Flextronics AP LLC has developed a portfolio of 79 family patents related to IoT connected cars, including 11 issued US patents, since 2013. The patents cover various features such as user profile customization, vehicle diagnostics, and integration with smart home systems to enhance user comfort and safety. A cluster search methodology was used to assess the licensing potential of these patents, indicating various opportunities for potential licensees.

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IoT Connected Car Patent Development Best Practice Licensing Potential Assessment
Flextronics AP LLC is a strategic patent development subsidiary of Flextronics International which is a connected
vehicle platform solution company. Flextronics AP LLC has developed total of 79 family patents including 11
issued US family patents for the IoT (Internet of Things) connected car up to now starting from seven U.S.
Provisional Patent Applications, Ser. No. 61/811,981, filed on Apr. 15, 2013, entitled “Functional Specification for
a Next Generation Automobile”; 61/865,954, filed on Aug. 14, 2013, entitled “Gesture Control of Vehicle
Features”; 61/870,698, filed on Aug. 27, 2013, entitled “Gesture Control and User Profiles Associated with Vehicle
Features”; 61/891,217, filed on Oct. 15, 2013, entitled “Gesture Control and User Profiles Associated with Vehicle
Features”; 61/904,205, filed on Nov. 14, 2013, entitled “Gesture Control and User Profiles Associated with Vehicle
Features”; 61/924,572, filed on Jan. 7, 2014, entitled “Gesture Control and User Profiles Associated with Vehicle
Features”; and 61/926,749, filed on Jan. 13, 2014, entitled “Method and System for Providing Infotainment in a
Vehicle.”. Flextronics AP LLC exploited strategic patent drafting and prosecution (continuation practices).
Following table summarizes the family patents.
Patent Number Title
US9058703 SHARED NAVIGATIONAL INFORMATION BETWEEN VEHICLES
US9082238 Synchronization Between Vehicle and User Device Calendar
US9082239 INTELLIGENT VEHICLE FOR ASSISTING VEHICLE OCCUPANTS
US9117318 VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC DETECTION THROUGH SENSITIVE VEHICLE SKIN

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US9123186 REMOTE CONTROL OF ASSOCIATED VEHICLE DEVICES
US9135764 Shopping cost and travel optimization application
US9142071 Vehicle zone-based intelligent console display settings
US9142072 Information shared between a vehicle and user devices
US9147296 Customization of vehicle controls and settings based on user profile data
US9147297 Infotainment system based on user profile
US9147298 Behavior modification via altered map routes based on user profile information
US20140306799 Vehicle Intruder Alert Detection and Indication
US20140306814 PEDESTRIAN MONITORING APPLICATION
US20140306817 Universal Vehicle Notification System
US20140306826 AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATION OF DAMAGE AND HEALTH IN DETECTED VEHICLE INCIDENTS
US20140306833 Providing Home Automation Information via Communication with a Vehicle
US20140306834 VEHICLE TO VEHICLE SAFETY AND TRAFFIC COMMUNICATIONS
US20140306835 RADAR SENSING AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLE DETECTION
US20140307655 Automatic Device and Vehicle Pairing Via Detected Emitted Signals
US20140307724 Multi-Vehicle Shared Communications Network and Bandwidth
US20140308902 VEHICLE TO VEHICLE SOCIAL AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
US20140309789 Vehicle Location-Based Home Automation Triggers
US20140309790 ADJUSTING HOME AUTOMATION COMFORT BASED ON VEHICLE ASSOCIATED USER PROFILE DATA
US20140309804 GLOBAL STANDARD TEMPLATE CREATION, STORAGE, AND MODIFICATION
US20140309805 VEHICLE DAMAGE DETECTION AND INDICATION
US20140309813 GUEST VEHICLE USER REPORTING
US20140309814 Central Network for the Automated Control of Vehicular Traffic
US20140309815 Traffic Consolidation Based on Vehicle Destination
US20140309839 Vehicle Registration to Enter Automated Control of Vehicular Traffic
US20140309849 DRIVER FACTS BEHAVIOR INFORMATION STORAGE SYSTEM
US20140309852 AUTOMATIC VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC DETECTION AND COMMUNICATION
US20140309853 VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS AND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
US20140309862 USER PROFILE EXCHANGE VIA VEHICLE SUPPORTED COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL

