Glass window antenna

• US 6,002,373 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kubota, Kenji, Shigeta, Kazuo, Taniguchi, Tatsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US08/879,598
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/704, 343/711, 343/712
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1271 for mounting on windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1278 in association with heating wires or layers

Abstract

A glass antenna has a rectangular loop antenna element which is extended on the upper region of a windshield glass where no heating wires of a defogger are arranged, and is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire of the defogger at a predetermined capacitance, and a T-shaped second antenna element which is arranged on a region where the defogger is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire of the defogger.

Claims

1. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged, comprising:

a first antenna element which has a feeding point, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to a heating wire of said defogger; and

a second antenna element which is not connected to a feeding point and has a first conductor extending in a first direction perpendicular to the heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element.

2. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire of said defogger has a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger and wherein

said second antenna element has a second conductor which is connected to said first conductor in DC term and extends in the widthwise direction, said second conductor being capacitively coupled to said heating wire.

3. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein said first conductor and said second conductor of said second antenna element form a T shape, and a length of said second conductor is set at not less than 5 cm.

4. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the length of said second conductor is set at not less than 20 cm.

5. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided between a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires and said first antenna element.

6. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided between a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires and the heating wire next to the top uppermost heating wire.

7. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided to overlap a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires.

8. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein the blank region is assured on an upper region of the glass surface, and said defogger has a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger,

said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, and

said second antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire.

9. The glass antenna according to claim 8, wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and the lowermost portion of said first antenna element.

10. The glass antenna according to claim 8, wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and a second uppermost heating wire.

11. The glass antenna according to claim 8, wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

said first conductor of said second antenna element extends in the longitudinal direction of said defogger, and an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set to overlap the uppermost heating wire.

12. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein a length of said first conductor of said second antenna element is set in correspondence with a frequency of a radio wave to be received.

13. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein said second antenna element is capacitively coupled to said heating wire of said defogger at not less than 10 pF.

14. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein the conductor of said second antenna is set on the glass surface via an insulating layer on the region where said defogger is arranged.

15. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein said second antenna element is adhered onto the glass surface by an adhesive.

16. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

17. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.

18. A method of setting an antenna on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, said method comprising:

a first fixing step of fixing a first antenna element having a feeding point on the glass surface so as to capacitively couple said first antenna element to a heating wire of said defogger, on a blank region of the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged; and

a second fixing step of fixing a second antenna element having an elongated first conductor on the glass surface and a second conductor which is connected to said first conductor in DC term, so as to arrange said first conductor extending in a first direction perpendicular to a heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is arranged, and to capacitively couple said second antenna element to the heating wire of said defogger present on a region close to said first antenna element,

wherein the second fixing step includes a step of fixing said second antenna element on the glass surface so as to arrange said second conductor extending in a widthwise direction of said defogger, to capacitively couple said second conductor to said heating wire and to set said second conductor at a position in the vicinity of said heating wire.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first antenna element has a width in a vertical direction, and a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is set at a position in the vicinity of an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, and

an uppermost end, in the vertical direction, of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and the lowermost portion of said first antenna element.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first antenna element has a width in a vertical direction, and a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is set at a position in the vicinity of an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, and

an uppermost end, in the vertical direction, of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and a second uppermost heating wire.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first antenna element has a width in a vertical direction, and a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set to overlap the uppermost heating wire.

22. The glass antenna according to claim 18, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

23. The glass antenna according to claim 18, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.

24. A method of setting an antenna on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, said method comprising:

a first fixing step of fixing a first antenna element having a feeding point on the glass surface so as to capacitively couple said first antenna element to a heating wire of said defogger, on a blank region of the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged the blank region being assured on an upper region of the glass surface; and

a second fixing step of fixing a second antenna element having an elongated first conductor on the glass surface, so as to arrange said first conductor extending in a first direction perpendicular to a heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is arranged, and to capacitively couple said second antenna element to the heating wire of said defogger present on a region close to said first antenna element.

said method further comprising the steps of;

fixing said first antenna element to be capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire, in a vertical direction, of said defogger, and

fixing said second antenna element to be capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire.

25. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged, comprising:

a first antenna element having a feeding point, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to a heating wire of said defogger; and

a second antenna element having a first conductor extending in a first direction perpendicular to the heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element,

wherein said second antenna element has at least one branch conductor wire extending in a widthwise direction of said defogger, and said at least one branch conductor wire is capacitively coupled to at least one heating wire of said defogger.

26. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, comprising:

a first antenna element having a feeding point, extends in a longitudinal direction of said defogger, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to a heating wire of said defogger; and

a second antenna element having a first conductor extending in a first direction perpendicular to the heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, having a second conductor connected to said first conductor in DC term and extends in the widthwise direction, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element, said second conductor being capacitively coupled to said heating wire.

27. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said first conductor and said second conductor of said second antenna element form a T shape, and a length of said second conductor is set at not less than 5 cm.

28. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein the length of said second conductor is set at not less than 20 cm.

29. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided between a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires and said first antenna element.

30. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided between a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires and the heating wire next to the top uppermost heating wire.

31. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said blank region is provided in an upper area of the glass surface, and said second conductor is provided to overlap a top uppermost heating wire of said plurality of heating wires.

32. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

33. The glass antenna according to claim 26, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.

34. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, comprising:

a first antenna element having a feeding point, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, the blank region being assured on an upper region of the glass surface; and

a second antenna element having a first conductor extending in a first longitudinal direction of said defogger perpendicular to the uppermost heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element,

wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and the lowermost portion of said first antenna element.

35. The glass antenna according to claim 34, wherein the conductor of said second antenna is set on the glass surface via an insulating layer on the region where said defogger is arranged.

36. The glass antenna according to claim 34, wherein said second antenna element is adhered onto the glass surface by an adhesive.

37. The glass antenna according to claim 34, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

38. The glass antenna according to claim 34, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.

39. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, comprising:

a first antenna element having a feeding point, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, the blank region being assured on an upper region of the glass surface; and

a second antenna element having a first conductor extending in a first longitudinal direction of said defogger perpendicular to the uppermost heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element,

wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set at a position between the uppermost heating wire and the next heating wire to the uppermost heating wire.

40. The glass antenna according to claim 39, wherein the conductor of said second antenna is set on the glass surface via an insulating layer on the region where said defogger is arranged.

41. The glass antenna according to claim 39, wherein said second antenna element is adhered onto the glass surface by an adhesive.

42. The glass antenna according to claim 39, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

43. The glass antenna according to claim 39, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.

44. A glass antenna which is set on a surface of a glass on which a defogger is arranged having a plurality of heating wires substantially parallel to a widthwise direction of said defogger, comprising:

a first antenna element having a feeding point, is extended on a blank region on the glass surface where no heating wire is arranged, and is capacitively coupled to an uppermost heating wire of said defogger, the blank region being assured on an upper region of the glass surface; and

a second antenna element having a first conductor extending in a first longitudinal direction of said defogger perpendicular to the uppermost heating wire of said defogger on a region where said defogger is extended, and is capacitively coupled to the heating wire of said defogger which is close to said first antenna element,

wherein a lowermost portion of said first antenna element is capacitively coupled to the uppermost heating wire by setting the lowermost portion at a position in the vicinity of the uppermost heating wire, and

said first conductor of said second antenna element extends in the longitudinal direction of said defogger, and an uppermost end of said second antenna element is set to overlap the uppermost heating wire.

45. The glass antenna according to claim 44, wherein the conductor of said second antenna is set on the glass surface via an insulating layer on the region where said defogger is arranged.

46. The glass antenna according to claim 44, wherein said second antenna element is adhered onto the glass surface by an adhesive.

47. The glass antenna according to claim 44, wherein said first antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof, and said second antenna element is adhered via an adhesive layer to said window glass from interior thereof so that said second antenna element is located above a glass area where said defogger is provided.

48. The glass antenna according to claim 44, wherein said first antenna element has a loop shape, and said second antenna element has a T character shape.