Vehicle-mounted antenna system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12062840-B2
Application number	US-202117344546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted antenna system according to the present invention comprises: a first antenna system in which a plurality of first antenna elements disposed in a structure mounted on a vehicle perform multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO); and a second antenna system in which a plurality of second antenna elements attached to a side surface of a polyhedron disposed in the structure perform beamforming, wherein the disposed plurality of first antenna elements are formed, in the front and back of the polyhedron, on a substrate erected at a predetermined angle to the structure, and thus, the present invention may provide an antenna array optimized in terms of spacing between antenna elements in a flat-type vehicle antenna provided with an LTE antenna system and a 5G antenna system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna system for a vehicle, comprising:
a first structure mounted on a roof of the vehicle;
a second structure spaced apart from the first structure and separately mounted to the vehicle, the first structure and the second structure being configured to be connected together to provide an integrated antenna system;
a first antenna system disposed within the first structure, the first antenna system including a plurality of first antenna elements that are configured to (i) transmit and receive a first signal and (ii) perform Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) communication in a frequency band of a 4G communication system and a sub-6 frequency band below 6 GHz; and
an additional antenna element disposed in the second structure and configured to transmit and receive a second signal in the sub-6 frequency band below 6 GHz or partially using the frequency band of the 4G communication system,
wherein the plurality of first antenna elements are positioned above the roof of the vehicle,
wherein one of the plurality of first antenna elements transmits and receives the first signal in the frequency band of the 4G communication system through the first structure,
wherein the additional antenna element is positioned at least partially within the roof of the vehicle, and
wherein the additional antenna element transmits and receives the second signal in the frequency band of the 4G communication system using the same frequency band of the 4G communication system through the second structure and the roof as a fallback mode based a link connection being released from the one of the plurality of first antenna elements.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna system includes a first MIMO antenna and a second MIMO antenna, and
wherein the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna are spaced apart from each other and located at front and rear sides in a lengthwise direction of the first structure, respectively.

3. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein the second structure further includes a telematics module configured to allow communication through the first antenna system via the first antenna elements in the first structure or the additional antenna element in the second structure or both.

4. The antenna system of claim 3 , further comprising a second antenna system having a plurality of second antenna elements that are attached to side surfaces of a polyhedron that is disposed inside the first structure, the plurality of second antenna elements being configured to perform beamforming,
wherein the first MIMO antenna is located at a front side of the polyhedron within the first structure.

5. The antenna system of claim 4 , further comprising a first substrate and a second substrate that are arranged within the first structure,
wherein the second MIMO antenna is located at a rear side of the polyhedron within the first structure, and
wherein the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna are attached to at least one surface of the first and second substrates, respectively.

6. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of second antenna elements are configured to operate in a millimeter wave (mmWave) band, and
wherein the telematics module is configured to allow communication through the first antenna system and the second antenna system.

7. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein an interface area between two adjacent side surfaces of the polyhedron is oriented to face a front or a rear side of the polyhedron.

8. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein the side surfaces of the polyhedron are oriented at a predetermined angle in an elevation direction with respect to a bottom surface of the first structure.

9. The antenna system of claim 7 , wherein the polyhedron includes (i) first and second side surfaces that form a first angle between them in an azimuth direction and (ii) third and fourth side surfaces that form a second angle between them in the azimuth direction, and
wherein the first angle and the second angle are determined so as to minimize interference between the second antenna system and the first and second MIMO antennas.

10. The antenna system of claim 7 , wherein a width of the interface area is greater than a width of first and second substrates to which the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna are attached.

11. An antenna system for a vehicle, comprising:
a first antenna system disposed within a structure and configured to transmit and receive radio signals in a first communication system, the structure being mounted to the vehicle; and
a second antenna system having a plurality of second antenna elements that are attached to side surfaces of a polyhedron that is disposed inside the structure, the plurality of second antenna elements being configured to perform beamforming in a second communication system,
wherein the first antenna system is disposed within a roof of the vehicle and to transmit and receive radio signals through a non-metallic region of the roof,
wherein the polyhedron is disposed in a lengthwise direction within the structure,
wherein the first antenna system includes at least one antenna located at a front or rear side of the polyhedron in the lengthwise direction within the structure, the at least one antenna being located outside the polyhedron in the lengthwise direction.

12. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the first antenna system is configured to transmit and receive radio signals through a dielectric region of the roof of the vehicle.

13. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the second antenna system is configured to be disposed at the non-metallic region of the roof.

14. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the second antenna system is configured to be disposed at a metallic region of the roof.

15. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the structure is a shark fin-shaped radome, and the second antenna system is disposed inside the structure.

16. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of second antenna elements are configured to operate in a millimeter wave (mmWave) band.

17. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein an interface area between two adjacent side surfaces of the polyhedron is oriented to face a front or a rear side of the polyhedron.

18. The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the side surfaces of the polyhedron are oriented at a predetermined angle in an elevation direction with respect to a bottom surface of the structure.

19. The antenna system of claim 16 , wherein the polyhedron includes (i) first and second side surfaces that form a first angle between them in an azimuth direction and (ii) third and fourth side surfaces that form a second angle between them in the azimuth direction,
wherein the first antenna system comprises first and second antennas, and
wherein the first angle and the second angle are determined so as to minimize interference between the second antenna system and the first and second antennas.

20. The antenna system of claim 17 , wherein the first antenna system comprises first and second antennas, and
wherein a width of the interface area is greater than a width of first and second substrates to which the first antenna and the second antenna are attached.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yongkon
• Son Changwoo
• Jeon Cheolsoo
• Jeong Sunin

Classifications

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

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

• B60R2011/0288

  Apparatus made of several modules independently mounted · CPC title

• B60R2011/0028

  Ceiling, e.g. roof rails · CPC title

• B60R11/02

  for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof · CPC title