Concealed mobile communications system

• US 5,918,183 A
• Filed: 09/29/1994
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Janky, Gregory T., Janky, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/315,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/60, 455/345, 455/282, 455/550, 343/712, 343/713, 343/700 MS, 343/711, 343/717, 180/168, 180/164, 296/24.1, 340/825.69, 340/825.31, 342/20, 342/27, 342/80
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• 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 1/325 characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle
• 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 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

A mobile communications system for transmitting or receiving a broadcast signal and designed for mounting on in a vehicle has a transmitter or receiver and one or more antennas electrically connected to the transmitter/receiver. The system is mounted on or in a vehicle so that the transmitter/receiver and the antenna(s) are concealed. The system includes a GPS unit for receiving and processing a GPS and signal a cellular telephone unit for transmitting a fix of the vehicle location (to the police, for example). The system is particularly useful in recovering stolen vehicles and deterring theft.

Claims

1. Mobile communications system for receiving and transmitting signals of first and second kinds and designed for use in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a receiver;

a first antenna electrically connected to the receiver for receiving signals of the first kind;

a transceiver;

a second antenna electrically connected to the transceiver for receiving and transmitting signals of the second kind; and

a mount for mounting the first and antennas together and concealing them on or in the vehicle;

wherein the signals of the first kind are navigation signals and the first antenna is a patch antenna for receiving the signals of the first kind;

the signals of the second kind are telephone signals and the second antenna forms a loop for transmitting and receiving the signals of the second kind; and

the antenna mount mounts the patch antenna within the loop.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the antenna mount mounts the patch antenna and the loop antenna concentrically with each other.