Broadcast coupler

• US 6,256,480 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: STI-Co Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: STI-Co Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Stengel, Francis A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US09/236,056
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 455/280, 455/281, 455/282, 455/283, 455/284, 455/285, 455/286, 455/288, 455/289, 455/78, 455/290, 455/83, 455/307, 455/82, 343/711, 333/67, 333/32
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/52 Hybrid arrangements, i.e. arrangements for transition from single-path two-direction transmission to single-direction transmission on each of two paths or vice versa

Abstract

A broadcast coupler which couples both a broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment in a vehicle to the existing OEM vehicle antenna wherein no physical modifications are made to either the antenna mast or the antenna base or the antenna feed line. The broadcast coupler has a built-in tuner capability which permits the existing OEM supplied antenna to function as a low standing wave ratio (SAR) communications antenna. The broadcast coupler tunes the existing OEM antenna and provides the necessary isolation to permit the communications equipment, i.e., transmitter, receiver or transceiver, to function without detection by the operator of the vehicle. Since the existing OEM antenna is tuned by the broadcast coupler, the vehicle does not have to be modified and a new antenna does not have to be purchased.

Claims

1. A broadcast coupler for coupling both a broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment in a vehicle to an existing OEM vehicle antenna comprising antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler being connected to said antenna, broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment with no physical modification to said antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler allowing operation of said communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio, said broadcast coupler comprising a low pass filter connected between said antenna and a junction, a resonant trap connected between said communications equipment and said junction, and a bandpass filter connected between said broadcast radio receiver and said junction.

2. A broad cast coupler according to claim 1 further including a circuit for connecting additional communications equipment operating at a different frequency to said broadcast coupler allowing operation of said additional communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio.

3. A broadcast coupler according to claim 1, wherein said low pass filter and said resonant trap are tunable.

4. A broadcast coupler for coupling both a broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment in a vehicle to an existing OEM vehicle antenna comprising antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler being connected to said antenna, broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment with no physical modification to said antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler providing signal paths between said antenna and said broadcast radio receiver and between said antenna and said communications equipment, said broadcast coupler minimizing any modification in the signal, said broadcast coupler including a low pass filter and a bandpass filter in the signal path between said antenna and said broadcast radio receiver and said broadcast coupler including a resonant trap in the signal path between said antenna and said communications equipment.

5. A broadcast coupler according to claim 4 further including a circuit for connecting additional communications equipment operating at a different frequency to said broadcast coupler allowing operation of said additional communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio.

6. A broadcast coupler according to claim 4, wherein said low pass filter and said resonant trap are tunable.

7. In combination:

a) a physically unmodified vehicle OEM antenna comprising antenna mast, base and feed line carried by a vehicle;

b) a broadcast radio receiver in the vehicle;

c) communications equipment in the vehicle; and

d) a tunable broadcast coupler connected to said antenna, broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment with no physical modification to said antenna mast, base and feed line, said tunable broadcast coupler allowing operation of said communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio, said broadcast coupler comprising a low pass filter and a bandpass filter connected between said antenna and said broadcast radio receiver and a resonant trap connected between said communications equipment and a junctions of said low pass filter and said bandpass filter.

8. The combination according to claim 7, further including a circuit for connecting additional communications equipment operating at a different frequency to said broadcast coupler allowing operation of said additional communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio.

9. The combination according to claim 7, wherein said low pass filter and said resonant trap are tunable.

10. A broadcast coupler for coupling both a broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment in a vehicle to an existing OEM vehicle antenna comprising antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler being connected to said antenna, broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment with no physical modification to said antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler providing signal paths between said antenna and said broadcast radio receiver and between said antenna and said communications equipment, said broadcast coupler minimizing any modification in the signal, said broadcast coupler comprising:

a) a tunable low pass filter in the signal path between said antenna and said broadcast radio receiver to provide a low capacity shunt to ground to reduce broadcast radio signal degradation and to lower the standing wave ratio of the OEM antenna to permit the antenna to function as an efficient radiator of RF energy in a frequency range other than that of the broadcast radio;

b) a tunable series resonant trap in the signal path including said communications equipment for isolating said communications equipment from loading said broadcast radio receiver; and

c) a band pass filter in the signal path including said broadcast radio for providing sufficient isolation to inhibit interference with broadcast radio receiver reception.

11. A broadcast coupler according to claim 10 further including a tunable high pass filter in the signal path including said antenna for connection to additional communications equipment operating at a different frequency to allow operation of said additional communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio.

12. A broadcast coupler for coupling both a broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment in a vehicle to an existing OEM vehicle antenna comprising antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler being connected to said antenna, broadcast radio receiver and communications equipment with no physical modification to said antenna mast, base and feed line, said broadcast coupler allowing operation of said communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio, said broadcast coupler comprising:

a) a tunable low pass filter for said broadcast radio receiver to provide a low capacity shunt to ground to reduce broadcast radio signal degradation and to lower the standing wave ratio of the OEM antenna to permit the antenna to function as an efficient radiator of RF energy in a frequency range other than that of said broadcast radio;

b) a tunable series resonant trap for isolating said communications equipment from loading said broadcast radio receiver; and

c) a band pass filter for providing sufficient isolation to inhibit interference with broadcast radio receiver reception.

13. A broadcast coupler according to claim 12 further including a tunable high pass filter for connection to additional communications equipment operating at a different frequency to allow operations of said additional communications equipment without interference with reception of said broadcast radio.