1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an antenna, specifically a planar slot coupling patch antenna, for receiving a circularly polarized radio frequency (RF) signal from a satellite.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles have long implemented glass to enclose a cabin of the vehicle while still allowing visibility for the driver of the vehicle. Automotive glass is typically either a tempered (or toughened) glass or a laminated glass which is produced by bonding two or more panes of glass together with a plastic interlayer. The interlayer keeps the panes of glass together even when the glass is broken.
Recently, antennas have been integrated with the glass of the vehicle. This integration helps improve the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle as well to help present the vehicle with an aesthetically-pleasing, streamlined appearance. Integration of antennas for receiving linearly polarized RF signals, such as those generated by AM/FM terrestrial broadcast stations, has been the principal focus of the industry. However, that focus is shifting to integrating antennas for receiving RF signals from Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) providers. SDARS providers use satellites to broadcast RF signals, particularly circularly polarized RF signals, back to Earth. SDARS providers use multiple satellites in a geostationary orbit or in an inclined elliptical constellation.
Various antennas for receiving circularly polarized RF signals are well known in the art. Examples of such antennas are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,645 (the '645 patent) to Day and U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,144 (the '144 patent) to Anderson.
The '645 patent discloses an antenna including a radiation element disposed on a pane of glass. The pane of glass is suitable for application as a window of a vehicle. A ground plane is disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the radiation element. The ground plane defines a slot having a first leg and a second leg generally perpendicular to each other and forming a cross shape. The radiation element and the ground plane sandwich a dielectric layer. A feed line is disposed on a circuit board attached to the ground plane, such that the feed line is isolated from the ground plane. The feed line traverses a center point of the slot. The antenna of the '645 patent occupies a relatively large area on the pane of glass, which obstructs the view of a driver of the vehicle.
The '144 patent discloses an antenna including a radiation element. The radiation element defines a slot including a first leg and a second leg generally perpendicular to each other and forming a cross shape. The first and second legs are of unequal lengths and/or widths to give the antenna a circular polarization. A ground plane is disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the first conductive layer. The radiation element and the ground plane sandwich at least one dielectric layer. A plurality of vias electrically connect the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer. A feed line is disposed within the at least one dielectric layer and is substantially parallel to the conductive layers. The feed line is disposed at a 45° angle in relation to the legs of the slot and traverses a center of the cross shape. The antenna of the '144 patent is not integrated with a window of a vehicle.
The characteristics of glass, particularly soda-lime-silica automotive glass, and the angled disposition of this glass when applied as a window of a vehicle, provide challenges to the effective integration of an antenna with a window of the vehicle. Automotive manufacturers demand strict requirements as to the amount of visual obstruction caused by antennas integrated with windows of the vehicle. To date, the performance of antennas integrated with automotive glass in receiving SDARS signals has been disappointing. Therefore, there remains an opportunity to introduce an antenna that aids in the reception of the circularly polarized RF signal from a satellite. Particularly, there remains an opportunity for a high-performing antenna that, when integrated with an automotive window does not create a substantial visual obstruction and still maintains optimal reception.
The subject invention provides an antenna including a radiation element. The radiation element defines a slot having a first leg and a second leg generally perpendicular with each other. The first and second legs of the slot form a periphery in the shape of a cross having a center point. A ground plane is disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the radiation element. A dielectric is sandwiched between the radiation element and the ground plane and presents an edge. An electrically conductive feed line, having a distal end, extends within the dielectric from the edge of the dielectric. The feed line terminates at the distal end short of the center point of the slot.
