US 6,275,231 · Granted 2001-08-14
The 2001 Patent That Unified Your Car's Brain
Imagine if your car's engine, stereo, climate control, and braking system couldn't talk to each other—they'd all operate separately like stubborn siblings. This patent describes a central computer that hooks all those independent systems together so they work as a team, enabling features like automatic parking and smart driving modes that would be impossible otherwise.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a centralized control architecture that connects multiple vehicle subsystems (traditionally independent) through a single processor, plus a master interface with a display that lets drivers control and manage these unified functions. What's protected here is the specific approach of consolidating separate automotive systems into one coordinated network rather than leaving them isolated.
Why it matters
This patent reflects an early conceptual shift in automotive design—moving from isolated mechanical and electrical components toward integrated computer control. Modern vehicles depend on exactly this principle: a central computer coordinating engine management, transmission, brakes, steering, and infotainment. While the patent itself is now decades old, the architectural thinking it protects became foundational to every computerized car that followed.
Real-world use
When you use automatic parking on a modern car or when your vehicle automatically adjusts engine power and braking to optimize traction, you're benefiting from a centralized control system descended from this patent's core concept.
Original USPTO abstract
In a control and management system for automobiles, a central processor in the system connects traditionally unrelated vehicle subsystems together to realize synergistic functions such as smart driving, automatic parking, etc. A master interface having a display is employed in the system to help a user control and manage the vehicle functions.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,275,231
- Filing date
- 1997-08-01
- Grant date
- 2001-08-14
- Assignee
- American Calcar Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- OBRADOVICH MICHAEL L.
- CPC class
- B60R16/0231
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