Antenna system for a satellite-supported vehicle navigation device

• US 6,344,828 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hannes Wagner
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Wagner, Hannes, Reeb, Max, Grantz, Helmut, Heuthe, Ronald, Petri, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TRINH VO
• Application Number:
  US09/465,944
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/711, 343/712
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1285 with capacitive feeding through the windscreen

Abstract

An antenna system for a satellite-supported navigation device in a vehicle includes a part which is to be arranged on the exterior of a mounting surface of the vehicle body and which contains an antenna component, a system part to be arranged on the interior, and a coupling device for coupling on antenna signal and a power supply between the exterior part and the interior part. The coupling devices includes signal transmission devices which transmit power supply signals and, as required, also data signals in a wireless manner through the mounting surface between the exterior and the interior parts.

Claims

1. Antenna system for a data communication unit in a vehicle, comprising:

an exterior part adapted to be arranged on an exterior side of a mounting surface of a vehicle body, and containing an antenna component and at least one energy-consuming active circuit component;

an interior part adapted to be arranged on an interior side of said mounting surface; and

coupling devices for signal coupling of the exterior and interior parts, said coupling devices including at least one signal transmission device which transmits electric power from a power supply signal generator, for powering said exterior energy consuming active circuit component, in a wireless manner through the mounting surface from the interior part to the exterior part.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal transmission device transmits power supply signals through the mounting surface inductively, and transmits data signals through the mounting surface via a linkage which is one of capacitive, inductive and optical.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal transmission device has an inductive open-field or closed-field helical-path structure on the interior and on the exterior parts.

4. The antenna system according to claim 3, characterizes at least one of the following:

the inductive closed-field structure has several current path windings; and

the inductive closed-field structure comprises a structure-encompassing short-circuit mask.

5. The antenna system according to claim 4, wherein the short-circuit mask simultaneously operates as an ohmic heating element which is fed with energy of the power supply signals transmitted from the interior part to the exterior part.

6. The antenna system according to claim 3, wherein the inductive closed-field structure is covered on its side facing away from the mounting surface by a magnetically conductive field guiding layer.

7. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein on its side facing away from the inductive closed-field structure, the field guiding layer has an electrically highly conductive coating.

8. The antenna system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one signal transmission device has a plurality of light signal transmission routes for received data and data to be sent.

9. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein:

the exterior part includes an antenna amplifier; and

the at least one signal transmission device comprises a capacitive coupling unit for transmission of data signals from the antenna component and a coupling coil unit for transmission of power supply alternating-voltage signals fed from the interior part.

10. The antenna system according to claim 9, wherein the antenna component, the antenna amplifier and an exterior coupling surface of the capacitive coupling unit are arranged next to or within an exterior coupling coil of the coupling coil unit.

11. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein:

the exterior part contains a signal processing unit; and

the at least one signal transmission device has a coupling coil unit for transmitting both data signals and said power supply alternating-voltage signals between the signal processing unit and the interior-side system part.

12. The antenna system according to claim 11, wherein the antenna component and the signal processing unit are arranged next to or within an exterior coupling coil of the coupling coil unit.

13. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein:

the interior part contains at least one of an antenna amplifier and a signal processing unit; and

the at least one signal transmitting device has a capacitive coupling unit for transmission of antenna signals between the antenna component, and one of the antenna amplifier and the signal processing unit.

14. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the interior part contains a coaxial line which guides both the