The structure of the antenna of the subject invention provides excellent performance characteristics when receiving a circularly polarized RF signal. These characteristics include high radiation gain, a low axial ratio, and high radiation efficiency. The antenna of the subject invention may be integrated with a window of a vehicle. As a result, the antenna is generally conformal with the window and is relatively compact, occupying a relatively small area of the window, yet still providing a high performance when receiving the circularly polarized RF signal. Therefore, the antenna is desirable for automotive manufacturers and a driver of the vehicle.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, an antenna is shown generally at 10. In the preferred embodiment, the antenna 10 is utilized to receive a circularly polarized radio frequency (RF) signal from a satellite. Those skilled in the art realize that the antenna 10 may also be used to transmit the circularly polarized RF signal. Specifically, the preferred embodiment of the antenna 10 receives a left-hand circularly polarized (LHCP) RF signal like those produced by a Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) provider, such as XM® Satellite Radio or SIRIUS® Satellite Radio. However, it is to be understood that the antenna 10 may also receive a right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) RF signal. Furthermore, the antenna 10 may also be utilized to transmit or receive a linear polarized RF signal.
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, the nonconductive pane 18 is implemented as at least one pane of glass 16. Of course, the window 12 may include more than one pane of glass 16. Those skilled in the art realize that automotive windows 12, particularly windshields, may include two panes of glass 16 sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB).
The pane of glass 16 is preferably automotive glass and more preferably soda-lime-silica glass. The pane of glass 16 defines a thickness between 1.5 and 5.0 mm, preferably 3.1 mm. The pane of glass 16 also has a relative permittivity between 5 and 9, preferably 7. Those skilled in the art, however, realize that the nonconductive pane 18 may be formed from plastic, fiberglass, or other suitable nonconductive materials.
For descriptive purposes only, the subject invention is referred to below only in the context of the most preferred nonconductive pane 18, which is the pane of automotive glass 16. This is not to be construed as limiting, since, as noted above, the antenna 10 can be implemented with nonconductive panes 18 other than panes of glass 16.
Referring now to
The antenna 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a radiation element 20 disposed on the pane of glass 16. The radiation element 20 is also commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as a “patch” or a “patch element”. The radiation element 20 is formed of an electrically conductive material. Preferably, the radiation element 20 comprises a silver paste as the electrically conductive material disposed directly on the pane of glass 16 and hardened by a firing technique known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the radiation element 20 could comprise a flat piece of metal, such as copper or aluminum, adhered to the pane of glass 16 using an adhesive.
When implemented on the window 12 of the vehicle 14, the size of the antenna 10 should be as small as possible to avoid causing visual obstruction to a driver of the vehicle 14. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in
Referring again to
In the preferred embodiment, the first leg 24 of the slot 22 has a first length L1 and the second leg 26 of the slot 22 has a second length L2. The first length L1 is unequal to the second length L2. These unequal lengths L1, L2 of the cross-shaped slot 22 provide the radiation element 20 with a circular polarization to receive the circularly polarized RF signal from the satellite. Those skilled in the art realize that each leg 24, 26 also provide the radiation element 20 with a linear polarization to receive a linearly polarized RF signal. The exact lengths L1, L2 of the legs 24, 26 of the slot 22 are determined by a desired frequency range, return loss, and axial ratio of the antenna 10. For optimization at the 2,338 MHz frequency of the preferred embodiment, the first length L1 is in a range between 13.1 mm and 15.1 mm and the second length L2 is in a range between 7.6 mm and 9.6 mm. Each leg 24, 26, also preferably has a width in a range between 1 mm and 3 mm. Of course, other ranges of dimensions of the legs 24, 26 are suitable to generate the circular polarization and for adequate operation of the antenna 10, depending on the desired operational frequency range, return loss, and axial ratio of the antenna 10. Furthermore, those skilled in the art realize that other techniques of generating circular polarization, besides the slot 22 in the shape of a cross having legs 24, 26 of unequal lengths, may be implemented. For instance, circular polarization may also be generated by the first leg 24 having a first width W1, the second leg 26 having a second width W2 unequal to the first width W1, while the first and second lengths are substantially equal.
