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TeslaPatent applicationCars & transportInterest 6/10

Tesla patents curved camera shield that fixes image distortion

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Tesla describes a protective cover for vehicle cameras that uses varying thickness to correct optical errors. By adjusting the inner curve of the shield in different sections, the design ensures light passes through without bending incorrectly, keeping the camera view clear.

Why it mattersThis could improve the clarity of Tesla's self-driving cameras by ensuring the protective glass does not warp the image the car uses to see the road.

In the filing’s own words

A camera shield that is optically corrected for placement in front of a camera is disclosed. When a curved shield with a uniform thickness is placed in front of a camera, the shield can create optical distortions. Optical corrections can be implemented onto the shield by adding a certain amount of vergence to a specific area of the shield. An amount of vergence can be added by changing an inner curvature radius of the shield such that the thickness of the shield is not uniform.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An optically correct camera shield, the camera shield comprising: an upper portion configured to have a first focus distance, the upper portion having a first inner curvature radius and a first outer curvature radius; a middle portion configured to have a second focus distance, the middle portion having a second inner curvature radius and a second outer curvature radius; and a lower portion configured to have a third focus distance, the lower portion having a third inner curvature radius and a third outer curvature radius; wherein the first inner curvature radius is determined based on at least the first focus distance, the second inner curvature radius is determined based on at least the second focus distance, and the third inner curvature radius is determined based on at least the third focus distance.

Facts

Company
Tesla (Tesla, Inc.)
Official title
OPTICALLY CORRECT CAMERA SHIELD
Publication number
US20260319245A1
Application number
19501323
Filed
Jul 18, 2024
Published
Oct 15, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
15

Classified under

G02B 27/0012 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.