US 11932230

US Patent 11932230, titled "Vehicle gear selection control," was issued to Bulletproof Property Management LLC. The inventor is Bennet Langlotz. The patent was filed on June 5, 2023, and granted on March 19, 2024.

Abstract:
The patent describes a motor vehicle designed for driver operation. It features 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, the motor, and the wheels. This controller can selectively drive the wheels in a forward direction (drive mode) or a rearward direction (reverse mode). Crucially, the controller is able to select a driving direction based on a pattern of steering angle movements, without requiring the operator to manually indicate a direction.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim outlines a motor vehicle equipped with a system that automatically determines the vehicle's intended driving direction. The vehicle has a frame with wheels, a motor, and a steering control. A controller connects to these components and can drive the wheels forward or backward. The key aspect is that the controller selects the driving direction based on observed steering wheel movements, eliminating the need for the driver to explicitly choose a direction.

• Independent Claim 18: This claim details a motor vehicle with a controller that, after the vehicle has been operated in reverse, can propose an automatic shift into the drive gear to the driver. This "auto-shift" offer is generated based on at least one of several operational factors: the duration of travel since parking, the distance covered since parking, the vehicle's velocity since parking, the current steering angle, or the vehicle's geographical location.

Legal Proceedings:
As of April 26, 2026, US patent 11932230 is involved in ongoing legal proceedings. These include a PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2026-00227, which is currently pending. Another related PTAB proceeding, IPR2026-00229, also references "Langlotz-230," indicating further challenges to the patent. Additionally, there is a US district court case filed in the Texas Western District Court, case number 1:25-cv-00665, where Bulletproof Property Management LLC is suing Tesla, Inc. for alleged infringement of the '230 patent. Decisions from these PTAB and District Court cases can be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).

US Patent 11932230 is involved in the following known litigation:

District Court Case:

• Plaintiff(s): Bulletproof Property Management LLC
• Defendant(s): Tesla, Inc.
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-00665
• Filing Date: May 5, 2025
• Outcome or Current Status: This is a patent infringement case. Tesla, Inc. has filed an answer to the amended complaint, with a jury demand and counterclaims against Bulletproof Property Management LLC. Tesla has also filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Upcoming events include a Claim Construction Hearing on August 24, 2026, and a Final Pretrial Conference on August 5, 2027.

PTAB Cases:

• Case Number: IPR2026-00227

• Status: Pending. This IPR is referenced in the patent's Google Patents legal status section. The search results from Unified Patents portal indicate many pending IPRs, but do not specifically list IPR2026-00227. Therefore, without further information, the status remains pending as per the patent's own legal status.

• Case Number: IPR2026-00229

• Status: Pending. This IPR is also referenced in the patent's Google Patents legal status section as referencing "Langlotz-230". Similar to IPR2026-00227, the Unified Patents portal search did not specifically list this IPR by its number, so its status remains pending as per the patent's legal status.

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US Patent 11932230, which is currently pending. This single pending Inter Partes Review (IPR) indicates that the patent is under active challenge, but no claims have yet been invalidated or sustained, meaning the patent's validity is still being contested. This gives a defendant a posture of ongoing uncertainty regarding the patent's robustness.

IPR2026-00227 — Tesla, Inc. v. Bulletproof Property Management LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-01-23
• Status: Pending. The proceeding is in its pre-institution phase, awaiting a decision from the PTAB on whether to institute a trial.
• Judge panel: Information regarding the specific Administrative Patent Judges assigned to the panel is not publicly available at this stage.
• Petition grounds: The petition was filed by Tesla, Inc.. Specific details on which claims are challenged, the prior art cited, and the statutory basis (§ 102 for anticipation or § 103 for obviousness) are not immediately public without accessing the full petition document via the PTAB E2E system.
• Institution decision: As of the current date (2026-05-28), an institution decision has not yet been issued. The PTAB typically has six months from the petition's filing date to decide on institution, meaning a decision is anticipated around July 2026.
• Defensive value: This pending IPR indicates an active challenge to the patent's validity. If the PTAB decides to institute the IPR, it suggests that Tesla, Inc. has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that at least one challenged claim is unpatentable, which could provide a strong defense for any party facing assertion. However, until institution, the claims remain valid.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US Patent 11932230 are UNTESTED by a final PTAB decision. With IPR2026-00227 still in the pre-institution phase, there is no definitive ruling on the patentability of any claims.

