Patent Grant
7952517
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. ยง119 and the Paris Convention Treaty, this application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. EP08460007 filed Mar. 4, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of wireless transmission of satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles. This invention relates further to a device, which uses the method of wireless transmission of a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles, the device being provided with an active external antenna, comprising: the main antenna, a high-frequency amplifier, a transmission cable, a transmitting antenna, and a navigation device receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to very low strength of satellite signals, especially in the GPS system, a high level of interference within antennas, and the lack of full visibility of the satellites, in order to receive stronger and less noisy signal, external antennas are used. Such antennas are provided with an electrical connection to a receiver in the navigation device. However, an important limitation of this solution is the need to use non-standardized connections between the cables and the receiver of the navigation device. Moreover, it is not possible or difficult to connect certain navigation devices to an external antenna.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,501 describes an external antenna of a GPS receiver, which is connected with a laptop-type portable computer by means of a cable and a plug and which enables navigation using the display of the computer. A limitation of this solution lies in that the cable connection to the external antenna and the location of the antenna is in a place where satellites are visible.
Japanese Pat. JP 2006 174 505 describes a stationary device retransmitting the telecommunication signal from satellites to an area, which is shielded, e.g. by a building. This device operates as follows: the satellite antenna is located in a position, at which satellites are visible, and it sends the signals received from the satellites to a transmitter by means of a cable, and the transmitter resends the signal to the area, where the satellites are not visible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,333 discloses a device for retransmitting radio or GSM phone signal, which consists of an antenna mounted to the windshield of a car and provided with a transmitter and to the receiver of the radio signal, which is mounted to the windshield within the car and is located just below the transmitter and which forwards the signal to a radio set by means of a cable.
Also known are devices for retransmission of GSM signal, which consist of an antenna mounted on the roof of a car and provided with an electric cable connection with a transmitter that is located within the car, and which forward the received signals to the phone antenna by means of induction.
The object of this invention is to provide a method of transferring a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna, which is located in a place where the satellites are visible directly and the level of noise is lower, to a receiver; the satellite signal received is amplified in the amplifier and sent to a transmitting antenna, which then sends the signal wirelessly to an antenna in a navigation device located in the close vicinity to the transmitting antenna, especially within a mechanical vehicle.
This objective is achieved by a method of transmitting a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicle, wherein the satellite signal received by the external antenna and transformed into an electric signal, is subject to amplification and, then, is transferred, by means of a cable, to a transmitting antenna, which transforms this amplified electric signal into an electromagnetic wave and then emits this wave to a receiving antenna of the navigation device, the device being unexposed and shielded from satellite signals.
In one class of this embodiment, the transmitting antenna, provided with a cable connection to the external antenna, is particularly located in a close vicinity to the receiving antenna of the navigation device.
In another class of this embodiment, the amplification of the signal in the amplifier of the external antenna should be lower than the signal damping between the external main antenna and the antenna of the transmitter.
In another class of this embodiment, the amplification of the signal received by the external main antenna should be particularly higher than the damping of the transformed signal between the antenna of the transmitter and the antenna of the navigation device.
The object of this invention is also to provide a device, which is adapted to use in the method of transmission of the satellite signal according to the invention.
The device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles, is characterized in that an amplifier of the active external antenna is connected, by means of a cable, with a transmitting antenna of the transmitter, whereas the navigation device is provided with a receiving antenna.
In a class of this embodiment, the transmitting antenna is particularly provided with a crystal.
In another class of this embodiment, the transmitting antenna is particularly a set of conductive paths.
In another class of this embodiment, the filters are particularly located between the amplifier and the antenna of the transmitter, to provide supply voltage to the amplifier via a cable.
In another class of this embodiment, the transmitter comprising the antenna and the antenna of the navigation device are particularly screened from external signals by means of a screen.
In another class of this embodiment, the antenna of the transmitter is particularly located in a close vicinity of the antenna of the navigation device.
The performance tests of the device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal from the external antenna to the unexposed receiver, especially in a mechanical vehicle, showed that the level of satellite signals received by the unexposed navigation device is significantly higher and characterized by lower noise level; the extra-amplified signal is transmitted wirelessly. The wireless transmission eliminates the need to use both the electrical cables and plugs and sockets used to provide connection between cables and the navigation device.
The device according to the invention may be also used when the navigation device is not provided with any connections and cannot receive any external signals.
The device for transmitting satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles, according to the invention, is presented, by way of the example only, in the drawings, in which:
Detailed description will be given below with reference to accompanying drawings.
A method of transmission of the satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in a mechanical vehicle, comprises receiving satellite signals by the external antenna, located particularly on the roof of the vehicle, transforming these signals in the antenna into electric signals, amplifying them in the amplifier, and sending them to a transmitting antenna by means of a cable. The transmitting antenna transforms the electric signal received from the cable into an electromagnetic wave of a frequency corresponding to that of the satellite signal. The electromagnetic waves emitted are received by the receiving antenna of the navigation device and transformed into signals, which correspond to the vehicle's position. These signals are then transformed within the navigation device using a known method.
An important feature of the method according to the invention, is that the transmitting antenna is placed in the vicinity of the receiving antenna of the satellite navigation device. On one hand, this results in lower damping of the signal, on the other hand, it limits noise affecting the value of the signal.
The device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles, according to the invention, comprises the following components: an active external GPS antenna 1, an antenna cable 2 connecting the antenna 1 to the transmitting antenna 3 of the transmitter 4, which is located in the vicinity of the receiving antenna 6 of the navigation device 5.
The transmitter 4 is also provided with a low-voltage DC power supply 7.
The active external antenna 1 (
The schematic diagram of an example of the embodiment of the antenna 3 with the filter 10 is depicted on the
The device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, as shown in the
The embodiment of the device for transmitting a satellite positioning signal from an external antenna to an unexposed receiver, especially in mechanical vehicles, as described above by means of an example, is not limited to the idea of the invention since any single component of the device may be modified to meet the particular needs.
The chart shown in the
The curve shown in
In order to eliminate the possibility of induction of high-frequency electromagnetic oscillation in the external antenna 1, the signal damping between the antenna 3 of the transmitter 4 and the main antenna A of the external antenna 1 should be higher than the amplification of the amplifier 8 of the signal received by the external antenna 1.
In order to ensure a proper transmission of the signal by the device, the amplification of the amplifier 8 of the signals received by the external antenna 1 should be higher than dumping between the antenna 3 of the transmitter 4 and the antenna 6 of the navigation device 5.
This invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and modifications for various applications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. While this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention is not so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application mentioned in this specification was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08460007 | Mar 2008 | EP | regional |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090224968 A1 | Sep 2009 | US |
