Vehicle intercommunication apparatus

• US 7,317,936 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Access Corp. (Honda Motor Company), Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hino, Masashi, Katayama, Mutsumi, Kushida, Kazumitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannon; Christian A.
• Application Number:
  US10/410,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/575.9, 455/556.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.2, 455/575.6, 455/575.7, 2/5, 2/61, 2/66
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/276 for mounting on helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/325 characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Two antennas are provided in a base station, one antenna AT1 is arranged at the root of a right handle grip [1R] and the other antenna AT2 is arranged at the root of a left handle grip [1L]. Alternatively, one antenna AT1 is arranged at the root of a front right turn signal [2R] and the other antenna AT2 is arranged at the root of a front left turn signal [2L] Alternatively, one antenna AT1 is arranged at the root of a rear right turn signal [3R] and the other antenna AT2 is arranged at the root of a rear left turn signal [3L]. Alternatively, one antenna AT1 is arranged at the front of a vehicle and the other antenna AT2 is arranged at the rear thereof.

Claims

1. A two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus comprising:

a base station mounted on a two wheel vehicle and a plurality of antennas for transmitting and receiving thereof, a plurality of portable terminals owned by respective occupants and antennas thereof, where each portable terminal communicates via the base station,

wherein the plurality of antennas of the base station is exposed to an exterior of the two wheel vehicle and separately arranged at two or more positions of handle grips, turn signals, a meter unit, and behind the rear seat, in order to sandwich the portable terminals owned by said occupants sitting in a sitting position,

wherein said base station includes an antenna control circuit comprising a diversity reception function which selects one signal among those received at the plurality of antennas or combines all signals received at the plurality of antennas,

wherein the antennas of the portable terminals are a pair of longitudinal antennas provided on a helmet,

wherein the pair of longitudinal antennas is unified with edge rubber provided at the lower edge of the helmet in order to be separately arranged from each other along the lower edge of the helmet, and

wherein each of the longitudinal antennas are transmitting and receiving antennas.

2. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of longitudinal antennas is arranged along the respective lower edges of the front and rear of the helmet.

3. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of longitudinal antennas is arranged along the respective lower edges of the right and left sides of the helmet.

4. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of longitudinal antennas is integrally formed with edge rubber provided at the respective lower edges of the right and left sides of the helmet.

5. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of longitudinal antennas is fixed on edge rubber surfaces provided at the respective lower edges of the right and left sides of the helmet.

6. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of antennas of the base station are arranged at at least two positions separated in a front and rear direction or separated in a right and left direction of said vehicle.

7. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a communication standard conforms to a Bluetooth standard and the base station establishes a piconet with each portable terminal.

8. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the base station comprises only one Bluetooth module to which the plurality of antennas are connected.

9. The two wheel vehicle intercommunication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the base station comprises a plurality of Bluetooth modules to which the plurality of antennas are connected respectively.