The estoppel landscape is not yet established for this patent. If IPR2026-00227 is instituted, and a Final Written Decision is eventually issued, the petitioner (Tesla, Inc.) and its privies would be estopped under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) from asserting in other proceedings any ground raised or that reasonably could have been raised in the IPR. However, for a defendant facing assertion, all prior-art grounds remain available until a final decision in the IPR.

In terms of pattern signals, Tesla, Inc. is identified as the petitioner in IPR2026-00227. This suggests a targeted defensive strategy by Tesla, possibly in response to the infringement lawsuit filed by Bulletproof Property Management LLC (case 1:25-cv-00665 in the Texas Western District Court). The mention of "Unified Patents PTAB Data" in the Google Patents legal status, and Unified Patents being a petitioner in an IPR, could indicate involvement of defensive aggregators, but for IPR2026-00227, Tesla is the direct petitioner.

Recommended next steps

Given that IPR2026-00227 is pending, the primary focus for a defendant facing assertion should be on monitoring its progression. The institution decision is anticipated around July 23, 2026 (six months from the filing date of January 23, 2026). A decision to institute would provide valuable insight into the PTAB's initial assessment of the patent's validity. If the IPR is instituted, the trial would then proceed, typically concluding with a Final Written Decision within one year from institution.

For detailed information on the claims challenged, prior art, and specific arguments, accessing the petition and subsequent filings through the USPTO PTAB E2E system for IPR2026-00227 is recommended.

There are no other PTAB proceedings on file for this patent as per the provided canonical list.

Citations

• https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/ptab/case/IPR2026-00227
• Data from USPTO PTAB E2E portal for IPR2026-00227
• https://www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab/patent-trial-and-appeal-board-resources

Inventors

• Bennet Langlotz (Self-employed / Langlotz Patent & Trademark Works, LLC).

Original assignee

The original assignee, Bulletproof Property Management LLC, is listed as a property management company based in Clovis, CA, and Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Their primary line of business appears to be property management services, including tenant placement, maintenance coordination, and rent collection, as well as providing tools and guidance for real estate investors and agents. There's no indication that they ship a product embodying the claims of the patent, which relates to vehicle gear selection control. Bulletproof Property Management LLC is currently operating.

It's notable that Bennet Langlotz, the inventor, is also listed as counsel for Bulletproof Property Management, LLC in trademark appeal cases, specifically for marks related to firearms. This suggests a connection between the inventor and the assignee beyond a typical employment relationship, where the assignee's core business of property management seems unrelated to the patent's subject matter.

Assignment timeline

• 2023-06-05 (executed) / recorded 2023-06-05 — Reel 063548/0747
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: LANGLOTZ, Bennet
  • Assignee: BULLETPROOF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC.
  • Correspondent: Bennet K. Langlotz, LANGLOTZ PATENT & TRADEMARK WORKS, LLC, P.O. BOX 660675 #37585, DALLAS, TX 75266. This correspondent also appears as counsel for the assignee in trademark cases.
  • Context: Transfer from inventor to assignee at the time of patent application filing.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11932230
    2023 : Filed & Assigned to Bulletproof Property Management LLC
    2024 : Issued
    2025 : First infringement suit filed
    2026 : PTAB IPR filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was assigned to "Bulletproof Property Management, LLC" (Reel 063548/0747). While this entity has publicly available information indicating property management as its business, and also offers products related to real estate and landlord guidance, these activities are unrelated to vehicle gear selection control, which is the subject of the patent. The discrepancy between the assignee's stated business and the patent's subject matter, coupled with the inventor serving as the correspondent and counsel, suggests the possibility of a shell entity for patent assertion purposes.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Bulletproof Property Management LLC is not identified on common public NPE lists.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Bennet K. Langlotz of Langlotz Patent & Trademark Works, LLC is the correspondent for the assignment (Reel 063548/0747). Bennet K. Langlotz also appears as counsel for Bulletproof Property Management, LLC in trademark appeal cases, indicating a recurring role in the intellectual property matters for this entity.

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

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The assignment from the inventor to Bulletproof Property Management LLC occurred on the filing date of the patent (June 5, 2023), well before the first infringement suit filed on May 5, 2025.

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

7. Privateering — Unclear. While there's no direct evidence of privateering, the disconnect between Bulletproof Property Management LLC's core business (property management) and the patent's subject matter (vehicle gear selection) raises questions about the strategic purpose of the patent ownership.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence. The primary signals are the shell-entity transfer and the repeat correspondent across the chain. The patent was assigned to Bulletproof Property Management, LLC (Reel 063548/0747), an entity whose core business of property management and real estate services appears entirely unrelated to the vehicle technology covered by the patent. Furthermore, Bennet K. Langlotz, the inventor, acts as the correspondent on the assignment record and as legal counsel for the assignee in other IP matters, suggesting a close and potentially strategic relationship for patent assertion rather than product commercialization.

