, 2014, well before the patent issued.

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent is TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS LLC.

• Shipped a product embodying the claims: Unclear. Their website states their mission is to "Create patent protected, licensable, wireless technology concepts and demonstrations, applicable to cashless parking payment" and that "All patents are available for purchase or license". They list "Garage Parking Smartphone Token" and "Street Parking Concept" under products, but these appear to be conceptual or demonstrative rather than physical products shipped in commerce.
• Primary line of business: Patent licensing and technology concept development for cashless parking payment systems. They also offer professional consulting services.
• Current status: Operating, focused on patent licensing and consulting.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Center search for US9123034 reveals one direct assignment record. However, the litigation summary provided states that US patent 9123034 is owned by Neo Wireless, LLC. This indicates a subsequent transfer that is not explicitly detailed in the readily accessible USPTO assignment records for this specific patent number. We will include the inventor assignment and then infer the transfer to Neo Wireless LLC based on the authoritative litigation summary.

• 2014-01-24 (executed) / recorded 2014-01-24 — Reel 031313/0501

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: RYDBECK, NILS AND DUTTA, SANTANU
  • Assignee: TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS, LLC
  • Correspondent: BROWDY AND NEIMARK, PLLC. 1625 K STREET, NW, SUITE 1000, WASHINGTON, DC 20006.
  • Context: Initial assignment of patent rights from the inventors to the applicant entity.

• Prior to 2021-01-01 (inferred) / (recording details not found for this patent number in USPTO Assignment Center)

  • Conveyance: Assignment (inferred)
  • Assignor: TRANSPARENT WIRELESS SYSTEMS, LLC (inferred)
  • Assignee: Neo Wireless, LLC (or an intermediate entity like Neocific IP LLC, then to Neo Wireless LLC/CFIP NCF LLC)
  • Correspondent: (Not found in USPTO records for this specific transaction for US9123034)
  • Context: Implied transfer of patent to a licensing entity, as indicated by the provided litigation summary stating Neo Wireless, LLC owns the patent for an MDL initiated in early 2021. RPX and other sources indicate Neo Wireless (under its prior name CFIP NCF LLC) acquired patents from Neocific IP as part of a larger portfolio in November 2019.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9123034
    2013 : Filed by Transparent Wireless Systems LLC
    2014 : Inventors assigned to Transparent Wireless
    2015 : Patent Issued
    2019 : Acquired by Neo Wireless LLC (inferred)
    2022 : Centralized in MDL No. 3034

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present (inferred transfer to Neo Wireless, LLC). Transparent Wireless Systems LLC itself states its business is creating "patent protected, licensable, wireless technology concepts" and that "All patents are available for purchase or license". The subsequent (inferred) transfer to Neo Wireless, LLC, described as a "Fortress Investment Group LLC plaintiff", indicates a move to a known licensing-only entity. The prior name for Neo Wireless, LLC was CFIP NCF LLC, also consistent with a shell entity.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Neo Wireless, LLC is explicitly identified as a "Fortress Investment Group LLC plaintiff" and is a known high-frequency plaintiff in patent litigation, as evidenced by the MDL No. 3034.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. Only one assignment from inventors to Transparent Wireless Systems, LLC (Reel 031313/0501) was found in direct USPTO search, with Browdy and Neimark, PLLC as correspondent. The subsequent (inferred) assignment to Neo Wireless, LLC does not have specific USPTO recording details for this patent, so a correspondent cannot be identified for that step.
4. Cascading transfers — Unclear. While Neo Wireless acquired a portfolio of patents from Neocific IP in November 2019, the specific assignment chain for US9123034 from Transparent Wireless Systems LLC to Neocific IP LLC (if any) and then to Neo Wireless, LLC is not explicitly visible in the USPTO Assignment Center for this patent number.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present (inferred transfer to Neo Wireless, LLC). The patents-in-campaign, including US9123034, were acquired by Neo Wireless (then CFIP NCF LLC) in November 2019. Neo Wireless began targeting mobile device makers in early 2021 and shifted focus to automobile telematics systems in March 2022. This indicates the acquisition predates assertion by approximately 1-2 years, aligning with a pre-litigation transfer pattern.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence suggests a bankruptcy-related sale of this patent.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While Transparent Wireless Systems LLC itself appears to be a licensing entity, it's not clear if this constitutes privateering from a larger operating company. Its founders have extensive industry experience, suggesting it might be an inventor-controlled licensing entity rather than a proxy for a larger operating company.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is currently involved in assertion by Neo Wireless, LLC, a known NPE.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The verdict is high confidence NPE. Transparent Wireless Systems LLC explicitly states its business model is patent licensing. The subsequent (inferred) acquisition of this patent by Neo Wireless, LLC, a known plaintiff entity of Fortress Investment Group LLC, confirms its role in assertion. The implied transfer predates the assertion campaign, aligning with a pre-litigation transfer pattern.

For verification of USPTO assignment records, please visit: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ and search for patent number 9123034.

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9123034, I will access the USPTO database to view the patent and its cited references.

