EP0884795A1 - Global positioning system antenna location - Google Patents
Global positioning system antenna location Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0884795A1 EP0884795A1 EP97309457A EP97309457A EP0884795A1 EP 0884795 A1 EP0884795 A1 EP 0884795A1 EP 97309457 A EP97309457 A EP 97309457A EP 97309457 A EP97309457 A EP 97309457A EP 0884795 A1 EP0884795 A1 EP 0884795A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- antenna
- vehicle
- air intake
- grill cover
- intake grill
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
- H01Q1/32—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
- H01Q1/3208—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles characterised by the application wherein the antenna is used
- H01Q1/3233—Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles characterised by the application wherein the antenna is used particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
Definitions
- the invention relates to an improved location for a global positioning system (GPS) antenna assembly.
- GPS global positioning system
- Such a GPS antenna assembly is used increasingly within in-car navigation (route guidance) systems and emergency messaging systems. This allows for absolute determination of position where signals are obtained from orbiting satellites.
- the location of the GPS antenna on the vehicle is of great importance as the GPS signals from the orbiting satellites are of a very poor level (-160dBw minimum at the earth's surface, which is below the noise floor) and GPS relies upon line-of-sight reception of signals from at least four satellites in order to provide a valid position.
- a typical requirement for optimum GPS reception is that the antenna can receive signals from 20° above the horizon through 360°. This can be difficult to achieve in a vehicle.
- the signals can also be subject to multi-path reflections from the vehicle structure if the antenna is mounted within the car.
- Positions within a vehicle have been proposed for the mounting of the GPS antenna.
- One proposed position has been on the roof of the vehicle. This is most likely to have an unobstructed view of the sky but is in an exposed position with a high risk of accidental damage and insecurity from vandalism and theft.
- Positions have been proposed within the car such as within the boot or under the parcel shelf of the car but these positions can suffer from reflections or interference from the rest of the vehicle structure or from the attenuation of signals by the interposing material.
- GPS antenna will be used to describe the antenna and pre-amplifier as a unit, since they are typically all mounted together as a sealed unit.
- a vehicle including a GPS antenna, the vehicle including an air intake grill cover including vents through which air is taken into the vehicle and extending across the vehicle between the base of its windscreen and the rear edge of its bonnet, in which the GPS antenna is mounted directly beneath the air intake grill cover.
- the air intake grill cover includes intake vents which do not extend across its width so that it includes a non-vented area under which the GPS antenna may be mounted.
- GPS antenna is mounted under an area of the air intake grill cover which is smooth and homogeneous.
- the cover at least in the area overlying the antenna is of constant thickness which provides minimum attenuation or distortion of the signals.
- the thickness is substantially 2mm.
- the air intake grill cover is not exactly horizontal so that there is little likelihood of water or debris accumulating on its surface. This helps reduce the possibility of attenuation or distortion of signals.
- the antenna is mounted at an angle of between plus and minus 5° to the horizontal and preferably it is substantially parallel to the air intake cover.
- the surface of the air intake grill cover is a fine grained surface which reduces the possibility of the water forming beads, which is particularly problematic.
- the air intake grill cover is typically of a plastic material which does not attenuate the signals being fed to the antenna.
- a suitable plastic is acrilonitryl butadiene styrene (ABS).
- the position under the air intake grill cover is such that there is little risk of obstruction due to articles being placed over the air intake grill cover so this further minimises the risk of signal distortion.
- the antenna is protected from the outside environment and is in a position where it is secure from vandalism and theft since the air intake grill cover is not readily removed by a thief.
- the removal of the cover is straightforward for a mechanic carrying out servicing of the vehicle and so access for repair and maintenance of the antenna is relatively simple.
- the GPS antenna is of a high gain patch design such as that sold by JRC of 1-1, Shimorenjaku 5-chome, Mitaka - shi, Tokyo 181, Japan under the mark NAY-3520xx.
- the antenna is mounted upon a ground plate which typically is made of mild steel.
- the ground plate is preferably flat and forms part of the antenna to reflect the signals.
