Antenna system and method

• US 8,279,124 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Jones, Bryce A., Shipley, Trevor Daniel, Perez, Cesar, Alberico, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US12/694,076
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 343/711, 343/712, 343/713, 343/725, 343/727, 343/729, 343/739, 343/818
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3291 mounted in or on other locations inside the vehicle or vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/102 wherein the surfaces are of convex toroïdal shape biconical horns H01Q13/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/24 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. H-antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

An antenna system comprises a mounting plate, a parabolic antenna, a yagi antenna, and a communication link interface. The parabolic antenna forms a cavity and comprises a vertex and a base, wherein the base is non-conductively connected to the mounting plate. The yagi antenna is non-conductively connected to the mounting plate within the cavity of the parabolic antenna, wherein the yagi antenna comprises a reflector element proximate to the mounting plate, a driven element, and a director element proximate to the vertex of the parabolic antenna. The communication link interface is configured to attach a communication link to an external antenna. The communication link interface is electrically coupled to the driven element and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from the director element.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

a mounting plate;

a parabolic antenna forming a cavity and comprising a vertex and a base, wherein the base is non-conductively connected to the mounting plate;

a yagi antenna non-conductively connected to the mounting plate within the cavity of the parabolic antenna, wherein the yagi antenna comprises a reflector element proximate to the mounting plate, a driven element, and a director element proximate to the vertex of the parabolic antenna; and

a communication link interface configured to attach a communication link to an external antenna, the communication link interface electrically coupled to the driven element and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from the director element.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mounting plate is configured to attach to a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the parabolic antenna is perforated.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the parabolic antenna comprises an elliptical paraboloid.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication link interface comprises a coaxial cable interface.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a core lead of the coaxial cable interface is connected to an active segment of the driven element and a shield lead of the coaxial cable interface is connected to a ground segment of the driven element.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a near field inductive coupling element.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the near field inductive coupling element is configured to inductively charge an internal power supply of the wireless communication device.

9. A vehicle antenna system comprising:

a mounting plate configured to attach to a vehicle;

an external antenna configured to attach to the vehicle;

a parabolic antenna forming a cavity and comprising a vertex and a base, wherein the base is non-conductively connected to the mounting plate;

a yagi antenna non-conductively connected to the mounting plate within the cavity of the parabolic antenna, wherein the yagi antenna comprises a reflector element proximate to the mounting plate, a driven element, and a director element proximate to the vertex of the parabolic antenna;

a communication link interface configured to attach a communication link to the external antenna, the communication link interface electrically coupled to the driven element and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from the director element;

the communication link configured to attach to the communication link interface and the external antenna; and

a wireless communication device cradle.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the parabolic antenna is perforated.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the parabolic antenna comprises an elliptical paraboloid.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the communication link interface comprises a coaxial cable interface.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a core lead of the coaxial cable interface is connected to an active segment of the driven element and a shield lead of the coaxial cable interface is connected to a ground segment of the driven element.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the wireless communication device cradle comprises a near field inductive coupling element.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the near field inductive coupling element is configured to inductively charge an internal power supply of the wireless communication device.

16. A method of operating an antenna system, the method comprising:

in a parabolic antenna, receiving a transmit signal from a wireless communication device and wirelessly propagating the transmit signal to a yagi antenna, wherein the yagi antenna is positioned within a cavity formed by the parabolic antenna;

in the yagi antenna, receiving the transmit signal and wirelessly propagating the transmit signal toward a communication link interface;

in the communication link interface, receiving the transmit signal and transferring the transmit signal to a communication link coupled to an external antenna;

in the communication link interface, receiving a receive signal from the communication link coupled to the external antenna and transferring the receive signal to the yagi antenna;

in the yagi antenna, receiving the receive signal and wirelessly propagating the receive signal toward the parabolic antenna; and

in the parabolic antenna, receiving the receive signal and wirelessly propagating the receive signal toward the wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein transferring the receive signal from the communication link interface to the yagi antenna comprises transferring the receive signal from a core lead of a coaxial cable interface to a driven element of the yagi antenna.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein transferring the transmit signal to the communication link coupled to the external antenna comprises transferring the transmit signal to a coaxial cable coupled to the external antenna.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the parabolic antenna comprises an elliptical paraboloid.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the antenna system is mounted to a vehicle having the external antenna.