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US20140309863 PARENTAL CONTROL OVER VEHICLE FEATURES AND CHILD ALERT SYSTEM
US20140309864 Configurable Dash Display Based on Detected Location and Preferences
US20140309865 FACIAL RECOGNITION DATABASE CREATED FROM SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
US20140309866 BUILDING PROFILES ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLE USERS
US20140309867 STORING USER GESTURES IN A USER PROFILE DATA TEMPLATE
US20140309868 USER INTERFACE AND VIRTUAL PERSONALITY PRESENTATION BASED ON USER PROFILE
US20140309870 VEHICLE-BASED MULTIMODE DISCOVERY
US20140309871 USER GESTURE CONTROL OF VEHICLE FEATURES
US20140309872 CUSTOMIZATION OF VEHICLE USER INTERFACES BASED ON USER INTELLIGENCE
US20140309873 POSITIONAL BASED MOVEMENTS AND ACCESSIBILITY OF FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH A VEHICLE
US20140309876 UNIVERSAL VEHICLE VOICE COMMAND SYSTEM
US20140309878 PROVIDING GESTURE CONTROL OF ASSOCIATED VEHICLE FUNCTIONS ACROSS VEHICLE ZONES
US20140309879 CONTROL OF VEHICLE FEATURES BASED ON USER RECOGNITION AND IDENTIFICATION
US20140309880 VEHICLE CRATE FOR BLADE PROCESSORS
US20140309885 Control of Vehicle Features Based on Weather and Location Data
US20140309886 SPLITTING MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS AND INFOTAINMENT BETWEEN OPERATING SYSTEMS
US20140309893 HEALTH STATISTICS AND COMMUNICATIONS OF ASSOCIATED VEHICLE USERS
US20140309913 Relay and Exchange Protocol in an Automated Zone-Based Vehicular Traffic Control Environment
US20140309919 DETECTION AND REPORTING OF INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF A VEHICLE
US20140309920 DESTINATION AND TRAVEL INFORMATION APPLICATION
US20140309921 TRAVEL ROUTE ALTERATION BASED ON USER PROFILE AND BUSINESS
US20140309922 COMMUNICATION OF AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED SHOPPING LIST TO VEHICLES AND ASSOCIATED DEVICES
US20140309929 TRAVEL ITINERARY BASED ON USER PROFILE DATA
US20140309930 AUTOMATIC CAMERA IMAGE RETRIEVAL BASED ON ROUTE TRAFFIC AND CONDITIONS
US20140309934 Automatic Alert Sent to User Based on Host Location Information
US20140309935 PROACTIVE MACHINE LEARNING IN A VEHICULAR ENVIRONMENT
US20140309982 TRAVEL TRANSLATION AND ASSISTANCE BASED ON USER PROFILE DATA
US20140310031 TRANSFER OF USER PROFILE DATA VIA VEHICLE AGENCY CONTROL
US20140310075 Automatic Payment of Fees Based on Vehicle Location and User Detection

