Vehicle Antenna

• US 20140347231A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Kerselaers, Anthony, Gomme, Liesbeth
• Granted Patent: US 9,570,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/32 Vertical arrangement of element H01Q9/40 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna which has two feed ports and two conductor areas. Where the two areas face each other, there is a set of interdigitated arms and slots. These define a shape with two open slots (one on each side) extending from the two feed points, and a central closed slot.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a planar substrate;

a conductor pattern printed on one side of the substrate wherein the conductor pattern comprises first and second separate continuous conductor areas,

wherein the first conductor area is generally at one end of the substrate and the second conductor area generally at the other end of the substrate, wherein a first direction extends between the ends;

wherein the first conductor area has two arms, one on each outer side, and the two first conductor area arms extend parallel to the first direction, and define a first slot between them,

wherein the second conductor area has two arms with a second slot defined between them, and the two second conductor area arms extend parallel to the first direction, wherein the two second conductor area arms sit within the first slot with a portion of the first slot at the outer sides of the two second conductor area arms;

a first antenna feed which bridges the end of one of the two second conductor area arms and the base of the first slot; and

a second antenna feed which bridges the end of the other of the two second conductor area arms and the base of the first slot.

2. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, which in use is intended for vertical mounting, and has a bottom edge and a top edge, which comprise the one end and the other end.

3. An antenna as claimed in claim 2, which in use is intended to be grounded at one end to a horizontal conducting plane.

4. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, that operates in a frequency band within the range 4.95-6.0 GHz.

5. An antenna as claimed in claim 4, designed for an operational frequency of 5.9 GHz.

6. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein each arm has a length in the range 4 mm to 7 mm.

7. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductor area comprises a rectangular part at the one end of the substrate from one edge of which the two first conductor area arms extend.

9. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second conductor area comprises a rectangular part at the other end of the substrate from one edge of which the two second conductor area arms extend.

10. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate has a generally rectangular shape with width less than 15 mm and length less than 30 mm.

11. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, comprising a vehicle antenna.

12. An antenna as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an outer housing for mounting on a vehicle roof, the outer housing comprising a vertical web in which the planar substrate is positioned, wherein the outer housing has a height of less than 80 mm, a width of less than 70 mm and a length of less than 200 mm.

13. A vehicle communications system, comprising an antenna as claimed in claim 11.

8. An antenna as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first conductor area has an overall length of the rectangular part and the first conductor area arms, in the first direction, of 14 to 18 mm.