Hidden window antenna
First Claim
1. An antenna that is included in a panel assembly, said antenna comprising:
- a frame member for receiving the panel assembly, said frame member being electrically conductive and having an edge and a surface that defines an opening through the frame member;
at least one ply having a surface that is defined by an outer perimeter edge;
an electrically conductive coating that is located on the surface of said ply, said electrically conductive coating having an outer peripheral edge that is spaced inwardly from the outer perimeter edge of said ply;
a bus bar that has greater electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of said electrically conductive coating, said bus bar being located partly on said electrically conductive coating and partly on the surface of said ply, said bus bar having a first edge that is spaced laterally between the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and said frame member, said bus bar cooperating with said frame member and with said electrically conductive coating to define a slot antenna;
an antenna feed line that is laterally located on the surface of said ply between the first edge of said bus bar and said frame member, said antenna feed line being substantially parallel to the first edge of said bus bar; and
an antenna feed point that electrically connects said antenna feed line to said bus bar.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle slot antenna wherein an electro-conductive coating is applied to the surface of a glass ply. The peripheral edge of the conductive coating is spaced from the vehicle window edge and connected to a high conductive bus bar to define an annular slot antenna with low resistance loss and improved antenna efficiency. The slot antenna is fed by a thin conductive line located in the middle of the slot and parallel to the bus bar. The thin line along with the conductive coating and window frame form a coplanar waveguide (CPW). The CPW feed provides a convenient feed for the antenna at any point around the perimeter of the window slot and affords antenna tuning and impedance matching. The antenna design can use the characteristic impedance of the CPW line to match the impedance of the slot antenna to the impedance of a coaxial cable or other input impedance.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An antenna that is included in a panel assembly, said antenna comprising:
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a frame member for receiving the panel assembly, said frame member being electrically conductive and having an edge and a surface that defines an opening through the frame member; at least one ply having a surface that is defined by an outer perimeter edge; an electrically conductive coating that is located on the surface of said ply, said electrically conductive coating having an outer peripheral edge that is spaced inwardly from the outer perimeter edge of said ply; a bus bar that has greater electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of said electrically conductive coating, said bus bar being located partly on said electrically conductive coating and partly on the surface of said ply, said bus bar having a first edge that is spaced laterally between the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and said frame member, said bus bar cooperating with said frame member and with said electrically conductive coating to define a slot antenna; an antenna feed line that is laterally located on the surface of said ply between the first edge of said bus bar and said frame member, said antenna feed line being substantially parallel to the first edge of said bus bar; and an antenna feed point that electrically connects said antenna feed line to said bus bar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An antenna for use in a vehicle that includes an electrically conducting member having an inner edge and surface that defines a window opening, said antenna comprising:
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(a) an optically transparent window assembly that is operable to be secured over the window opening, said window assembly including; at least one transparent ply having a surface that is defined by an outer edge; an optically transparent electrically conductive coating that is located on the surface of said transparent ply, said electrically conductive coating having an outer peripheral edge that is spaced laterally inwardly from the inner edge and surface of the electrically conducting member of said vehicle; a bus bar that is located partially on the surface of said transparent ply, said bus bar having greater electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of said transparent electrically conductive coating, said bus bar having a first edge that is spaced laterally between the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and the inner edge and surface of the electrically conducting member of said vehicle, said bus bar also having a second edge that is laterally spaced inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and over said electrically conductive coating such that said bus bar overlaps at least a portion of the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating, said bus bar cooperating with said electrically conducting member and with said electrically conductive coating to define a slot antenna between the first edge of said bus bar and the inner edge and surface of said electrically conducting member; an antenna feed line that is located on the surface of said transparent ply laterally between the first edge of said bus bar and the inner edge of said electrically conducting member; and an antenna feed point that electrically connects said antenna feed line to said bus bar; (b) an antenna feed cable that is electrically connected to said antenna feed line; and (c) an electrical ground between said antenna feed cable and the electrically conducting member of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An antenna for use in a vehicle that includes an electrically conducting member having an inner edge and surface that defines a window opening, said antenna comprising:
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an optically transparent window assembly that is adapted to be secured over the window opening, said window assembly comprising; an inner ply having an inner surface and an outer surface that are located between an outer edge, an outer ply having an inner surface and an outer surface that are located between an outer edge, an interlayer that is located between the outer surface of said inner glass ply and the inner surface of said outer glass ply; a transparent electrically conductive coating on inner surface of said outer ply, said electrically conductive coating having an outer peripheral edge that is laterally spaced inwardly from the inner edge and surface of the electrically conducting member of said vehicle; a bus bar on the inner surface of said outer ply, said bus bar having high electrical conductivity relative to the electrical conductivity of said transparent electrically conductive coating, said bus bar having a first edge that is laterally spaced between outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and the electrically conducting member of said vehicle, said bus bar also having a second edge that is laterally spaced inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and over said electrically conductive coating such that said bus bar overlaps the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating over at least a portion of the length of said peripheral edge, said bus bar cooperating with said electrically conducting member and with said electrically conductive coating to define a slot antenna between the first edge of said bus bar and the inner edge and surface of said electrically conducting member; an antenna feed line that is located on the inner surface of said outer ply and that is laterally located between the first edge of said bus bar and inner edge of said electrically conducting member, said antenna feed line being electrically connected to said bus bar; an antenna feed cable that is electrically connected to said antenna feed line; and an electrical ground between said antenna feed cable and the vehicle conducting member. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An antenna that is included in a panel assembly, said antenna comprising:
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a frame member for receiving the panel assembly, said frame member being electrically conductive and having an edge and a surface that defines an opening through the frame member; at least one ply having a surface that is defined by an outer perimeter edge; an electrically conductive coating that is located on the surface of said ply, said electrically conductive coating having an outer peripheral edge that is spaced inwardly from the outer perimeter edge of said ply; a bus bar that has greater electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of said electrically conductive coating, said bus bar being located partly on said electrically conductive coating and partly on the surface of said ply, said bus bar having a first edge that is spaced laterally between the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating and said frame member, said bus bar also having a second edge that is spaced laterally inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating such that said bus bar overlaps at least a partial length of the outer peripheral edge of said electrically conductive coating, said bus bar cooperating with said frame member and with said electrically conductive coating to define a slot antenna; an antenna feed line that is laterally located on the surface of said ply between the first edge of said bus bar and the perimeter edge of said ply; and an antenna feed point that electrically connects said antenna feed line to said bus bar. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification