GPS/radio antenna combination

• US 5,654,717 A
• Filed: 08/03/1995
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodal, Eric B., Nichols, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/510,840
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 364/449, 343/700 MS, 343/727, 343/728, 343/741
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/32 Vertical arrangement of element H01Q9/40 takes precedence

Abstract

A GPS/radio antenna for receiving a GPS satellite signal and a DGPS radio signal. The GPS/radio antenna includes a GPS antenna using a microstrip antenna element for receiving the GPS signal having GPS location determination information, a radio antenna for receiving a DGPS radio signal in the FM broadcast frequency range having DGPS corrections, an enclosure, and a cable. The GPS/radio antenna may be included in a GPS/DGPS receiver system also including a receiver unit with an FM DGPS receiver for demodulating the DGPS radio signal and providing DGPS corrections, and a differential-ready GPS receiver for providing a differentially-corrected GPS location.

Claims

1. A Global Positioning System (GPS)/radio antenna comprising:

microstrip means for receiving a GPS satellite signal including GPS location determination information and issuing a conducted GPS signal representative of said GPS satellite signal;

radio antenna means for receiving an airwave radio signal from a radio signal broadcaster and issuing a conducted radio signal representative of said airwave radio signal;

a diplexer, coupled to the microstrip means and the radiowave antenna means, for combining said conducted GPS signal and said conducted radio signal and issuing a combined signal; and

an output cable, coupled to the diplexer, for providing said combined signal as an output.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein:

the radio antenna means is further for receiving said airwave radio signal including differential GPS (DGPS) corrections for correcting said GPS location determination information.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein:

the radio antenna means is further for receiving said airwave radio signal including a frequency in a range of 88 MHz to 108 MHz.

4. The antenna of claim 3, wherein:

the radio antenna means includes a wire loop for receiving said airwave radio signal.

5. The antenna of claim 4, wherein:

the radio antenna means further includes a tuning network for tuning said wire loop to said range of frequencies.

6. The antenna of claim 3, wherein:

the radio antenna means includes a slender electrically conductive rod for receiving said airwave radio signal.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein:

the radio antenna means further includes a tuning network for tuning said rod to said range of frequencies.

8. A GPS/DGPS receiver system for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signal and a differential GPS (DGPS) radio signal comprising:

a GPS/radio antenna, including only one output cable, for receiving a GPS satellite signal including GPS location determination information from one or more GPS satellites and an airwave DGPS radio signal including DGPS corrections from a radio signal broadcaster and issuing a combined signal including a first conducted GPS signal representative of said GPS satellite signal and a first conducted DGPS radio signal representative of said DGPS radio signal through said cable; and

a GPS/DGPS receiver, coupled to said cable, for correcting said GPS location determination information according to said DGPS corrections and issuing a differentially-corrected GPS location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the GPS/radio antenna is further for receiving said airwave DGPS radio signal including a frequency in a range of 88 MHz to 108 MHz.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the GPS/radio antenna includes microstrip means for receiving said GPS satellite signal and issuing said first conducted GPS signal;

radio antenna means for receiving said DGPS radio signal and issuing said first conducted DGPS radio signal; and

a diplexer for combining said first conducted GPS signal and said first conducted DGPS radio signal into said combined signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the radio antenna means includes a wire loop for receiving said airwave radio signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the radio antenna means further includes a tuning network for tuning said wire loop to said range of frequencies.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the radio antenna means includes a slender electrically conductive rod for receiving said airwave radio signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the radio antenna means further includes a tuning network for tuning said rod to said range of frequencies.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the GPS/DGPS receiver includes a splitter, coupled to said cable, for splitting said combined signal into a second conducted GPS signal and a second conducted DGPS radio signal;

an FM DGPS receiver for receiving said second conducted DGPS radio signal and issuing a DGPS data signal including data indicative of said DGPS corrections; and

a GPS receiver for receiving said second conducted GPS signal and said DGPS data signal and for issuing an output signal including information for said differentially-corrected GPS location.

16. A method in a GPS/DGPS antenna for receiving a GPS satellite signal and an airwave DGPS radio signal comprising steps of:

receiving a GPS satellite signal with a microstrip antenna;

issuing a conducted GPS signal representative of said GPS satellite signal from said microstrip antenna to a diplexer;

receiving an airwave DGPS radio signal with a radio antenna, said airwave DGPS signal including DGPS corrections;

issuing a conducted DGPS radio signal representative of said airwave DGPS radio signal to said diplexer;

combining said conducted GPS signal and said conducted DGPS radio signal into a combined signal in said diplexer; and

issuing said combined signal through an output cable.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said airwave DGPS radio signal has a frequency in a range of 88 to 108 MHz.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said radio antenna includes a wire loop for receiving said airwave DGPS radio signal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

said radio antenna includes a slender electrically conductive rod for receiving said airwave DGPS radio signal.