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US20140310103 CREATING TARGETED ADVERTISING PROFILES BASED ON USER BEHAVIOR
US20140310186 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND WARRANTY COMPLIANCE DETECTION
US20140310277 SUSPENDING USER PROFILE MODIFICATION BASED ON USER CONTEXT
US20140310379 VEHICLE INITIATED COMMUNICATIONS WITH THIRD PARTIES VIA VIRTUAL PERSONALITY
US20140310594 CONFIGURATION OF HAPTIC FEEDBACK AND VISUAL PREFERENCES IN VEHICLE USER INTERFACES
US20140310610 VEHICLE OCCUPANT IMPAIRMENT ASSISTED VEHICLE
US20140310702 VEHICLE AND DEVICE SOFTWARE UPDATES PROPAGATED VIA A VIRAL COMMUNICATION CONTACT
US20140310739 SIMULTANEOUS VIDEO STREAMING ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS
US20140310788 ACCESS AND PORTABILITY OF USER PROFILES STORED AS TEMPLATES
US20150232065 VEHICLE-BASED MULTIMODE DISCOVERY
EP2817170 ACCESS AND PORTABILITY OF USER PROFILES STORED AS TEMPLATES
EP2817176 USER INTERFACE AND VIRTUAL PERSONALITY PRESENTATION BASED ON USER PROFILE
EP2817591 ALTERED MAP ROUTES BASED ON USER PROFILE INFORMATION
EP2817787 VEHICLE INTRUDER ALERT DETECTION AND INDICATION
EP2834598 VIRTUAL PERSONALITY VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THIRD PARTIES
CN104321220 Access and portability of user profiles stored as templates
CN104321620 Altered map routes based on user profile information
CN104379414 User interface and virtual personality presentation based on user profile
CN104380349 VEHICLE INTRUDER ALERT DETECTION AND INDICATION
CN104428826 CENTRAL NETWORK FOR AUTOMATED CONTROL OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
CN104520676 Virtual personality vehicle communications with third parties
WO2014172312 USER INTERFACE AND VIRTUAL PERSONALITY PRESENTATION BASED ON USER PROFILE
WO2014172313 CREATING TARGETED ADVERTISING PROFILES BASED ON USER BEHAVIOR
WO2014172316 BUILDING PROFILES ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLE USERS
WO2014172320 VEHICLE LOCATION-BASED HOME AUTOMATION TRIGGERS
WO2014172321 ACCESS AND PORTABILITY OF USER PROFILES STORED AS TEMPLATES
WO2014172322 VEHICLE INTRUDER ALERT DETECTION AND INDICATION
WO2014172323 DRIVER FACTS BEHAVIOR INFORMATION STORAGE SYSTEM
WO2014172325 VIRTUAL PERSONALITY VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THIRD PARTIES

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WO2014172327 SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN VEHICLE AND USER DEVICE CALENDAR
WO2014172334 USER GESTURE CONTROL OF VEHICLE FEATURES
WO2014172369
INTELLIGENT VEHICLE FOR ASSISTING VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND INCORPORATING VEHICLE CRATE FOR BLADE
PROCESSORS
WO2014172380 ALTERED MAP ROUTES BASED ON USER PROFILE INFORMATION
WO2014172397 CENTRAL NETWORK FOR AUTOMATED CONTROL OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
Flextronics AP LLC initially drafted the disclosures of a few co-pending patent applications very broadly in
anticipation of future business development. Then, Flextronics AP LLC prosecuted family patents to capture many
commercial implementations as the market evolves. Flextronics AP LLC is still developing more family patents to
capture most recent commercial implementations. For example, US20140309790 illustrates a system to create an
environment within the vehicle similar to that of an individual's home. An individual who is more comfortable
while traveling instills confidence and pleasure in using a given vehicle, increasing an individual's preference for a
given manufacturer and/or vehicle type. One way to instill comfort in a vehicle is to create the integrating features
in a vehicle that are associated with comfort found in an individual's home by proving user’s profile data at home.
The connected car system receives user’s profile data from smart home system and determines context to change a
configuration of a vehicle. The configurations can include comfort and interface settings that can be adjusted based
on the user profile information. Further, the user profiles can track health data related to the user and make
adjustments to the configuration to assist the health of the user.

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To assess licensing potentials of the family patents, forward citation based Amber Cluster Search was used. The
family patents were used as an input to the cluster search to evaluate licensing opportunities. All the values of
licensing potential are aggregated for a specific potential licensee. Thus, higher in licensing potential value for a
specific potential licensee means higher in licensing opportunity.
(see more at: http://www.ambercite.com/index.php/amberblog/entry/what-is-the-prior-art-landscape-for-the-530-
million-smartflash-vs-apple-and-samsung-patents).
Following figure summarizes the licensing potential of the family patents.

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