US 7,482,916 Automatic signaling systems for vehicles
3 defendants · 3 suits · updated October 6, 2026
Also cited as U.S. Patent No. 7,482,916 · US7482916B2 · US 7,482,916 B2 · 7482916 · the '916 patent
Wyoming Technology Licensing Inc has filed 3 patent-infringement suits on US 7,482,916, "Automatic signaling systems for vehicles" since July 27, 2026, 2 of them in the N.D. Tex., against 3 distinct defendants including BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, FCA US LLC and Hyundai Motor America. The patent is held by Wyoming Technology Licensing LLC and was granted January 27, 2009 on a priority date of March 15, 2004. Its abstract opens: "An automatic signaling system includes a processor having an input for receiving a signal from a sensor, and an output configured to be coupled to a signaling system of a vehicle, the signaling system having a turn signal light, wherein the processor is…" The examiner cited 5 references during prosecution.
- Assignee
- Wyoming Technology Licensing LLC
- Priority date
- March 15, 2004
- Granted
- January 27, 2009
- Expires
- March 15, 2024
- Status
- Expired - Lifetime
- Claims
- 48 (5 independent)
- Inventors
- Anita Au, Gerald Chan
- Full text
- Google Patents
The suits
3 cases · N.D. Tex. (2) · D.N.J. (1)
| Filed | Defendant | Plaintiff | Court | Docket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-27 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | WYOMING TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC | D.N.J. | 2:26-cv-09417 |
| 2026-08-24 | FCA US LLC | Wyoming Technology Licensing Inc | N.D. Tex. | 3:26-cv-02839 |
| 2026-08-24 | Hyundai Motor America | Wyoming Technology Licensing Inc | N.D. Tex. | 3:26-cv-02840 |
Docket links open the public record on CourtListener. Filing dates are the complaint's.
Independent claims
What is actually asserted, verbatim.
1. A system, comprising: an automatic signaling system configured to be coupled to a turn signal light of a vehicle, the automatic signaling system configured to automatically activate the turn signal light of the vehicle before or when a portion of the vehicle reaches a boundary of a lane; a lever for activating a turn signal light of a vehicle, the lever having a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first and the second ends; and a first switch located on the lever, the first switch operable to activate, deactivate, or activate and deactivate, the automatic signaling system.
3. A control, comprising: an automatic signaling system configured to be coupled to a turn signal light of a vehicle, the automatic signaling system configured to automatically activate the turn signal light of the vehicle before or when a portion of the vehicle reaches a boundary of a lane; a lever for activating the turn signal light of a vehicle, the lever having a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first and the second ends, the first end being movable in a first direction to activate the automatic signaling system.
6. An automatic signaling system, comprising: a processor having an input for receiving signals from a sensor, and an output to be coupled to a signaling system of a vehicle, the signaling system having a turn signal light; wherein the processor is configured to determine a value associated with a spatial relationship between a vehicle and a lane boundary using the signals, and automatically activate the turn signal light based at least in part on the determined value; wherein the processor is configured to compare a threshold value with the value that is associated with the spatial relationship, and wherein the threshold value is variable based on a speed of the vehicle.
23. An automatic signaling system, comprising: a processor having an input for receiving image data, and an output to be coupled to a signaling system of a vehicle, the signaling system having a turn signal light; wherein the processor is configured to process the image data to identify a lane boundary, and automatically activate the turn signal light based at least in part on the identified lane boundary; and wherein the processor is configured to identify the lane boundary using a region of interest.
33. An automatic signaling system, comprising: a processor having an input for receiving information, and an output to be coupled to a signaling system of a vehicle, the signaling system having a turn signal light; wherein the processor is configured to process the information, and automatically activate the turn signal light based on the processed information before or when a portion of the vehicle reaches a boundary of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling.
Art before the examiner
97 references of record, 5 cited by the examiner.
Everything listed here was before the Office and is what a challenge must go beyond. Art the examiner never saw is where an invalidity search starts.
Examiner-cited
- US5712618A — Method and apparatus for an automatic signaling device (Mckenna; Michael R.)
- US6025775A — Driving-safety ancillary white-flash alerting-system (Erlandson; Glenn E.)
