Service provider adaptive vehicle antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654152-B2
Application number	US-201514635370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle may include a plurality of antennas each associated with a different radio frequency; and a modem including a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna control processor configured to selectively connect a selected one or more of the plurality of antennas having a radio frequency matching at least one frequency associated with a desired service provider to the transceiver. The vehicle may also determine whether a service-provider-recommended alternate frequency is available, responsive to service provider signal strength being below a predefined signal strength; and if so, direct the modem to switch to an antenna associated with the alternate frequency, and otherwise, cycle to a next available antenna frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
antennas, each associated with a different radio frequency;
a transceiver of a modem;

matching circuits that match impedance of a respective one of the antennas to the transceiver;
an antenna control processor; and
R/F switches directed by the antenna control processor to selectively connect the antennas to the transceiver,
wherein the antenna control processor is configured to
determine whether a service-provider-recommended alternate frequency is available, responsive to service provider signal strength received from the antennas being below a predefined signal strength; and
If so, direct the modem to switch to one of the antennas associated with the alternate frequency, and otherwise, cycle to a next available antenna frequency.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the modem is further configured to:
maintain service provider connection information for service providers, including service provider identifiers and radio frequencies associated with the service providers; and
utilize the service provider connection information to determine the at least one frequency associated with the desired service provider.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the modem is further configured to:
send a service provider user interface to a vehicle display; and
receive an indication of the desired service provider responsive to user input to the vehicle display.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the modem is further configured to receive an indication of the desired service provider from a mobile device of a vehicle occupant.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the modem is further configured to: maintain an indication of a currently-selected service provider; and
determine the alternate frequency associated with the desired service provider when the currently-selected service provider and the desired service provider differ.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the different radio frequencies associated with the plurality of antennas include at least two of: 700 megahertz (MHz), 900 MHz, 1200 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2600 MHz.

7. A vehicle comprising:
a modem having a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna controller;
a plurality of antennas each associated with a different radio frequency, each of the plurality of antennas connected to a matching circuit configured to match impedance of a respective antenna to the radio-frequency transceiver, each of the matching circuits connected to an R/F switch controlled by the antenna controller to connect a selected one of the plurality of antennas to the radio-frequency transceiver; and
a processor configured to
determine whether a service-provider-recommended alternate frequency is available, responsive to service provider signal strength being below a predefined signal strength; and
if so, direct the modem to switch to an antenna associated with the alternate frequency, and otherwise, cycle to a next available antenna frequency.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to utilize service provider connection information for service providers including service provider identifiers and radio frequencies associated with the service providers to determine the alternate frequency.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the service provider connection information further includes information regarding alternate radio frequencies available for user by location; and wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the service provider connection information to determine the alternate frequency according to vehicle location.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining a frequency associated with a desired service provider for communication by a modem of a vehicle via at least one selected antenna of a plurality of antennas each associated with a different radio frequency, the vehicle including a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna control processor; and
sending an antenna selection message to the antenna control processor to connect the selected antenna(s) to the radio-frequency transceiver,
wherein each of the plurality of antennas is connected to a matching circuit configured to match impedance of the respective antenna to the transceiver, and each of the matching circuits is connected to an R/F switch controlled by the antenna control processor to connect a selected one of the plurality of antennas to the transceiver.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
maintaining service provider connection information for service providers, including service provider identifiers and radio frequencies associated with the service providers; and
utilizing the service provider connection information to determine the frequency associated with the desired service provider.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sending a service provider user interface to a vehicle display; and
receiving an indication of the desired service provider responsive to user input to the vehicle display.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving an indication of the desired service provider from a mobile device of a vehicle occupant.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
maintaining an indication of a currently-selected service provider; and
determining the frequency associated with the desired service provider when the currently-selected service provider and the desired service provider differ.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the different radio frequencies associated with the plurality of antennas includes at least two of: 700 megahertz (MHz), 900 MHz, 1200 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2600 MHz.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Colella Nicholas
• Murray Allen R
• Be Tuan Anh
• Lanctot Jr Leo James
• Tengler David Richard

Classifications

• H04B1/0064 Primary

  with separate antennas for the more than one band (H04B1/0053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04B1/0458 Primary

  Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages (matching circuits in general H03H) · CPC title

• H04B1/18

  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 title

• H04B1/3822

  specially adapted for use in vehicles (H04B1/3827 takes precedence) · CPC title