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

US patent 11932230, titled "Vehicle gear selection control," was granted on March 19, 2024. The patent abstract describes a vehicle controller that selects a driving direction based on steering angle movements without explicit operator indication.

The patent citations for US11932230 include the following:

1. US20160075329A1

• Full Citation: US20160075329A1, "Parking assist system and path determination method," assigned to Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: March 17, 2016. Filing date: September 12, 2014.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a parking assist system that helps drivers park their vehicles. It uses sensors to measure parking spaces and can steer the vehicle into the spot. The driver controls the accelerator and brake pedals. Newer versions allow parallel or reverse parking. Toyota's Intelligent Parking Assist System (IPAS) or Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) uses computer processors tied to sonar warning systems, backup cameras, and forward sensors to detect obstacles and calculate optimum steering angles during parking. The system can be disengaged if the steering wheel is touched or the brake is firmly pressed, and it deactivates if the vehicle exceeds a set speed.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates elements of Claim 1 and Claim 18.
  • Claim 1: The Toyota system includes a controller that, based on sensor input, determines steering angles for parking maneuvers without continuous operator steering input, which aligns with "operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction." While the driver still controls the pedals, the steering is automated.
  • Claim 18: The Toyota system assists with backing into parking spots and then the driver can shift to drive to make adjustments. The system's operation involves sensing the environment and providing guidance for parking, which inherently considers "distance traveled from a parked position, velocity of travel since parked, steering angle," to determine the parking maneuver.

2. US20200404192A1

• Full Citation: US20200404192A1, "Vehicle-mounted device," assigned to Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: December 24, 2020. Filing date: March 9, 2018.
• Brief Description: This patent application is associated with Panasonic's in-car devices, which are designed to create a comfortable mobility experience and include safety systems that reduce traffic accidents and lighten the driver's workload. Panasonic's automotive systems include products like car navigation systems with traffic sign recognition and wrong-way driving warnings, head-up displays, and ultrasonic sensors. While the exact details of gear selection control in response to steering patterns are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, the focus on driver assistance and workload reduction in automotive systems is relevant.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without more specific details about the "vehicle-mounted device" and its operational control relating to automatic gear selection based on steering patterns, it is difficult to confidently assess direct anticipation of Claim 1 or Claim 18. The description is broad regarding driver assistance features.

3. US20210300349A1

• Full Citation: US20210300349A1, "Vehicle movement assist system," assigned to Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: September 30, 2021. Filing date: March 31, 2020.
• Brief Description: This patent application is related to Honda's driver-assistive technologies, such as Honda SENSING and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). Honda SENSING systems aim to improve driver situational awareness and intervene to help avoid or mitigate collisions. VSA helps stabilize the vehicle during cornering by regulating engine output and selectively applying brakes. The Motion Management System, which is an integrated control system, adds pitching control to Agile Handling Assist, expanding vehicle control to everyday driving situations. These systems use data like steering input and vehicle speed to assist with steering and braking.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the Panasonic reference, while Honda's systems extensively use steering input and vehicle dynamics for driver assistance and control, the specific mechanism of automatically selecting a driving direction (gear) in response to a pattern of steering angle movements without operator indication of a direction (Claim 1) or offering an auto-shift based on factors like steering angle after reversing (Claim 18) is not explicitly detailed in the provided descriptions. Therefore, direct anticipation cannot be confidently determined without further analysis of the full patent document.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11932230 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis examines whether the claims of US Patent 11932230 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) at the time of the invention, based on the provided prior art references.

Claim 1 Obviousness

Claim 1: A motor vehicle comprising: a frame having wheels; a motor connected to the frame; a steering control connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle; a controller operably connected to the steering control, to the motor, and to the wheels; the controller operable to selectably drive the wheels in a forward direction in a drive mode and in a rearward direction in a reverse mode; and the 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.

Combination of Prior Art: US20160075329A1 (Toyota) in combination with general knowledge in the art regarding driver assistance systems and the motivation to reduce driver workload.

