In a prior post, I discussed the Tesla-Patent Commons. Â Further to that piece and the other media attention around Elon Musk’s announcement, there have been a couple of notable follow-on lists and analyses of the Tesla patents, which now belong to all of us.
First, Envision IP published this infographic, which provides a nice breakdown of the Tesla patent portfolio. Â According to their count (as of June 12, 2014), Tesla had 172 issued U.S. patents and 123 published U.S. applications.
By far the largest group is batteries & charging technology, which makes up 120 patents and 71 applications. Â Motor & drive controls is next with 20 patents and 15 applications, followed by 10 patents and 4 applications directed to frame & chassis inventions. Â Bringing up the rear are doors & latches, HVAC tech, and sunroofs.
Cleantechnica offers a footnote of sorts in a recent piece noting that 25 Tesla patents and applications relate to battery fire & hazard risk reduction technologies. Â An example of an issued patent is U.S. Patent No. 8,445,126, entitled “Hazard mitigation within a battery pack using metal-air cells.”
I figure it’s good for us to know more details about these patents. Â After all, they belong to us.