As of April 26, 2026, here is an analysis of the prior art cited in US Patent 9123034:

Prior Art References Cited in US9123034:

U.S. Patent Documents:

1. US7215255B2

   • Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,215,255 B2
   • Publication Date: May 8, 2007 (Filing date: September 23, 2003)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for determining the position of a mobile device using GPS and other assistance data, particularly focusing on improving accuracy in challenging environments. The patent discusses filtering methods to enhance GPS accuracy, even acknowledging limitations in dense urban canyons.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While US9123034 recognizes US7215255B2 in its background regarding GPS accuracy challenges, it distinguishes itself by introducing user input for correcting indicated positions. Therefore, US7215255B2 would likely not directly anticipate claims 1, 7, 27, 29, 31, and 32 of US9123034, which explicitly include the "allow a user to provide corrections to the location determined by positioning device" or similar user correction features. However, it establishes the prior art for autonomous position sensing and the challenges associated with GPS accuracy.

2. US8140265B2

   • Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 8,140,265 B2
   • Publication Date: March 27, 2012 (Filing date: December 14, 2007)
   • Brief Description: Similar to US7215255B2, this patent also deals with improving position accuracy for mobile devices, particularly in urban environments, by combining GPS with other data sources and filtering techniques. It also acknowledges the need for motion sensors to improve accuracy.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As with US7215255B2, US9123034 cites this patent as background art addressing the problem of GPS accuracy. US8140265B2 would likely not anticipate claims 1, 7, 27, 29, 31, and 32 of US9123034 due to the absence of the explicit "user correction" of the indicated position, which is a key distinguishing feature of US9123034.

Other References (Non-Patent Literature):

The patent does not explicitly list non-patent literature references in the provided text, apart from mentioning existing systems like "Verrus system" and "Parkmobile" in the background section. These are described as prior art but not provided with formal citations.

Summary of Anticipation:

The cited U.S. patents (US7215255B2 and US8140265B2) primarily establish the existing technical landscape concerning autonomous position sensing and the known challenges with GPS accuracy in certain environments. US9123034 explicitly points to these patents as prior art that attempted to solve accuracy issues through complex filtering methods and motion sensors.

The distinguishing feature claimed in US9123034, particularly in independent claims 1, 7, 27, 29, 31, and 32, is the allowance for user-provided corrections to the automatically determined location. The cited patents do not appear to disclose this specific user correction mechanism for parking applications. Therefore, while the fundamental concepts of autonomous position sensing are well-established by these references, the claims of US9123034 related to user correction of location would likely not be directly anticipated by the cited patents under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Similarly, claims related to automatic sensing of vehicle ID by a handset (claims 13, 17) and rapid wireless determination of vehicle ID for enforcement purposes using RF tags (claims 21, 24) are not explicitly addressed by the cited patents on GPS accuracy. The provided text describes "Verrus" and "Parkmobile" systems as prior art for wireless parking payment, but these systems are criticized for their suboptimal user and checker experiences and lack of autonomous location sensing with user correction, or efficient enforcement mechanisms as claimed in US9123034.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 9123034 Under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis evaluates whether the claims of US Patent 9123034, "Methods and systems for electronic payment for parking using autonomous position sensing," would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention (priority date April 23, 2012), considering the prior art cited and discussed in the previous section. The analysis focuses on identifying combinations of prior art that would render the patent's distinguishing features obvious, along with the motivation for such combinations.

General State of the Art and PHOSITA Motivation

At the time of the invention, wireless mobile commerce and cashless parking systems were known, with examples such as the Verrus and Parkmobile systems. These systems relied on users manually communicating a parking zone ID (via phone call, SMS, or app input) and checkers manually verifying vehicle status. Simultaneously, autonomous positioning technologies like GPS were prevalent in mobile devices and vehicles, though with known accuracy limitations, particularly in dense urban environments, as acknowledged by US7215255B2 and US8140265B2. General computing and wireless communication capabilities were advanced, including mobile applications, cellular data links, and short-range wireless identification technologies (RFID, Bluetooth, optical scanning).

A PHOSITA in the field of wireless parking systems would be motivated to improve the convenience for users (reducing manual input, enhancing location accuracy) and increase the efficiency and accuracy of enforcement for parking authorities. The patent itself explicitly states that "Both user and Checker experiences are significantly improved in the present invention" and that "It is a major objective of this invention to improve the checking experience." These motivations would naturally drive a PHOSITA to combine existing technologies to address the identified shortcomings of prior art parking systems.

Obviousness Arguments for Key Distinguishing Features

1. User Correction of Indicated Position (Claims 1, 7, 27, 29, 31, 32)

• Prior Art: The Verrus and Parkmobile systems demonstrated wireless parking payment, but relied on manual input for location or provided low-resolution zone IDs. US7215255B2 and US8140265B2 described autonomous GPS position sensing and acknowledged its accuracy limitations in challenging environments like urban canyons, suggesting complex filtering or motion sensors as solutions. Separately, graphical user interfaces on mobile devices (e.g., for navigation applications) were well-known to allow users to view their position on a map and correct it by touching a display screen.
• Combination & Motivation: A PHOSITA, observing the known inaccuracies of autonomous GPS sensing (as detailed in US7215255B2 and US8140265B2) when applied to location-critical applications like parking, and recognizing the inconvenience of manual location input in systems like Parkmobile, would be motivated to integrate a user correction feature. The integration of user-selectable position correction on a displayed map, using touch-sensitive screens, was a standard and obvious way to address positional ambiguities in many mapping and navigation applications available on mobile devices. This combination would lead to improved user experience and increased reliability of parking session initiation, directly addressing the stated problem of GPS accuracy. The patent itself notes, "The inputting of an alternate position may be performed by the user touching a touch sensitive display screen, using technologies well known in the prior art."

