Antenna mounting arrangement for an off-road vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10826167-B2
Application number	US-201816199808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

An off-road vehicle includes a body having at least one fender positioned over at least one wheel or track of the off-road vehicle. The at least one wheel or track is configured to engage a ground surface. The off-road vehicle also includes at least one spatial locating antenna positioned beneath the at least one fender. A top side of the at least one fender is positioned above the at least one spatial locating antenna relative to the ground surface, and the top side extends beyond a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent of the at least one spatial locating antenna.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An off-road vehicle, comprising:
a body;
at least one spatial locating antenna positioned beneath the body, wherein a top side of the body is positioned above the at least one spatial locating antenna relative to a ground surface, and the top side extends beyond a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent of the at least one spatial locating antenna; and
a coating disposed on an outer surface of the top side of the body, wherein the outer surface of the top side faces away from the at least one spatial locating antenna, and the coating includes a gap aligned with the at least one spatial locating antenna to facilitate passage of a spatial locating signal through the body to the at least one spatial locating antenna.

2. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gap extends beyond the lateral extent of the at least one spatial locating antenna, the longitudinal extent of the at least one spatial locating antenna, or a combination thereof.

3. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , comprising a second coating disposed on the outer surface of the top side of the body within the gap, wherein the second coating is configured to facilitate passage of the spatial locating signal to the at least one spatial locating antenna.

4. The off-road vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second coating comprises a decal.

5. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one spatial locating antenna is communicatively coupled to a spatial locating device.

6. The off-road vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the at least one spatial locating antenna comprises at least one global positioning system (GPS) antenna, and the spatial locating device comprises a GPS receiver.

7. The off-road vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a first fender positioned on a first lateral side of a longitudinal centerline of the off-road vehicle and a second fender positioned on a second lateral side of the longitudinal centerline, opposite the first lateral side, and the at least one spatial locating antenna comprises a first spatial locating antenna positioned beneath the first fender and a second spatial locating antenna positioned beneath the second fender.

8. An off-road vehicle, comprising:
a body having a wall;
an antenna positioned on a first side of the wall, wherein the antenna is configured to receive, transmit, or a combination thereof, a signal through the wall between the first side and a second side, opposite the first side; and
a coating disposed on an outer surface of the wall facing the second side, wherein the coating includes a gap aligned with the antenna to facilitate passage of the signal through the wall.

9. The off-road vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the antenna comprises a spatial locating antenna.

10. The off-road vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the spatial locating antenna is communicatively coupled to a spatial locating device.

11. The off-road vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the spatial locating antenna comprises a global positioning system (GPS) antenna, and the spatial locating device comprises a GPS receiver.

12. The off-road vehicle of claim 8 , comprising a second coating disposed on the outer surface of the wall within the gap, wherein the second coating is configured to facilitate passage of the signal.

13. The off-road vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the second coating comprises a decal.

14. The off-road vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the gap extends beyond a lateral extent of the antenna, a longitudinal extent of the antenna, or a combination thereof.

15. The off-road vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the body comprises a fender, the antenna is positioned beneath the fender, the wall corresponds to a top side of the fender positioned above the antenna relative to a ground surface, and the top side extends beyond a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent of the antenna.

16. An off-road vehicle, comprising:
a body;
an antenna positioned beneath the body, wherein a top side of the body is positioned above the antenna relative to a ground surface, and the top side extends along at least a portion of a lateral extent of the antenna, at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the antenna, or a combination thereof; and
a coating disposed on an outer surface of the top side of the body, wherein the outer surface of the top side faces away from the antenna, and the coating includes a gap aligned with the antenna to facilitate passage of a signal through the body.

17. The off-road vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the antenna comprises a spatial locating antenna.

18. The off-road vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the gap extends beyond the lateral extent of the antenna, the longitudinal extent of the antenna, or a combination thereof.

19. The off-road vehicle of claim 16 , comprising a second coating disposed on the outer surface of the top side of the body within the gap, wherein the second coating is configured to facilitate passage of the signal.

20. The off-road vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the second coating comprises a decal.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc
• Autonomous Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Foster Christopher Alan
• Rabusic Frank George
• Jacobsthal Eric Michael
• Asztalos Frank Zsigmond
• McClelland Brett Carson
• Huenemann Matthew
• Posselius John Henry
• Jackson Dwayne St George
• Lukac John Bradley
• Turpin Bret Todd

Classifications

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/3283 Primary

  side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted (mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271) · CPC title

• H01Q1/3208

  characterised by the application wherein the antenna is used · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title