Antenna for satellite reception

• US 7,936,309 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Lindenmeier, Stefan, Hopf, Jochen, Lindenmeier, Heinz, Reiter, Leopold
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/206,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 343/725, 343/726, 343/727, 343/728, 343/741, 343/742, 343/866, 343/867
• US Class Current: 343/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed an antenna for reception of circularly polarized satellite radio signals. The antenna comprises at least one two-dimensional or three-dimensional antenna conductor structure connected with an antenna output connector. The multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure is configured so that it comprises a plurality of antenna conductor sections, which, with reference to a spatial reference point (z) common to the antenna conductor sections, are disposed in pairs, symmetrically and extending in the same direction. The multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure is furthermore configured so that during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, antenna currents having at least approximately the same size flow in the individual pairs of antenna conductor sections, and the arithmetical average of the current phases of these antenna currents, counted in the same direction, in each instance, in the antenna conductor sections of each pair, has at least approximately the same value in the case of essentially all the pairs of antenna conductor sections, with reference to a common phase reference point (B), during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna. Such an antenna receives left-rotating circularly polarized waves and right-rotating circularly polarized waves equally. The vertical radiation diagram can be filled up towards low elevation angles by means of a vertical, electrically short monopole disposed at the phase reference point (B), whose reception signal is superimposed on that of the antenna conductor structure.

Claims

1. An antenna for reception of circularly polarized satellite radio signals, comprising:

a) a multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure;

b) at least one antenna output connector, connected to said multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure;

wherein said multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure comprises a plurality of antenna conductor sections, which, with reference to a spatial reference point common to said antenna conductor sections, are disposed in pairs, symmetrically and extending in the same direction, and wherein said multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure is furthermore configured so that during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, antenna currents having at least approximately the same size flow in a set of individual pairs of said plurality of antenna conductor sections, and the arithmetical average of the current phases of these antenna currents, counted in the same direction, in each case, in said plurality of antenna conductor sections of each pair, has at least approximately a same value for essentially all the pairs of antenna conductor sections, with reference to a common phase reference point;

at least one antenna connection point, and

at least one loop antenna wherein said plurality of antenna conductor sections are electrically connected into said at least one loop antenna forming at least one conductor loop, as a multi-dimensional antenna conductor structure, essentially disposed in a horizontal plane, wherein said at least one antenna connection point of said loop antenna is formed by at least one interruption of said conductor loop;

a substantially horizontal electrically conductive ground plane, wherein said at least one loop antenna is disposed parallel to said ground plane, and wherein the antenna further comprises an electrically short, vertical monopole that is disposed at a phase reference point of said at least one loop antenna, and

wherein said at least one antenna connection point comprises at least one antenna connection point for a monopole and an antenna connection point for said at least one loop antenna, and wherein the antenna further comprises an adaptation and phase-shift network, coupled to said at least one antenna output connector and wherein said at least one antenna connection point is coupled to said antenna output connector via said adaptation and phase-shift network, and wherein said adaptation and phase-shift network is configured in such a manner that during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, it adapts the phases of the currents at said antenna connection points of said vertical monopole and of said at least one loop antenna to one another.

2. The antenna as in claim 1, further comprising

at least one capacitor, wherein said at least one conductor loop has at least one interruption bridged by said at least one capacitor, wherein said at least one capacitor serves as an electrically effective shortening of said at least one conductor loop.

3. The antenna as in claim 2, a substantially horizontal electrically conductive ground plane (6), wherein said at least one loop antenna (14) is disposed parallel to said ground plane (6), and wherein the antenna further comprises an electrically short, vertical monopole (7) that is disposed at a phase reference point (B) of said at least one loop antenna (14).

4. The antenna as in claim 3, wherein said adaptation and phase-shift network (25;

31) is configured so that during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, it superimposes the currents of the monopole (7) and of the loop antenna (14) onto one another, to influence the vertical directional diagram.

5. The antenna as in claim 2, wherein said antenna conductor sections (Δ

_ν

) of said antenna conductor structure (14, 21) are disposed essentially parallel to and at a distance from an electrically conductive ground plane (6) that runs approximately horizontally, and wherein the antenna further comprises an electrically short, vertical monopole (7) that is disposed at a phase reference point of the antenna conductor structure (14, 21) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and wherein said antenna connection point of said monopole (7) as well as said antenna connection point of the antenna conductor structure (14, 21), each in themselves, are connected with a change-over switch (37) of an antenna diversity system (38), connected with the antenna output connector (28), either directly or by way of an adaptation network (25).