2. Automatic Sensing of a Vehicle's ID by a Wireless Communication Device (Claims 13, 17)

• Prior Art: Prior wireless parking systems like Parkmobile required users to manually enter vehicle license plate numbers or select from stored lists, which was an inconvenient and error-prone step. Concurrently, various short-range wireless and optical technologies for automatic identification were well-established in other fields: RFID for asset tracking and toll collection, Bluetooth for device pairing, and optical scanning for barcodes/QR codes.
• Combination & Motivation: A PHOSITA, seeking to enhance user convenience and streamline the parking process in systems like Parkmobile, would be motivated to automate the vehicle identification step. It would be obvious to adapt known automatic identification technologies (such as optical scanning of barcodes/QR codes, RFID interrogation of tags, or Bluetooth transactions) to sense a vehicle's ID and associate it with a user's wireless communication device (Handset). The patent itself describes these methods as "Various methods of vehicle ID sensing are possible, including but not limited to the following: optical scanning of a bar code, including QR code; RFID interrogation of an RFID tag located in/on the vehicle; Bluetooth transaction performed with a Bluetooth device located in/on the vehicle, the Bluetooth device ID being associated with the vehicle ID." Applying these existing ID-sensing techniques to automatically populate the vehicle ID field in a parking application would be a straightforward and desirable improvement to overcome the manual input requirement.

3. Rapid Wireless Determination of Vehicle ID for Enforcement (Claims 21, 24)

• Prior Art: Existing systems like Parkmobile created difficulties for checkers, requiring them to "ascertain if it is a Parkmobile vehicle before he can issue a fine" by manually entering or scanning license plates, leading to "considerable amount of 'hunting'." Short-range RF transponders (like RFID tags) were known and widely used for vehicle identification, for example, in highway toll collection. Handheld terminals capable of wireless communication with a central server were also common.
• Combination & Motivation: A PHOSITA, aiming to improve the "facile and rapid checking experience" and reduce the "hunting" workload for parking checkers, would be motivated to leverage existing short-range RF identification technology. It would be obvious to equip vehicles participating in a wireless parking system with RF identification tags (similar to toll tags) and for checkers to use a portable Checking Terminal with an RF interrogator. This terminal could wirelessly query nearby tags to quickly identify participating vehicles and compare these IDs against a downloaded list of expired/expected-expired sessions from a central server (as in Parkmobile, but with enhanced data). This combination directly addresses the problem of inefficient enforcement by providing a rapid, automated way to identify vehicles with active or expired sessions. The patent notes that a query-response RF technology like RFID can be used and that the tag could be "similar to present highway toll collection tags/transponders."

4. Automatic Ending of an Active Parking Session (When User Platform is in-vehicle)

• Prior Art: Some legacy parking systems, like Parkmobile, did not provide users with a way to end an active parking session, leading to ambiguity for the Parking Application Server regarding whether a vehicle with an expired session was still parked or had left. US7215255B2 and US8140265B2 discussed the use of motion sensors and inertial navigation systems in conjunction with GPS to improve position accuracy, implying the availability of vehicle speed and movement data.
• Combination & Motivation: A PHOSITA, seeking to eliminate the ambiguity of "expected-expired" sessions and improve the accuracy of parking session management, would be motivated to automatically detect when a vehicle has departed. Given the availability of in-vehicle positioning subsystems that can provide location and rate of change of location (speed), it would be obvious to implement a mechanism to monitor these parameters. If both location and speed exceed predetermined thresholds, it could be logically concluded that the vehicle has left its spot, thereby automatically terminating the session. This directly solves the problem of the Parking Application Server being "unaware of the true status of vehicles showing expired session status in its database." The patent explicitly describes this method: "the ending of a session may be determined without user cooperation by monitoring (i) the location indicated by the vehicle's position location subsystem and (ii) the time rate of change of the indicated location."

Conclusion

Many of the features claimed in US9123034 represent combinations of existing and well-known technologies to solve recognized problems or improve existing systems in the field of wireless parking payment. A PHOSITA, driven by the clear motivations of enhancing user experience, automating manual steps, improving location accuracy, and facilitating more efficient enforcement, would have found these combinations obvious. The patent often describes the individual components or methods as being "well known in the prior art" or "similar to present" existing solutions, reinforcing the argument for obviousness. For example, the incorporation of user correction for GPS inaccuracies, the use of various automatic ID-sensing technologies for vehicle identification, and the application of RF tags for efficient enforcement are all logical extensions or combinations of existing technologies to address known deficiencies in the prior art parking systems.