Combined Antenna Module with Single Output

• US 20070182626A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Samavati, Hamid, Petersson, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.570
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0067 with one or more circuit blocks in common for different bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

An antenna module on a vehicle having an antenna for receiving satellite radio signals and an antenna for receiving GPS signals. The two antennas may or may not be on a common ceramic substrate. Either of the two antennas may be a ceramic patch antenna or a helical antenna. The respective signals from each of the antenna as is amplified by a low noise amplifier, filtered, and then combined onto a single conductor and amplified prior to being provided on a single conductor routed through the vehicle to a remotely-located pair of receivers.

Claims

1. An antenna module for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a first antenna element that receives electromagnetic signals at a first particular frequency range and produces a first received signal;

a second antenna element that receives electromagnetic signals at a second particular frequency range and produces a second received signal;

a combiner that combines the first and second received signals to produce a combined signal; and

a conductor connected to the combiner to carry the combined signal out of the antenna module.

2. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second antenna elements are ceramic patch antennas.

3. An antenna module as defined in claim 2, wherein the ceramic patch antennas are formed on the same ceramic.

4. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the first and second antenna elements is a ceramic patch antenna and the other is a helical antenna.

5. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second antenna elements are helical antennas.

6. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is designed to receive GPS signals.

7. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the second antenna element is designed to receive satellite radio signals.

8. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is designed to receive GPS signals and the second antenna element is designed to receive satellite radio signals.

9. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 1575 MHz.

10. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 1574 MHZ to 1577 MHz.

11. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the second antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 2340 MHz.

12. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the second antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 2320 MHZ to 2345 MHz.

13. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the first antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 1575 MHz and the second antenna element is designed to receive electromagnetic signals having a frequency in the range of 2340 MHz.

14. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, further including a first amplifier to amplify the first received signal prior to being combined with the second received signal and a second amplifier to amplify the second received signal prior to being combined with the first received signal.

15. An antenna module as defined in claim 14, wherein the first and second amplifiers are low-noise amplifiers.

16. An antenna module as defined in claim 14, further including a common ground plane to which the first and second amplifiers are connected.

17. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, further including a first filter to filter the first received signal prior to being combined with the second received signal and a second filter to filter the second received signal prior to being combined with the first received signal.

18. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, further including a housing that contains at least the first and second antenna element and the combiner.

19. An antenna module as defined in claim 17, further including a magnet attached to the housing for selective removable attachment to a metal object.

20. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the conductor is part of a coaxial cable.

21. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein the combined signal includes a first signal component at the first particular frequency range and a second signal component at the second particular frequency range.

22. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second antenna elements have a feeding point, and the antenna elements are oriented relative to each other to maximize the distance between the feeding points of the two antenna elements.

23. An antenna module as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second antenna elements generally lie in a common plane and each have a feeding point, and wherein the antenna elements are rotated relative to each other to maximize the distance between the feeding points of the two antenna elements.

26. An RF receiver system as defined in claim 1, wherein the antenna module is located on the exterior of the automobile and the receiver subsystems are located in the instrument panel.

24. An antenna module for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a GPS antenna element that receives electromagnetic signals at a GPS frequency range and produces a GPS received signal;

a first amplifier to amplify the GPS received signal;

a satellite radio antenna element that receives electromagnetic signals at a satellite radio frequency range and produces a satellite radio received signal;

a second amplifier to amplify the satellite radio received signal;

a combiner that combines the amplified GPS and satellite radio received signals to produce a combined signal; and

a conductor connected to the combiner to carry the combined signal out of the antenna module.

25. An RF receiver system for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising:

an antenna module that includes;

a first antenna element that receives electromagnetic RF signals at a first particular frequency range and produces a first received signal;

a second antenna element that receives electromagnetic RF signals at a second particular frequency range and produces a second received signal; and

a combiner that combines the first and second received signals to produce a combined signal;

a conductor connected to the combiner to carry the combined signal out of the antenna module;

a first receiver subsystem that is receptive of the combined signal from the conductor, the first receiver subsystem including a filter to allow at least the components of the combined signal that are at the first particular frequency range to pass therethrough and a receiver to receive the components of the combined signal that are at the first particular frequency range; and

a second receiver subsystem that is receptive of the combined signal from the conductor, the second receiver subsystem including a filter to allow at least the components of the combined signal that are at the second particular frequency range to pass therethrough and a receiver to receive the components of the combined signal that are at the second particular frequency range;

wherein the first and second receiver subsystems are located remotely from the antenna module.

27. A method of receiving different RF signals in an automotive vehicle, comprising:

receiving a first RF signal of a first frequency with a first antenna;

receiving a second RF signal of a second frequency with a second antenna, the second antenna being located in a common module with the first antenna;

combining the first and second RF signals into a combined signal;

conducting the combined signal along a single conductor;

supplying the combined signal to a remotely-located first receiver to receive a signal at the first frequency; and

supplying the combined signal to a remotely-located second receiver to receive a signal at the second frequency.