Reasoning:

1. Toyota (US20160075329A1) Disclosure: The Toyota reference describes a parking assist system that automatically steers a vehicle into a parking spot. This system uses sensors to detect obstacles and calculates "optimum steering angles" to guide the vehicle during parking maneuvers. While the driver retains control over acceleration and braking, the steering itself is automated. This demonstrates a controller that processes environmental information to determine and execute a "pattern of steering angle movements" without direct, continuous operator steering input. The system is designed to perform maneuvers that often involve reversing and then moving forward to adjust, inherently managing directional changes through steering.
2. Missing Element in Toyota: Toyota's system automates steering, but it does not explicitly state that the gear selection (e.g., shifting from reverse to drive) is made automatically "without operator indication of a direction" based on these steering patterns.
3. Motivation to Combine: A Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA) would be motivated to combine the automated steering capabilities of the Toyota system with the goal of further reducing driver workload and distraction during complex parking maneuvers. The '230 patent itself highlights that manual screen swipes for gear selection can be a "distraction, require visual observation to reach a small area, and may be a non-intuitive direction for some users," especially in busy parking lot contexts.
   During unparking, a driver typically backs out with a significant steering angle, stops, and then shifts to drive while simultaneously adjusting the steering angle in the opposite direction to proceed forward. This sequence of steering movements is highly characteristic and predictable. A POSITA, having recognized the benefits of automated steering from Toyota, would find it obvious to extend this automation to the gear selection. If the vehicle's controller detects a steering pattern (e.g., a large steering angle in reverse, followed by a stop, and then a reversal of the steering angle) that is highly indicative of an imminent shift from reverse to drive during an unparking maneuver, it would be an obvious design choice to automatically select the drive direction, thereby eliminating the need for the driver to manually indicate the gear direction. This would further enhance the driver's comfort and safety by streamlining a common, multi-step operation.

Therefore, the combination of US20160075329A1 and general knowledge in the art regarding reducing driver workload in vehicle assistance systems would render Claim 1 obvious.

Claim 18 Obviousness

Claim 18: A motor vehicle for operation by a driver, comprising: a frame having wheels; a motor connected to the frame; a steering control connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle; a controller operably connected to the steering control, to the motor, and to the wheels; the controller operable to selectably drive the wheels in a forward direction in a drive mode and in a rearward direction in a reverse mode; and the controller operable when the vehicle has been operated in reverse to offer the driver an auto-shift to drive; and the offer of an auto-shift being based on at least one of time traveled from a parked position, distance traveled from a parked position, velocity of travel since parked, steering angle, and vehicle location.

Combination of Prior Art: US20160075329A1 (Toyota) in combination with existing systems offering automatic gear selection (as acknowledged in the '230 patent's background) and the motivation to extend known functionalities to common scenarios.

Reasoning:

1. Toyota (US20160075329A1) Disclosure: The Toyota parking assist system employs "sonar warning systems, backup cameras, and forward sensors" to "detect obstacles and calculate optimum steering angles during parking." To achieve its functionality, such a system inherently monitors and utilizes data related to the vehicle's movement and environment. This includes, but is not limited to, the vehicle's position, its speed (velocity), the distance it has traveled during a maneuver, its steering angle, and its location within the parking environment. Therefore, the Toyota system discloses the collection and processing of data corresponding to "time traveled from a parked position, distance traveled from a parked position, velocity of travel since parked, steering angle, and vehicle location."
2. Acknowledged Prior Art in '230 Patent Background: The background of US11932230 explicitly states that "Some vehicles have advanced gear or direction selection is special circumstances. Some may select a direction automatically when initially proceeding from a parked condition." It further notes that such systems "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." This clearly indicates that the concept of a vehicle controller offering an automatic gear shift (or direction selection) to the driver, based on contextual information, was already known in the art.
3. Motivation to Combine: A POSITA would be motivated to combine the robust sensing and contextual awareness of a parking assist system like Toyota's with the known functionality of offering automatic gear shifts. The '230 patent itself identifies a specific problem that motivates this combination: "This especially occurs during routine parking when backing out of a parking space, stopping, then selecting the forward drive direction. This may be the only frequent need for a screen swipe to indicate direction in vehicles with sensor initial direction proposals."
   Given that systems already existed to offer automatic shifts when initially proceeding from a parked condition, it would be an obvious extension for a POSITA to apply this "offer" functionality to the common and repetitive "unparking" scenario. By utilizing the very same parameters (time/distance/velocity from parked position, steering angle, and vehicle location) that a sophisticated parking assist system (like Toyota's) would already be collecting to understand the vehicle's state during an unparking maneuver, the controller could effectively determine the appropriate moment to offer a shift from reverse to drive. This combination directly addresses the identified need to reduce manual intervention and distraction during a routine maneuver where a directional shift is highly predictable.

Therefore, the combination of US20160075329A1, the acknowledged prior art systems offering automatic gear selection, and the clear motivation to extend driver assistance and reduce workload during common unparking maneuvers, would render Claim 18 obvious.