Reception antenna for radio wave marker

• US 6,433,750 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sugita, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tho
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANNUCCI, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US09/931,582
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 343/711, 343/712, 343/713, 343/714, 343/725, 343/716, 343/707, 343/789, 340/905, 340/933, 340/939
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3216 where the road or rail vehicle is only used as transportation means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a radio wave marker reception antenna which is not easily affected by disturbance noises, such as a broadcast wave, which are set to the same frequency band as the radio wave signal conveying driving assisting information. The radio wave marker reception antenna is equipped with a cover which is formed of a conductive material and which has a prism-like, cylindrical, conical, dome-shaped, or forwardly broadening configuration. The cover may be installed such that it is inclined from the position where its lower side is oriented vertically downward to a position where its lower side is directed obliquely forward. Further, the interior of the cover may be filled with a non-conductive material.

Claims

1. A radio wave marker reception antenna mounted in a mobile body and adapted to receive driving assisting information from a road-side radio wave marker transmission antenna installed under the surface of a road,

wherein the radio wave marker reception antenna is formed of a conductive material and equipped with a cover surrounding said antenna, said cover having an upper side and a lower side,

wherein said lower side of said cover has an opening;

and

wherein said cover is formed of a conductive material.

2. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a prism-shaped configuration.

3. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a cylindrical configuration.

4. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a conical configuration.

5. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a dome-shaped configuration.

6. A radio wave marker reception. antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover downwardly broadens in a fixed direction, and wherein the radio wave marker reception antenna is mounted in the mobile body such that said fixed direction is the direction of travel.

7. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cover is mounted in the mobile body and wherein said lower side of said cover is oriented toward a direction of travel of said mobile body.

8. A radio wave marker reception antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a means for preventing deformation of said cover and attendantly preventing deterioration of performance of said antenna, said means for preventing deformation comprising substantially filling said cover with a non-conductive material.