Motor vehicle roof antenna module, motor vehicle and method for operating the roof antenna module

• US 10,186,762 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Papp, Aurel, Pohl, Andreas, Spehl, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US16/063,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/283 Blade, stub antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0254 Stateful filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The disclosure refers to a roof antenna module and to a method for operating the roof antenna module, wherein a communication control unit couples at least one transceiver with at least one bus connection and communication messages are transmitted between the at least one transceiver and the at least one bus connection. This approach prevents undesired manipulation of the motor vehicle from the outside. This approach uses a filter device of the communication control unit, that forwards a control instruction to the at least one bus connection only if the control instruction fulfills a predetermined safety criterion.

Claims

1. A roof antenna module to be positioned on a roof of a motor vehicle comprising:

at least one transceiver having a respective antenna;

at least one bus connection for connecting the roof antenna module to a respective digital communication bus of the motor vehicle; and

a communication control unit through which the at least one transceiver is coupled to the at least one bus connection, the communication control unit configured to transmit a plurality of communication messages between the at least one transceiver and the at least one bus connection,

wherein the communication control unit includes a filter device configured to forward a control instruction to the at least one bus connection if the control instruction fulfills a predetermined safety criterion, wherein the control instruction is received through the at least one transceiver via a radio link from outside the motor vehicle, is addressed to a bus user of the at least one communication bus, and is contained within the plurality of communication messages.

2. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the predetermined safety criterion comprises at least one of:

the control instruction is encrypted with a predetermined cryptographic key, the control instruction has been generated by a previously registered sender, the control instruction has been addressed to a predetermined bus user, or the control instruction exclusively contains at least one control command among a predetermined set of admissible control commands.

3. The roof antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)-element for a user-independent provision of a communication connection to a mobile radio network, wherein the SIM-element is integrated in the roof antenna module, and

wherein the communication control unit is configured to be controlled through the communication connection from outside the motor vehicle.

4. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the communication control unit further comprises a data storage, and the communication control unit is further configured to:

buffer at least some of the plurality of communication messages into the data storage, and

transmit the buffered plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined priority rule.

5. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the communication control unit further includes a gateway device that is configured to adapt a format of at least some of the plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined communication standard.

6. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the roof antenna module is a one-piece component.

7. The roof antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one antenna connection device for a respective connection of a module-external additional antenna, wherein the at least one antenna connection device is respectively directly connected to the at least one transceiver or to the communication control unit.

8. The roof antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one receiver device configured to receive a position signal of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS); and

an extrapolation device in the communication control unit, the extrapolation device configured to;

determine, in case of an absence of the position signal, a vehicle position based on operating data of the motor vehicle received through the at least one bus connection from the respective communication bus, and

provide the vehicle position to the at least one bus connection.

9. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the communication control unit is configured to set at least one of an error coding, a sending method, or a receiving method for the plurality of communication messages, wherein the setting depends on an environmental signal that describes an environment of the motor vehicle.

10. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to set at least one of:

an error coding, a sending method, or a receiving method for the plurality of communication messages, wherein the setting is based on an environmental signal that describes an environment of the motor vehicle.

11. The roof antenna module of claim 1, wherein the communication control unit further comprises:

a diagnostic device configured to transmit through the at least one bus connection and/or through the at least one transceiver, respective diagnostic data which describe a current operating status of the roof antenna module and/or errors detected during the operation of the roof antenna module.

12. The roof antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply connected through a wake-up line to the at least one transceiver, configured to;

receive, when the communication control unit is deactivated, a wake-up signal through the at least one transceiver; and

activate the deactivated communication control unit upon receiving the wake-up signal.

13. A motor vehicle comprising:

at least one digital communication bus; and

a roof antenna module connected to the at least one communication bus, the roof antenna module comprising;

at least one transceiver having a respective antenna,

at least one bus connection for connecting the roof antenna module to a respective digital communication bus of the motor vehicle, and

a communication control unit through which the at least one transceiver is coupled to the at least one bus connection, the communication control unit configured to transmit a plurality of communication messages between the at least one transceiver and the at least one bus connection, wherein the communication control unit includes a filter device, configured to forward a control instruction to the at least one bus connection if the control instruction fulfills a predetermined safety criterion, wherein the control instruction is received through the at least one transceiver via a radio link from outside the motor vehicle, is addressed to a bus user of the at least one communication bus, and is contained within the plurality of communication messages.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13, wherein the predetermined safety criterion comprises at least one of:

the control instruction is encrypted with a predetermined cryptographic key, the control instruction has been generated by a previously registered sender, the control instruction has been addressed to a predetermined bus user, or the control instruction exclusively contains at least one control command among a predetermined set of admissible control commands.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 13, wherein the communication control unit further comprises a data storage, and the communication control unit is further configured to:

buffer at least some of the plurality of communication messages into the data storage, and

transmit the buffered plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined priority rule.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 13, wherein the communication control unit further includes a gateway device that is configured to adapt a format of at least some of the plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined communication standard.

17. A method for operating a roof antenna module of a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving a control instruction through at least one transceiver via a radio link from outside the motor vehicle, the control instruction being addressed to a bus user of at least one communication bus;

connecting, by a communication control unit, the at least one transceiver to at least one bus connection, the connecting supporting transmitting a plurality of communication messages between the at least one transceiver and the at least one bus connection; and

forwarding the control instruction, by a filter device of the communication control unit, to the at least one bus connection if the control instruction fulfills a predetermined safety criterion, wherein the at least one transceiver, the at least one bus connection and the communication control unit form at least a part of the roof antenna module, wherein the control instruction is included within the plurality of communication messages.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined safety criterion comprises at least one of:

the control instruction is encrypted with a predetermined cryptographic key, the control instruction has been generated by a previously registered sender, the control instruction has been addressed to a predetermined bus user, or the control instruction exclusively contains at least one control command among a predetermined set of admissible control commands.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication control unit further comprises a data storage, and the method further comprises:

buffering at least some of the plurality of communication messages into the data storage, and

transmitting the buffered plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined priority rule.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adapting, by a gateway device, a format of at least some of the plurality of communication messages according to a predetermined communication standard.