6. The antenna as in claim 2, wherein said antenna conductor sections of the antenna conductor structure (14) are disposed essentially parallel to and at a distance from said electrically conductive ground plane (6) that runs approximately horizontally, that an electrically short, vertical monopole (26, 32) is disposed at the phase reference point (B) of the antenna conductor structure (14) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and that an antenna connection point of the monopole (26, 32) as well as an antenna connection point of the antenna conductor structure (14), each in themselves, are connected by way of an adaptation network (25,33) with inputs of a signal combination circuit, particularly of a 90 hybrid coupler (45), whose outputs, separately from one another, yield a left-rotating circularly polarized reception signal and a right-rotating circularly polarized reception signal.

7. The antenna as in claim 6, further comprising an element (56) that adjusts the attenuation and/or the phase of the reception signal wherein said element is switched in between the antenna connection point of said monopole (7) and/or of the antenna conductor structure (14) and the related input of the signal combination circuit (45), in each instance.

8. The antenna as in claim 1, further comprising a two wire line (26), wherein said at least one antenna connection point (3a, 3b) of said at least one loop antenna (14) is connected with said at least one antenna output connector (28) at least between a plane of the circuit loop and the electrically conductive ground plane (6), by way of said two-wire line (26), wherein said two-wire line (26) and said antenna connection point (3a, 3b) are disposed symmetrical to a vertical plane of symmetry (SE) that contains the spatial reference point and the phase reference point (B) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna.

9. The antenna as in claim 8, wherein said two-wire line (26) that runs vertically through the spatial reference point and the phase reference point (B) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and is used as a vertical monopole (7) having a roof capacitor (12) formed by the circuit loop, and that an adaptation and phase-shift network (33, 31) that connects said two-wire line (26) with the antenna output connector (28) outcouples both currents of the monopole (7) and of the loop antenna (14), on the electrically conductive ground plane (6).

10. The antenna as in claim 9, wherein said loop antenna (14) has two antenna connection points (3a) that lie opposite one another in said plane of symmetry (SE), to which said adaptation and phase shift networks (25) disposed in the loop plane are connected, the outputs of which are switched in parallel, adding up, and connected with said two-wire line.

11. The antenna as in claim 8, wherein there is at least one linearly or planarly configured additional antenna (24) for at least one additional radio service that is disposed within the plane of symmetry (SE).

12. The antenna as in claim 1, further comprising a two wire line (26), wherein said at least one antenna connection point (3a, 3b) of said at least one loop antenna (14) is connected with said at least one antenna output connector (28) at least between a plane of the circuit loop and the electrically conductive ground plane (6), by way of said two-wire line (26), wherein said two-wire line (26) and said antenna connection point (3a, 3b) are disposed symmetrical to a vertical plane of symmetry (SE) that contains the spatial reference point and the phase reference point (B) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna.

13. The antenna as in claim 12, wherein said two-wire line (26) that runs vertically through the spatial reference point and the phase reference point (B) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and is used as a vertical monopole (7) having a roof capacitor (12) formed by the circuit loop, and that an adaptation and phase-shift network (33, 31) that connects said two-wire line (26) with the antenna output connector (28) outcouples both currents of the monopole (7) and of the loop antenna (14), on the electrically conductive ground plane (6).

14. The antenna as in claim 13, wherein at least one of the two conductors of the two-wire line (26) is conductively connected with the conductive ground plane (6), by way of a reactance (41), for weighting the reception of the horizontally polarized and of the vertically polarized electrical field, and the other of the two conductors is connected with the antenna output connector (28) by way of the adaptation and phase-shift network (33, 31).

15. The antenna as in claim 13, wherein said loop antenna (14) has two antenna connection points (3a) that lie opposite one another in said plane of symmetry (SE), to which said adaptation and phase shift networks (25) disposed in the loop plane are connected, the outputs of which are switched in parallel, adding up, and connected with said two-wire line.

16. The antenna as in claim 12, wherein there is at least one linearly or planarly configured additional antenna (24) for at least one additional radio service that is disposed within the plane of symmetry (SE).

17. The antenna as in claim 1, wherein said antenna conductor structure is formed by four essentially rectangular frame antennas (42) disposed in a square above said electrically conductive ground plane (6), the frame surfaces of which run essentially perpendicular to the ground plane (6), that each of the frame antennas defines two foot points, which are connected with the ground plane (6), symmetrical to it, by way of a λ

/2-balun line (43), and that one of the foot points of each frame antenna (42), in each instance, is connected with the antenna output connector (28), following in the same direction of rotation, by way of one of four electrical lines (44) having the same length.

