Automobile roof antenna shelf

• US 6,118,410 A
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated), General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Nagy, Louis Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alemu, Ephrem
• Application Number:
  US09/354,756
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/711, 343/712, 343/700 MS
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1271 for mounting on windscreens
• 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 1/3241 particular used in keyless entry systems
• 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• 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

An automobile roof antenna shelf positioned below a vehicle window, such as a vehicle windshield or vehicle rear window, that provides a mounting structure for mounting a plurality of high frequency antennas. The vehicle window includes an extended portion that extends into the vehicle roof over the shelf, and defines a gap therebetween. The plurality of antenna are mounted on the shelf within the gap.

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising:

a vehicle window including a first planar portion, a second planar portion and a curved portion therebetween;

a vehicle roof panel positioned adjacent to the second planar portion of the window where the second planar portion and the roof panel are part of a vehicle roof, said roof panel including a shelf portion positioned below the second planar portion and defining a gap therebetween; and

a plurality of antennas mounted within the gap between the second planar portion and the shelf portion.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of antenna are mounted to the shelf portion.

3. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle window is selected from the group consisting of a vehicle windshield and a vehicle rear window.

4. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the window is a vehicle windshield, said windshield including a solar-ray antenna positioned within the first planar portion of the window.

5. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of antenna are high frequency antennas selected from the group consisting of cellular antennas, toll antennas, garage door antennas, radar antennas, RFA antennas, and GPS antennas.

6. The structure according to claim 1 further comprising an antenna electronics box positioned in the vehicle beneath the roof panel, each of the plurality of antennas being electrically connected to the antenna electronics box.

7. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the shelf portion extends below the second planar portion a distance within the range of four to six inches.

8. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the gap defined between the second planar portion and the shelf portion has a dimension within the range of 0.75 to 1.0 inch.

9. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the shelf portion is a conductive shelf that provides a ground plane for the antennas and attenuates antenna radiation entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

14. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the gap defined between the roof portion and the antenna shelf has a dimension within the range of 0.75 to 1.0 inch.

10. An antenna system for a vehicle, said antenna system comprising:

a vehicle windshield including a front portion, a curved portion and a roof portion wherein the curved portion connects the front portion and the roof portion and is positioned proximate a vehicle roof line;

a vehicle roof panel positioned adjacent to the roof portion of the windshield, said roof panel including an antenna shelf positioned below the roof portion of the windshield and defining a gap therebetween;

a plurality of high frequencies antennas mounted to the shelf portion within the gap; and

an antenna electronics box positioned in the vehicle beneath the roof panel, each of the plurality of antennas being electrically connected to the antenna electronics box.

11. The structure according to claim 10 wherein the windshield includes a solar-ray antenna positioned within the front portion.

12. The structure according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of antenna are high frequency antennas selected from the group consisting of cellular antennas, toll antennas, garage door antennas, radar antennas, RFA antennas, and GPS antennas.

13. The structure according to claim 10 wherein the antenna shelf extends below the roof portion a distance within the range of four to six inches.

15. The method of mounting a plurality of high frequency antennas to a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle window that includes a first planar portion, a second planar portion, and a curved portion therebetween;

providing a vehicle roof panel positioned adjacent to the second planar portion of the window where the second planar portion and the roof panel are part of a vehicle roof, said step of providing a roof panel including providing a shelf portion positioned below the second planar portion so as to define a gap therebetween; and

mounting the plurality of antennas within the gap between the second planar portion and the shelf portion.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the step of mounting the antennas includes mounting the antennas to the shelf portion.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the step of providing a vehicle window includes providing a vehicle windshield including a solar-ray antennas positioned therein.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of positioning an antenna electronics box within the vehicle beneath the roof panel and electrically connecting each of the antennas to the electronics box.