The assessment of sophisticated technologies such as dry electrode films, and their patent coverage, demands careful examination of interconnected patents and applications across various legal jurisdictions.
The new Patent Family Tree feature in LexisNexis® PatentSight+™ leverages advanced visualization capabilities. It provides a clear, hierarchical view of patent families. And this allows IP professionals to quickly understand priority claims, filing patterns, and global protection strategies. In this blog, we analyze Tesla’s strategic approach to dry electrode technology patents. We used the Patent Family Tree to reveal crucial insights about their international IP protection and R&D progression.
The Patent Family Tree is a new feature in PatentSight+™ that provides a clear and intuitive representation of the hierarchical and chronological structure of a patent family. A visual tree illustrates the relationships between various applications, publications, and granted patents within a family. This tree effectively conveys crucial information such as priority dates, filing and publication dates, legal status and the priority claim connections between individual family members.
Instead of parsing through traditional list-based views, users can now:
Tesla has consistently pushed the boundaries of battery technology to make electric vehicles (EVs) more efficient, sustainable, and affordable. Using the PatentSight+ new Patent Family Tree feature, we analyze Tesla’s patent family EP3776696.A1 to uncover their strategic approach to dry electrode technology. This is a critical innovation in battery development. Through this visual analysis, we reveal Tesla’s global protection strategy, R&D progression, and strategic use of patent filings across key markets. Let’s explore how Patent Family Tree transforms our understanding of Tesla’s patent strategy.
Assessing the patent family of EP3776696.A1 the traditional way is significantly more labor-intensive. Tools like Espacenet, for instance, provide a list of patent family members. This listed overview often misses essential information about legal status, filing dates, priority claims, and the relationships between filings. As a result, understanding the progression and legal landscape of each patent becomes cumbersome, requiring extensive manual cross-referencing.
In contrast, the PatentSight+ Patent Family Tree of EP3776696.A1 delivers a holistic and instantly accessible view of family relationships, timelines, and statuses. It reduces the need for time-consuming manual analyses.
Figure 1: Patent Family Tree Visualization of Tesla’s EP3776696.A1
Tesla’s patent family of EP3776696.A1 for dry electrode technology originates from a U.S. provisional application filed on March 30, 2018 (US201862650903.P a.k.a. 62/650,903). This initial filing acts as a foundation, setting the priority date for subsequent patent applications across different jurisdictions. In the U.S. patent system, provisional applications do not mature into issued patents themselves but serve as a placeholder. Thus securing an early filing date and giving applicants up to a year to refine their invention before filing a formal, non-provisional application. For Tesla, this early priority date allowed them to build upon and expand the claims through later applications across multiple countries.
Further, the Patent Family Tree highlights that Tesla filed a series of non-provisional applications in various authorities. This includes the U.S. on March 27, 2019, and on March 28, 2019, in China, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, all claiming priority from this original U.S. provisional. This strategic progression proves how Tesla leveraged the provisional application to secure a “first-to-file” advantage globally.
Figure 2: Filing and Grant Status Across Key Markets for Tesla’s Dry Electrode Patents
Tesla’s proactive global IP strategy ensures core innovation is shielded from competitors across key EV markets.
The Patent Family Tree of EP3776696.A1 uncovers the company’s sophisticated IP strategy, with divisional and continuation applications employed to expand and strengthen its patent scope:
Figure 3: Patent Family Tree: Tesla’s Divisional and Continuation Applications Network
This approach effectively strengthens Tesla’s IP strategy by creating a broader network of protections around the dry electrode film technology. This deters potential infringement attempts by other EV and battery manufacturers.
The Patent Family Tree in PatentSight+ reveals fascinating strategic contrasts between two EV giants competing in advanced battery technology. Despite both companies innovating in energy storage—specifically around electrode compositions and cell configurations for lithium-ion batteries—their patent filing approaches show distinct market priorities.
Tesla’s EP3776696.A1 family began with a U.S. provisional filing and follows a parallel filing approach—multiple applications filed simultaneously across jurisdictions, aiming for quick, broad coverage. This pattern, immediately visible in the patent family tree structure, demonstrates Tesla’s strategy for rapid global market protection. In contrast, BYD’s EP4087000.A1 family, covering battery cell structure innovations, exposes a different strategic choice: a carefully orchestrated layered progression. Beginning with filings in China, BYD expands and then expanding internationally, including Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. The BYD family tree reveals a series of divisional filings within China, strengthening protections for specific technological aspects by breaking out individual claims. Notably, the tree structure highlights BYD’s intensive use of divisional filings within China, reflecting a deep domestic market focus while building global protection.
Figure 4: Patent Family Tree Visualization of BYD’s EP4087000.A1
The Patent Family Tree in PatentSight+ revolutionizes how you analyze patent families, turning complex analysis into clear, actionable insights. Using this intuitive visualization, IP professionals can:
Ready to see how Patent Family Tree can enhance your patent analysis? Contact us for a personalized demo of PatentSight+. You’ll discover how this powerful tool can transform your approach to IP intelligence.