- US6876300B2 — Electronic intelligent turn signal control system (Richard L. Ponziani)
- US6975218B2 — Lane based automatic turn signal deactivation (Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.)
- US7113866B2 — Method and device for determining vehicle lane changes using a vehicle heading and a road heading (Daimlerchrysler Ag)
Applicant-cited and other (92)
- US4030066A — Automatic cancellation means for vehicle turn indicator signals
- US4333071A — Self-cancelling apparatus for vehicle turn indicators
- US4403211A — Automatic turn-signal cancelling system
- US4638290A — Electronic turn signal cancellation apparatus
- US4660020A — Turn signal cancelling apparatus for use in vehicles
- US4772868A — Signal warning system for motor vehicle
- US4962366A — Automatic turn signal cancelling apparatus
- US4970653A — Vision method of detecting lane boundaries and obstacles
- US5239148A — Lane discriminating traffic counting device
- US5245422A — System and method for automatically steering a vehicle within a lane in a road
- US5351044A — Vehicle lane position detection system
- US5428512A — Sidelighting arrangement and method
- JPH0939650A — Turn signal control device for vehicle
- US5642093A — Warning system for vehicle
- US5673019A — Automatic turn signal and safety device
- US5757949A — Warning system for vehicle
- US5765116A — Driver assistance system for a vehicle
- US5790403A — Lane image processing system for vehicle
- US5835028A — Lane marker position sensor and alarm
- US5892855A — Apparatus for detecting an object located ahead of a vehicle using plural cameras with different fields of view
- US5913376A — Automatic steering control apparatus
- US5922036A — Lane detection sensor and navigation system employing the same
- US5982278A — Road monitoring device
- US5991427A — Method and apparatus for detecting a lane on a road
- JPH11342808A — Vehicle turn signal indicator with voice input function
- US6005492A — Road lane recognizing apparatus
- US6019184A — Automated vehicle
- US6057754A — Drive assist system for motor vehicle
- US6107939A — Lane change alarm for use in a highway vehicle
- US6170955B1 — Vehicle mounted optical assembly
- US6184821B1 — On-board GPS sensors systems
- US6204759B1 — Automatic turn-signal deactivator
- US6215392B1 — Sensing device for detecting movement of vehicle by lane-marker
- US6314354B1 — Lane following system for a vehicle
- US6317202B1 — Automotive radar detecting lane mark and frontal obstacle
- US6320176B1 — Vehicle rain sensor using imaging sensor
- US6345228B1 — Road vehicle sensing apparatus and signal processing apparatus therefor
- US20020019703A1 — Automotive safety enhansing system
- US6356189B1 — Lighting control apparatus for automatic following travel system
- US6370475B1 — Accident avoidance system
- US6370474B1 — Vehicular active drive assist system
- US6388565B1 — Guidance system for assisting lane change of a motor vehicle
- US6411901B1 — Vehicular active drive assist system
- US20020095246A1 — Lane tracking control system for vehicle
- US6433816B1 — Method for compensating for noise in lane drifting warning system
- US6445288B1 — Automatic turn signal deactivation system
- US20020175813A1 — Optical highway line detector
- US6489887B2 — Lane-keep assisting system for vehicle
- US20030004643A1 — Method for indicating a motor vehicle change of direction and device therefor
- US6546118B1 — Image processing apparatus for vehicle
- US6556909B2 — Lane keep control for vehicle
- US6560535B2 — Global positioning system roadside integrated precision positioning system
- US6577246B1 — Electromagnetic wave lane marker, device for detecting electromagnetic wave lane marker, and traffic system
- US6580987B2 — Driver assistance system for a vehicle
- US20030120414A1 — Lane-keep control system for vehicle
- US20030123705A1 — System for controlling exterior vehicle lights
- US6591000B1 — Apparatus and method for preprocessing a picked-up image, lane mark recognizing system, related vehicle traveling control system, and recording media
- US6606027B1 — Vehicle safety sensor system
- US20030151502A1 — Automatic warning signal system for vehicles
- US20030156015A1 — Method for recognising a change in lane of a vehicle
- US20030229447A1 — Lane position maintenance apparatus and method
- US6665603B2 — Vehicle traveling control system
