Antenna Module for a Motor Vehicle

• US 20130076577A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Chakam, Guy-Aymar, Schneider, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,614,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1214 through a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3208 characterised by the application wherein the antenna is used
• 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them

Abstract

An antenna module for a motor vehicle has a first antenna device having at least one antenna 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 for the exterior of the motor vehicle, which antenna is arranged in the external area of the motor vehicle, and a second antenna device having at least one antenna 25, 27, 29, 31 for the interior of the motor vehicle, which antenna is arranged in the interior of the motor vehicle, the first antenna device and second antenna device being electrically coupled to each other for the purpose of supplying electricity to the antenna devices.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An antenna module for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first antenna device having one or more external antennas arranged on an external side of a bodywork structure of the motor vehicle, including a particular external antenna configured for communicating wireless first communication signals of a wireless external telecommunication service between (a) an external telecommunication device located external to and remote from the motor vehicle and (b) an internal telecommunication device configured for the wireless external telecommunication service and located internal to or part of the motor vehicle,

a second antenna device having one or more internal antennas arranged on an internal side of the bodywork structure of the motor vehicle, including a particular internal antenna configured for communicating wireless second communication signals of a wireless internal telecommunication service between two internal telecommunication devices configured for the wireless internal telecommunication service and located internal to or part of the motor vehicle, the wireless internal telecommunication service being independent from the wireless external telecommunication service,

wherein the particular external antenna is not configured to communicate the wireless second communication signals of the wireless internal telecommunication service, and the particular internal antenna is not configured to communicate the wireless first communication signals of the wireless external telecommunication service, and

a control device of the antenna module electrically connected to both the first antenna device and second antenna device for supplying electricity from the control device to both the first and second antenna devices.

18. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the control device is a single common control device which includes at least one of a transmitter device, a receiver device, a bus coupling device, an evaluation device, a pre-evaluation device, and a transducer device.

19. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the first antenna device comprises a first carrier plate on which the one or more external antennas are arranged, and the second antenna device comprises a second carrier plate on which the one or more internal antennas are arranged.

20. The antenna module according to claim 19, wherein the first and second carrier plate are arranged on the bodywork of the motor vehicle in such a way that they overlap at least in an area of the vehicle bodywork on the inside and outside of the vehicle bodywork.

21. The antenna module according to claim 20, wherein at least one common cutout for electrical contacting and/or for mechanical fixing is provided in the overlapping area.

22. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the first antenna device includes a plurality of external antennas configured for facilitating multiple different types of wireless external telecommunication services.

23. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the second antenna includes a plurality of internal antennas configured for facilitating multiple different types of wireless internal telecommunication services.

24. The antenna module according to claim 23, wherein:

the first antenna device includes a plurality of external antennas configured for facilitating multiple different types of wireless external telecommunication services,

the second antenna includes a plurality of internal antennas configured for facilitating multiple different types of wireless internal telecommunication services, and

at least one of the different types of the wireless internal telecommunication services is not facilitated by any of the external antennas.

25. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein:

the first antenna device includes a plurality of external antennas configured for facilitating multiple different types of wireless external telecommunication services, and

none of the plurality of external antennas are configured to communicate the wireless second communication signals of the wireless internal telecommunication service.

27. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the wireless second communication signals of the wireless internal telecommunication service are not communicated via any of the one or more external antennas.

28. The antenna module according to claim 17, wherein the common control device is integrated with the first antenna device or the second antenna device.

29. An antenna module for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of external antennas arranged on an external side of a motor vehicle body and configured to facilitate a plurality of different types of wireless external/internal wireless telecommunication services between external telecommunication devices located external to and remote from the motor vehicle and one or more internal telecommunication devices located internal to or part of the motor vehicle, and

a plurality of internal antennas arranged on an internal side of the motor vehicle body and configured to facilitate a plurality of different types of wireless internal/internal telecommunication services between internal telecommunication devices located internal to or part of the motor vehicle,

wherein at least one of the different types of internal/internal wireless telecommunication services facilitated by at least one of the internal antennas is not facilitated by any of the external antennas, and

a control device of the antenna module configured to supply electricity to both the plurality of external antennas and the plurality of internal antennas.

30. The antenna module according to claim 29, wherein the control device includes at least one of a transmitter device, a receiver device, a bus coupling device, an evaluation device, a pre-evaluation device, and a transducer device.

31. The antenna module according to claim 29, wherein the common control device is integrated with the first or the second antenna.

32. The antenna module according to claim 29, wherein:

the plurality of external antennas arranged on a first carrier plate on the external side of the motor vehicle body,

the plurality of internal antennas arranged on a second carrier plate on the internal side of the motor vehicle body, and

a footprint of the first carrier plate at least partially overlaps a footprint of the second carrier plate.

33. The antenna module according to claim 32, wherein at least one common cutout for electrical contacting and/or for mechanical fixing is provided in the area of overlap.

34. The antenna module according to claim 29, wherein the plurality of external antennas are provided in a housing having an aerodynamic shape.

35. The antenna module according to claim 29, wherein the motor vehicle body located between the external antennas and the internal antennas electromagnetically shields at least one of the external antennas from at least one of the internal antennas.

36. An antenna module for a motor vehicle, comprising:

one or more external antennas provided on a first carrier plate arranged an external side of a bodywork structure of the motor vehicle, including a particular external antenna configured for communicating wireless first communication signals of a wireless external telecommunication service between (a) an external telecommunication device located external to and remote from the motor vehicle and (b) an internal telecommunication device configured for the wireless external telecommunication service and located internal to or part of the motor vehicle,

one or more internal antennas provided on a second carrier plate arranged on an internal side of the bodywork structure of the motor vehicle, including a particular internal antenna configured for communicating wireless second communication signals of a wireless internal telecommunication service between two internal telecommunication devices configured for the wireless internal telecommunication service and located internal to or part of the motor vehicle, the wireless internal telecommunication service being independent from the wireless external telecommunication service,

wherein the wireless second communication signals of the wireless internal telecommunication service are not carried by any of the one or more external antennas, and

wherein a footprint of the first carrier plate arranged on the external side of the bodywork structure at least partially overlaps a footprint of the second carrier plate arranged on the internal side of the bodywork structure.