Vehicle assembly

• US 10,455,422 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Quarta, Markus, Hoggarth, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US15/843,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 455418, 455 6712, 340575, 343713
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3291 mounted in or on other locations inside the vehicle or vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1475 Passive attacks, e.g. eavesdropping or listening without modification of the traffic monitored
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0007 Casings standardised racks H05K9/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0071 Active shielding

Abstract

A vehicle assembly is provided. The vehicle assembly comprises: one or more body frame components configured to define an interior of the vehicle; and one or more windows provided within apertures formed in the body frame components, each window comprising one or more first electrically conductive elements, wherein the first electrically conductive elements are configured to selectively limit transmission of electromagnetic waves within the interior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle assembly comprising:

one or more body frame components configured to define an interior of the vehicle assembly; and

at least one window provided within corresponding apertures formed in or between the body frame components, the window comprising at least one first electrically conductive element, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to selectively permit transmission of electromagnetic waves between inside and outside of the vehicle interior,

wherein each of the body frame components comprises at least one second electrically conductive element, the second electrically conductive element being configured to limit transmission of electromagnetic waves through the body frame component, and the first electrically conductive element is selectively connectable to the second electrically conductive element.

2. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive element is one or more of:

configured to form a mesh over an area of the window;

selectively connectable to one or more of the body frame components;

connectable to the body frame components at each edge of the aperture;

or

configured to attenuate electromagnetic waves passing through the window.

3. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation in order to interfere with the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves, and the vehicle further comprises an interference generator electrically connected to the first electrically conductive element, the interference generator configured to pass a current through the first electrically conductive element in order to generate the electromagnetic radiation.

4. The vehicle assembly of claim 3, wherein one or more of:

the first electrically conductive element is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation at a frequency that is substantially equal to a frequency of electromagnetic waves that it is desirable to interfere with;

or

the first electrically conductive element is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation at a frequency that induces electrical currents in electronic devices within the interior of the vehicle in order to disrupt their operation.

5. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the body frame components are electrically connected to one another.

6. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the body frame components comprise a door of the vehicle and one or more other body frame components, wherein the door and/or the other body frame components are configured such that the door is electrically connected to the other body frame components adjacent to the door, and the assembly further comprises one or more door seals provided between the door and one or more of the other body frame components, wherein the door seals comprise at least one third electrically conductive element configured to electrically connect the door to an adjacent body frame component.

7. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises an electromagnetic pulse generator configured to selectively emit a pulse of electromagnetic radiation or generate a magnetic field within the vehicle interior, and the body frame components and the window are configured to substantially prevent the electromagnetic radiation or magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic pulse generator passing outside of the vehicle interior.

8. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises:

an internal wireless transmitter-receiver configured to transmit or receive wireless signals within the vehicle interior and an external wireless transmitter-receiver configured to selectively transmit or receive the wireless signals outside of the vehicle interior such that the wireless signals can be relayed between the vehicle interior and exterior; and

a controller, configured to determine which of the received wireless signals are to be transmitted by the internal and/or external wireless transmitter-receivers.

9. The vehicle assembly of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine which of the received wireless signals are to be transmitted based on one or more of:

an intended recipient of the wireless signal;

an identity of a device that generated the wireless signals;

data contained within the wireless signals;

a communication protocol of the wireless signals;

authorization data received by the external wireless receiver;

or

authorization data received by the internal wireless receiver.

10. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive element comprises a heating element for the window.

11. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive element comprises a shape memory alloy.

12. The vehicle assembly claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a speaker configured to project audio noise within the interior of the vehicle, wherein the noise is configured to obscure voices of a vehicle occupant within an audio recording made within the vehicle interior.

13. The vehicle assembly of claim 12, wherein the speaker is configured to project the audio noise at a volume equal to or greater than a volume at which an occupant of the vehicle is speaking.

14. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a body imaging device configured to scan an occupant of the vehicle and identify devices being carried by the occupant.

15. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a wireless transmission detector provided within the vehicle interior and configured to inform an occupant of the vehicle if a wireless signal is detected within the vehicle interior.

16. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the window comprises an internal antenna provided at an internal surface of the window and an external antenna provided at an external surface of the window, wherein the internal antenna is selectively couplable to the external antennae, and the first electrically conductive element is configured to form a switch that selectively couples the internal antenna to the external antenna.

17. A vehicle assembly comprising:

one or more body frame components configured to define an interior of the vehicle assembly; and

at least one window provided within corresponding apertures formed in or between the body frame components, the window comprising at least one first electrically conductive element, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to selectively permit transmission of electromagnetic waves between inside and outside of the vehicle interior,

wherein the body frame components and the window are electrically connected to one another, such that the body frame components and the window form an electrically conductive cage substantially surrounding the vehicle interior; and

the body frame components and the window are configured such that gaps between members of the cage are less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

18. A vehicle assembly comprising:

one or more body frame components configured to define an interior of the vehicle assembly;

at least one window provided within corresponding apertures formed in or between the body frame components, the window comprising at least one first electrically conductive element, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to selectively permit transmission of electromagnetic waves between inside and outside of the vehicle interior; and

a storage compartment within the interior of the vehicle assembly, wherein walls of the storage compartment comprise at least one fourth electrically conductive element substantially surrounding the storage compartment, wherein the fourth electrically conductive element is configured to substantially prevent electromagnetic radiation and magnetic fields from passing through the walls of the storage compartment.

19. A vehicle assembly comprising:

one or more body frame components configured to define an interior of the vehicle assembly; and

at least one window provided within corresponding apertures formed in or between the body frame components, the window comprising at least one first electrically conductive element, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to selectively permit transmission of electromagnetic waves between inside and outside of the vehicle interior,

wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to change its shape under an external stimulus from a first shape, in which the first electrically conductive elements limits transmission of electromagnetic waves through the window, to a second shape in which the first electrically conductive element permits transmission of electromagnetic waves between inside and outside of the vehicle interior.