- US6684149B2 — Vehicle control method and vehicle warning method
- US6693583B2 — Object recognition apparatus and method thereof
- US6708098B2 — Lane-keep control system for vehicle
- US6732021B2 — Lane-keep control system for vehicle
- US6741186B2 — Infrared road line detector
- US6744380B2 — Apparatus for monitoring area adjacent to vehicle
- US6753766B2 — Detecting device and method of using same
- US20040155767A1 — Multi-function self-canceling turn signal device with integrated voltage regulator
- US6778890B2 — Lane-keeping control with steering torque as a control input to a vehicle steering system
- US6813370B1 — Lane marker recognizing apparatus
- US6819235B2 — Method and apparatus for automatically canceling turn signals of vehicles
- US6819779B1 — Lane detection system and apparatus
- US6823241B2 — Lane recognition apparatus for vehicle
- US6842189B2 — Road monitoring method for a vehicle and a system thereof
- US6842687B2 — Method and device for assisting in a passing maneuver for motor vehicles
- US6850629B2 — Image processing method for preventing lane deviation
- US6850628B2 — Lane recognition apparatus for vehicle
- US6868168B2 — Lane recognition system for vehicle
- US6879706B2 — Apparatus and method for detecting traffic lane mark for automotive vehicle
- US6879890B2 — Lane keep control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle
- US6927694B1 — Algorithm for monitoring head/eye motion for driver alertness with one camera
- US6930593B2 — Lane tracking system employing redundant image sensing devices
- US6973380B2 — Lane keep control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle
- US6972675B2 — Vehicle turn signal system
- US6993425B2 — Automotive lane deviation avoidance system
- US7002458B2 — Vehicular turning indicator
- US7016517B2 — Travel road detector
- US7085633B2 — System and method for improving vehicle operator driving assistance of automotive vehicle
- US7091838B2 — Lane deviation alarm system
- US7164132B2 — Multilane remote sensing device
Classification
- B60Q1/346primary — Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction with automatic actuation
- B60Q1/34 — Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction
- B60Q1/343 — Manually actuated switching arrangements therefor
- B60Q1/40 — Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position
- B60Q2900/30 — Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
Family
- US7482916B2 — B2 (2009)
- US20200172004A1 — A1 (2020)
- US20090189756A1 — A1 (2009)
- US9248777B2 — B2 (2016)
- US20180345850A1 — A1 (2018)
- US7986223B2 — B2 (2011)
- US11897388B2 — B2 (2024)
- US9505343B2 — B2 (2016)
- US8378805B2 — B2 (2013)
- US20050200467A1 — A1 (2005)
- US20130265152A1 — A1 (2013)
- US10293743B2 — B2 (2019)
- US20170057405A1 — A1 (2017)
- US10569700B2 — B2 (2020)
- US10046696B2 — B2 (2018)
- US20160144776A1 — A1 (2016)
- US20190270404A1 — A1 (2019)
- US20110279257A1 — A1 (2011)
Abstract
An automatic signaling system includes a processor having an input for receiving a signal from a sensor, and an output configured to be coupled to a signaling system of a vehicle, the signaling system having a turn signal light, wherein the processor is configured to automatically activate the turn signal light based at least in part on the signal received from the sensor. A method for activating a turn signal light of a vehicle includes receiving a signal from a sensor, and automatically activating the turn signal light of the vehicle based at least in part on the received signal.
Also asserted by Wyoming Technology Licensing Inc
- US 10,046,696 — Automatic control systems for vehicles (3 defendants)
Named in one of these suits? A prior-art search is commissioned once and serves every defendant who shares it. The examiner's own search record is free on the tools page, and your first preliminary search is free — one claim, back within 24 hours — so you know whether there is art the Office never saw before anyone pays for more. Flat fees: $2,500$899 for the independent claims, $5,000$1,500 for every asserted claim.
This page is assembled from public records — federal court dockets and the patent's own file — and is updated as the case list changes. It states what the record shows and is not an opinion on the validity or infringement of any claim. Patent data via Google Patents; docket data via CourtListener.