18. The antenna as in claim 1, wherein said antenna conductor sections are disposed in the form of a dipole group comprising multiple dipoles (21) disposed essentially in a common horizontal plane, which are disposed, in pairs, symmetrical to the phase reference point (B) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, or to the spatial reference point, whereby the pairs of antenna conductor sections are assigned to dipole pairs, in each instance, and that the individual dipoles (21) are configured in such a manner that the antenna currents that occur during reciprocal operation of the antenna in transmission operation, on their dipole conductors, have approximately the same phase, and the arithmetical average of the phases of these antenna currents, which are counted in the same direction, in each instance, possesses the same value, and the values for all the dipole pairs disposed in the common horizontal plane is the same.

19. The antenna as in claim 18, wherein said dipoles (21) of the dipole group are straight dipoles that are symmetrical to their dipole connection points (3a), in each instance, whereby the dipole connection points (3a) are disposed in the common horizontal plane, on a circle around the phase reference point (B) or the spatial reference point, and that the dipole connection points (3a, 3b) are connected with the antenna output connector (28) by way of a connection network (10).

20. The antenna as in claim 19, wherein said dipoles (21) of the dipole group are disposed parallel to and at a distance from an electrically conductive ground plane (6) that runs approximately horizontally, that an electrically short, vertical monopole (7) is disposed at the phase reference point (B) of the dipole group that is configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and that an antenna connection point of the monopole (7) and an output connector of the connection network (10) are connected with the antenna output connector (28) by way of an adaptation and phase-shift network (3A, 3B), which adapts the phases of the currents that occur at the antenna connection point of the monopole and the output connector of the connection network (10) to one another during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna.

21. The antenna as in claim 20, further comprising an adaptation and phase-shift network (31, 33) that is configured so that it superimposes the currents of the monopole (7) and of the connection network (10) onto one another, to influence the vertical directional diagram.

22. The antenna as in claim 1, wherein said antenna conductor sections (Δ

_ν

) of said antenna conductor structure (14, 21) are disposed essentially parallel to and at a distance from said electrically conductive ground plane (6) that runs approximately horizontally, and wherein the antenna further comprises an electrically short, vertical monopole (7) that is disposed at a phase reference point of the antenna conductor structure (14, 21) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and wherein said antenna connection point of said monopole (7) as well as said antenna connection point of the antenna conductor structure (14, 21), each in themselves, are connected with a change-over switch (37) of an antenna diversity system (38), connected with the antenna output connector (28), either directly or by way of an adaptation network (25).

23. The antenna as in claim 1, wherein said antenna conductor sections of the antenna conductor structure (14) are disposed essentially parallel to and at a distance from said electrically conductive ground plane (6) that runs approximately horizontally, that an electrically short, vertical monopole (26, 32) is disposed at the phase reference point (B) of the antenna conductor structure (14) configured during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, and that an antenna connection point of the monopole (26, 32) as well as an antenna connection point of the antenna conductor structure (14), each in themselves, are connected by way of an adaptation network (25,33) with inputs of a signal combination circuit, particularly of a 90 hybrid coupler (45), whose outputs, separately from one another, yield a left-rotating circularly polarized reception signal and a right-rotating circularly polarized reception signal.

24. The antenna as in claim 23, further comprising an element (56) that adjusts the attenuation and/or the phase of the reception signal wherein said element is switched in between the antenna connection point of said monopole (7) and/or of the antenna conductor structure (14) and the related input of the signal combination circuit (45), in each instance.

25. The antenna as in claim 1, wherein said antenna conductor sections for forming a three-dimensional antenna conductor structure are connected with one another, into a plurality of electrically short, vertical monopoles (7, 11), disposed over an essentially horizontal, electrically conductive ground plane (6), at equal angle intervals (W) from one another, on a circle (K), as well as a central, electrically short, vertical monopole (7) disposed in the center of the circle, which forms an antenna connection point (28) of the antenna structure, in such a manner that during reciprocal operation of the antenna as a transmission antenna, the phase reference point (B) is configured in the center of the circle.

26. The antenna according to claim 25, wherein said monopoles (11) disposed on the circle (K) are configured as parasitic radiators (11).

27. The antenna according to claim 25, wherein said monopoles (7) disposed on said circle (K) form additional antenna connection points, which, together with the antenna connection point of said central monopole (7), are connected with said antenna output connector (28) by way of a network (10), wherein at least said monopoles (7) disposed on said circle (K) have at least one interruption point, in each instance, which is bridged by a reactance element (8).