Antenna arrangement

• US 6,583,685 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BSH Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Glass Antennas Technology Limited
• Inventors: Twort, Keith Jeremy, Easter, Brian, Davies, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Lam T.
• Application Number:
  US09/142,535
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 333/32, 333/174, 343/704, 343/713, 343/714, 343/702, 343/850, 342/365, 342/713
• US Class Current: 333/32
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks

Abstract

A matching circuit for a screen antenna receives on its signal input an MF or LF signal output of a screen antenna and feeds a signal though its signal output via a capacitive feeder to a radio receiver. The matching circuit includes components which operate in conjunction with capacitances in components connected to the signal input and the signal output to form an internally-terminated band-pass filter network having a pass-band which covers a range of frequencies to be received by the receiver.

Claims

1. A matching circuit having a signal input and a signal output, the matching circuit being operative to receive on its signal input an MF or LF signal output of a screen antenna (70) and for feeding a signal though its signal output via a capacitive feeder (14) to a radio receiver (10), the matching circuit comprising components which operate in conjunction with capacitance in components connected to the signal input and the signal output characterised in that the matching circuit and capacitances in components connected to the signal input and the signal output form an internally-loaded band-pass filter network having a pass-band which covers a range of frequencies to be received by the receiver (10), and present a predominantly capacitive output to the receiver over the pass band.

2. A matching circuit according to claim 1 in which the filter network has a Chebychev, Butterworth or elliptic function characteristic over its pass-band.

3. A matching circuit according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the network is equivalent to a singly-terminated network optimised for transmission of signals between a signal source of defined resistance and a load of negligible or zero resistance.

4. A matching circuit according to any preceding claim in which the network is an even-order filter.

5. A matching circuit according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the network is configured to give optimal input voltage/output current transfer into a short circuit.

6. A matching circuit according to any preceding claim in which the network has a voltage output derived across a capacitance (C10), the capacitance being the last element in the filter, and the capacitance being completely or partially constituted by the capacitance of a feeder (14) to which the signal output of the matching circuit is intended for connection.

7. A matching circuit according to claim 1 or claim 2 for use between an output amplifier of a screen antenna and a coaxial feeder (14) connected to a radio receiver (10), the matching circuit comprising an odd-order internally singly loaded filter network optimised for current transfer into a short circuit.

8. A matching circuit according to claim 7 in which the last element in the network is a series capacitor into a short circuit to which the network is connected, an output voltage of the network being derived across the capacitor.

9. MF and/or LF radio reception apparatus comprising an antenna having a signal output and being formed from a pattern of conductive elements (74) applied to a glass pane, an amplifier (12) having an input connected to the signal output of the antenna (74) and having a signal output, a matching circuit according to any preceding claim having its signal input connected to the signal output of the amplifier, a radio receiver (10) having a signal input, and a coaxial feeder connected between the signal output of the matching circuit and the signal input of the radio receiver.

10. MF and/or LF radio reception apparatus according to claim 9 in which the matching circuit is configured such that the sign of the reactive component of the impedance provided on the output from the feeder (14) to the radio receiver (10) is does not change over the band of frequencies to be received by the receiver.

11. MF and/or LF radio reception apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the radio receiver is installed in a vehicle and in which the glass pane is a window of the vehicle.

12. MF and/or LF radio reception apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11 in which the output of the antenna is constituted by an amplifier.

13. A method of optimising a matching circuit for use between an output of a screen antenna and a coaxial feeder (14) connected to a radio receiver (10) for reception of signals over a defined band in the LF and MR range the method characterised by the steps of:

(a) devising a first circuit (FIG.

     3) having optimal voltage transfer from a voltage source in series with an impedance to an open circuit over the defined band;

(b) deriving the dual (FIG.

     4) of the base circuit being a bandpass filter circuit arranged such that optimal current flows in a short circuit, its signal output being derived across an output capacitor of value substantially equal to or greater than the capacitance of the feeder, the capacitor being the last element in the bandpass filter circuit;

(c) constructing a circuit (72) omitting the output capacitor, the feeder (14) being connected in substitution for the output capacitor whereby an output of the circuit is derived across the capacitance of the feeder (14).

14. A matching circuit for use between an output of a screen antenna and a coaxial feeder connected to a radio receiver for reception of signals over a defined band optimised by a method according to claim 13.