Route Guidance Systems LLC

Route Guidance Systems LLC, an entity associated with Equitable IP Corporation, has sued DoorDash (1:22-cv-00176), Maplebear (d/b/a Instacart) (1:22-cv-00178), and Waitr (1:22-cv-00177) in the District of Delaware over mobile apps with navigation features for drivers of their respective delivery services. The sole asserted patent is broadly directed to providing route guidance to vehicles, with the NPE touting as advantages of the disclosed systems “that the transmission channel between the central computer and the vehicle need not be kept permanently open” and “that drivers can be informed as to the best routes for their vehicles to take to their respective destinations, in such manner that traffic congestion pertinent to the routes is taken into account”.

NPE litigation in the Automotive market sector during the first four months of 2020 was up nearly threefold from the same time period last year. Most recently, 21ST CENTURY GARAGE LLC and Sisvel International S.A. (d/b/a Sisvel Group) have taken aim at companies operating in the sector, but the year so far has seen new campaigns launched by plaintiffs ranging from relatively recent entrants to patent monetization (e.g., Quartz Auto Technologies, LLC) to established players (e.g., Conversant Wireless Licensing, S.à.r.l.), as well as additional cases filed in existing campaigns waged by inventor-controlled Omega Patents, L.L.C. and frequent plaintiff Leigh M. Rothschild. From wireless connectivity to more traditional automotive technologies, something about 2020 has drawn more litigation to the sector.

Recently formed Delaware entity Route Guidance Systems LLC has launched a litigation campaign over a patent assigned to it by Equitable IP Corporation. The patent is broadly directed to providing route guidance to vehicles, with the NPE touting as advantages of the disclosed systems “that the transmission channel between the central computer and the vehicle need not be kept permanently open” and “that drivers can be informed as to the best routes for their vehicles to take to their respective destinations, in such manner that traffic congestion pertinent to the routes is taken into account”. Route Guidance Systems accuses Lyft (1:19-cv-00556) of infringement through the operation of its Lyft Driver App and Lyft App; and Uber (1:19-cv-00557), through its Uber Driver App.