In the preferred embodiment, where the radiation element 20 is rectangularly-shaped, each of the legs 24, 26 of the slot 22 is generally parallel to two sides of the radiation element 20. Of course other orientations of the legs 24, 26 to the sides of the radiation element 20 are possible. For example, a second alternative embodiment is shown in
Referring again to
The antenna 10 also includes a dielectric substrate 30. The dielectric substrate 30 is sandwiched between the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 28. The dielectric substrate 30 presents an edge 31. The dielectric substrate 30 is formed of a nonconductive material and isolates the radiation element 20 from the ground plane 28. Therefore, the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 30 are not electrically connected by an electrically conductive material. Those skilled in the art realize that the dielectric substrate 30 could be air.
In the preferred embodiment, the dielectric substrate 30 is disposed in contact with the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 28. Of course, the dielectric substrate 30 may be sandwiched between the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 28 without being in direct contact with the radiation element 20 and/or the ground plane 28. Furthermore, the dielectric substrate 30 may extend beyond the areas defined by the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 28 so long as at least a portion of the dielectric substrate 30 is between the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 28.
It is preferred that the dielectric substrate 30 have a dielectric substrate thickness measuring about 3.2 mm. It is further preferred that the dielectric substrate 30 has a relative permittivity of about 2.6. However, those skilled in the art realize the dielectric substrate 30 may have other dimensions and/or relative permittivity. Further, the dielectric substrate 30 may be composed of a plurality of layers or regions. The relative permittivity of each of these layers or regions may be identical to each other or may be different from each other.
The antenna 10 also includes an electrically conductive feed line 32. The feed line 32 is a transmission device that is preferably electromagnetically coupled to the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 30. The term “electromagnetically coupled”, as used in the art, refers to the feed line 32 not being in direct contact with the radiation element 20. In the case of the present invention, the feed line 32 runs generally parallel to the radiation element 20 and the ground plane 30. However, those skilled in the art realize that the feed line 32 may be directly connected to the radiation element 20, i.e., the feed line 32 may come into direct contact with the radiation element 20.
The feed line 32 includes a distal end 34 extending within the dielectric substrate 30 from the edge 31 of the dielectric substrate 30. The feed line 32 terminates at the distal end 34 short of the center point of the slot 22. Preferably, the distal end 34 terminates less than 12 mm from the center point of the slot 22. More preferably, the feed line 32 terminates about 2 mm from the center point of the slot 22. In the preferred embodiment, the feed line 32 is rectangularly-shaped with a width of about 4.5 mm. It is also preferred that the feed line 32 is disposed at about a 45° angle relative to the legs of the slot 22 for properly generating the circular polarization of the antenna 10. Those skilled in the art realize that alternative dimensions of the feed line 32 may be implemented depending on the desired use of the antenna 10. Furthermore, the dimensions of the feed line 32 may be modified for tuning purposes, i.e., to match the input impedance of the antenna 10 to a transmission line connected to the antenna 10.
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, as described above, the feed line 32 does not extend past the center point of the slot 22. This provides a significant contribution to the exceptional radiation gain and other performance characteristics of the antenna 10. Referring to
A cover 42, as shown in
The pane of glass 16 of the preferred embodiment, as mentioned above, preferably has a relative permittivity of 7. Therefore, the pane of glass 16 affects the performance characteristics of the antenna 10. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the antenna 10 may be modified (or tuned) for similar performance in alternative embodiments where the nonconductive pane 18 is a material other than the pane of glass 16.
Multiple antennas 10 may be implemented as part of a diversity system of antennas 10. For instance, the vehicle 14 of the preferred embodiment may include a first antenna 10 on the windshield and a second antenna 10 on the backlite. These antennas 10 would each have separate LNAs 36 that are electrically connected to the receiver within the vehicle 14. Those skilled in the art realize several processing techniques may be used to achieve diversity reception. In one such technique, a switch is used to select the antenna 10 that is currently receiving the strongest RF signal from the satellites.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060139223 A1 | Jun 2006 | US |