19 patents currently held
281 more in force are now held by other companies
Held is read from USPTO's recorded assignments; a transfer never recorded there does not appear.
The next term ends in Mar 2028. from the record
Of the 281 now held by other companies, 273 name Tesla Inc. as their current owner, and 8 more name another party. Each row says which.
Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.
Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.
6
Ending by 2030
Mar 2028
Next term end
17
Patent families
When these terms end
Held patents by the year their term ends
notable patents
fee due within 90 days
all others
Updated Nov 15, 2026 · includes USPTO assignment & status data published Nov 15, 2026 and grant & fee data published Nov 10, 2026 (weekly) · how we know
Notable: the highest-ranked patents in this portfolio by citations and family size. Fee due within 90 days: a maintenance fee is due within 90 days of when this page was computed and not yet paid.
Notable patents
Ranked by citations and family size, against patents of the same kind granted the same year. How we rank
Notable
Ends Mar 2032 · High confidence
Also notable
Ends Apr 2034 · High confidence
Also notable
Ends Feb 2031 · High confidence
Heliostat Repositioning System and Method
US 8,881,720
Cited by 28 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2014 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2032.
Imitation Solar Module for Use in a Staggered or Irregularly Shaped Solar Array
US 8,946,540
Cited by 22 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2015 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2034.
Leveling Foot
US D779,308
A family of 31 related applications built on the 2017 grant. Protection runs to 2031.
Formerly held, still cited
Notable
Ends Jan 2027 · High confidence
Cited by 336 later US patents, top 1% of utility patents granted in 2014 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2027. A terminal disclaimer caps this term to an earlier patent's.
now held by Tesla, Inc.
Also notable
Ends May 2028 · High confidence
Cited by 267 later US patents, top 5% of utility patents granted in 2012 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2028.
now held by Tesla, Inc.
Also notable
Ends Jul 2030 · High confidence
Cited by 104 later US patents, top 5% of utility patents granted in 2017 in our data, and renewed at every maintenance window due so far. Protection runs to 2030.
now held by Tesla, Inc.
Fee deadlines
Maintenance fees fall due 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years after grant. A missed fee ends a patent at the end of the six month grace period that follows, not on the due date.
- 2 fees due Dec 9 to 18, 2026 · next Dec 9
- 1 fee due Aug 23, 2027The maintenance fee for Techniques for Controlling Energy Generation and Storage Systems (US 9,270,118) comes due Aug 23, 2027. Unpaid by Feb 23, 2028, it lapses early.
- 1 fee due Oct 26, 2027The maintenance fee for Solar Panel Fire Skirt (US 9,320,926) comes due Oct 26, 2027. Unpaid by Apr 26, 2028, it lapses early.
Recent changes
- 2 terms have ended since Aug 17, 2026
What they patent
The 5 largest of its 17 families, grouped by real patent family and labeled by the earliest filing in each. No technology classification is inferred from titles.
| Solar Panel Fire Skirt | 2 in force | to Dec 2034 |
| Panel Skirt and Photovoltaic Panel | 2 in force | to Sep 2030 |
| System and Method for Tin Plating Metal Electrodes | 1 in force | to Dec 2035 |
| Method for Improving Solar Cell Manufacturing Yield | 1 in force | to Aug 2035 |
| Imitation Solar Module for Use in a Staggered or Irregularly Shaped Solar Array | 1 in force | to Apr 2034 |
Patents held now
Soonest term end first.
| Patent | Title | Status | Expires | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 7,925,552 | Renewable Energy System Monitor In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US D749,502 | Combined Panel Skirt and Photovoltaic Panels In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US D765,591 | Panel Skirt and Photovoltaic Panel In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 8,249,902 | Methods of Processing Information in Solar Energy System In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US D772,432 | Panel Frame In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US D773,029 | Vent In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US D779,308 | Leveling Foot In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 8,881,720 | Heliostat Repositioning System and Method In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 9,878,188 | Solar Panel Fire Skirt In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 8,784,130 | Supply Side Backfeed Meter Socket Adapter In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence |
Also on record, not counted in the 19: 281 patents in force now held by others · 20 patents ended · 4 applications pending · 92 applications abandoned. List them
Sources and methods
Compiled from USPTO application file histories, grants and recorded assignments, with the company's own names reviewed by hand. How this record was built
Portfolio grouped automatically from ownership conveyances to the names matched to this company, usually every name that begins with its own, so it counts patents an affiliate holds; each list row names the holder of record. Security interests are excluded and ambiguous records are not reviewed by hand.
Fee due within 90 days marks a patent with a maintenance fee due within 90 days of the date this page was computed and not yet recorded paid, so it can end earlier than the bar shows. A fee left unpaid ends the patent at the close of the six month grace period that follows its due date, not on the due date itself. It is not a prediction that the fee will be missed.
Computed patent terms end on the dates shown. Related patents and pending applications may cover overlapping subject matter.