Independently fed AM/FM heated window antenna

• US 5,781,160 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ohio State University
• Original Assignee: Ohio State University
• Inventors: Walton, Eric K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US08/656,610
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 343/711, 343/712, 343/713, 343/704
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1278 in association with heating wires or layers

Abstract

A radio antenna formed in a vehicle window is coupled with a radio apparatus using an RF transformer having a primary winding connected between the antenna/heating element and the vehicle body and a secondary winding connected between the vehicle body and the radio apparatus. Preferably, the transformer also has a third winding which connects to a second antenna/heating element terminal for completing the electrical supply current circuit through the heating element. The primary winding and third winding are wound with identical turns and connected so the electrical heating current flowing through each winding generates a flux equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the other to cancel the flux resulting from the heating current and thus prevent saturation of the transformer. Shunting capacitors cause RF currents through the primary winding and third winding to be equal in magnitude and in phase.

Claims

1. An antenna and feed circuit for coupling an electromagnetic signal to a radio apparatus and comprising:

a) an antenna mounted to a window formed in an aperture through a conductive sheet connected to a ground, the antenna also being a resistive heating element and having first and second terminals for connection to an electrical source of heating current;

b) an RF transformer capable of passing and inductively coupling RF signals, the transformer having a primary winding connected between said first antenna terminal and said ground and having a secondary winding connected between said ground and said radio apparatus for feeding lower frequency signals; and

c) a transmission line connected through a capacitor between said antenna and said radio apparatus for feeding higher frequency signals.

2. An antenna in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lower frequency signals are in the AM broadcast band and said higher frequency signals are in the FM broadcast band.

3. An antenna in accordance with claim 2, wherein an RF choke is interposed in series between the second terminal of the antenna and the heating current source.

4. An antenna in accordance with claim 2, wherein the RF transformer has a third winding in flux linkage with the primary winding and the secondary winding and conductively connected between the second antenna terminal and the source of heating current, said primary winding and said third winding having the same number of turns and being connected to generate a substantially equal and opposite magnetic flux resulting from the heating current.

5. An antenna in accordance with claim 4, wherein a capacitor is connected across the antenna element terminals to equalize the amplitude and phase of the RF currents through the primary winding and third winding.

6. An antenna in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second capacitor is connected between the primary winding and third winding on the side of the windings opposite the antenna terminals.

7. An antenna in accordance with claim 4 wherein the third winding is fabricated from a smaller diameter wire than the primary and secondary windings.

8. An antenna in accordance with claim 4 wherein an FM tuning stub is connected to the antenna for optimizing the impedance match of the antenna with the radio apparatus.

9. An antenna in accordance with claim 4 wherein the connection of the transmission line to the antenna is at a selected location on the antenna to optimize the symmetry of the antenna field pattern.