- the ground plate has an area of substantially 100cm 2 and its shape can be chosen to fit within the area under the air intake grill cover.
- the position under the air intake grill cover does not interfere with the passage of air through the vehicle.
- theGPS antenna is mounted within the duct through which air is passed from the vents to the interior if the vehicle.
- the air passing over the surface of the GPS antenna ensures that if for any reason water has managed to reach the surface of the antenna it is readily evaporated. This is an extra precaution to ensure accuracy of readings from the antenna.
- a vehicle 1 includes a GPS antenna 3.
- the vehicle 1 includes an air intake grill cover 5 including vents (not shown) through which air is taken into the vehicle and extending across the vehicle between the base of its windscreen 7 and the rear edge of its bonnet 11.
- the GPS antenna 3 is mounted directly beneath the air intake grill cover 5.
- vents do not extend along the length of the air intake grill cover 5 so that it includes a non-vented area shown in Figures 1 and 2, under which the GPS antenna 3 is mounted.
- vents do not interfere with the operation of the antenna 3.
- the air intake grill cover 5 is of ABS (Acrilonitryl Butadiene Styrene) which is homogeneous and smooth and has a fine grained surface. In the non-vented area the cover has a substantially uniform thickness so that there is little distortion of signals passing through the cover.
- the cover lies at an angle to the horizontal of in the region of 5°. This means that water will not accumulate on the surface. Also in the non vented area overlying the antenna the cover is of substantially constant cross section, of thickness 2mm.
- the antenna is mounted within duct 13.
- This duct conveys air from the vents to the rest of the vehicle for it to be used in the ventilation systems of the vehicle.
- the constant passage of air through the duct 13 ensures that water droplets cannot accumulate on the surface of the antenna to distort the signals.
- the GPS antenna is a NAY-3520xx as sold by JRC of 1-1, Shimorenjaku 5-chome, Mitaka - shi, Tokyo 181, Japan.
- the antenna is a high gain patch design.
- the antenna is mounted upon ground plate 15 the exact shape of which can be seen in Figure 3.
- the plate is planar in its working area at the centre of the plate and includes four tongues 17 cut from the plate and bent upwards through 90°.
- the tongues are positioned such that they define four edges of the antenna 3 so that the antenna can be placed on the plate 15 between the tongues 17 which located it.
- the antenna has a magnet mounted on its base so that it is attracted to the ground plate 15 which is steel.
- Each projection 21 includes a bore 23 through which a bolt may be passed for fixing.
- a further edge 25 of the plate includes an indented area 27 allowing the edge to be pushed under a rim in the vehicle for further fixing the plate in position.
Abstract
A vehicle (1) including a GPS antenna(3) , the vehicle (1)
including an air intake grill cover (5) including vents
through which air is taken into the vehicle and extending
across the vehicle between the base of its windscreen (7)and
the rear edge of its bonnet (9), in which the GPS antenna is
mounted directly beneath the air intake grill cover.
Description
The invention relates to an improved location for a global
positioning system (GPS) antenna assembly.
Such a GPS antenna assembly is used increasingly within in-car
navigation (route guidance) systems and emergency
messaging systems. This allows for absolute determination of
position where signals are obtained from orbiting
satellites. The location of the GPS antenna on the vehicle
is of great importance as the GPS signals from the orbiting
satellites are of a very poor level (-160dBw minimum at the
earth's surface, which is below the noise floor) and GPS
relies upon line-of-sight reception of signals from at least
four satellites in order to provide a valid position. A
typical requirement for optimum GPS reception is that the
antenna can receive signals from 20° above the horizon
through 360°. This can be difficult to achieve in a vehicle.
There can also be problems caused by attenuation of signals
by interposing material such as glass or composite; or from
lying water. The signals can also be subject to multi-path
reflections from the vehicle structure if the antenna is
mounted within the car.
As the use of in-car navigation systems increases a number
of positions within a vehicle have been proposed for the
mounting of the GPS antenna. One proposed position has been
on the roof of the vehicle. This is most likely to have an
unobstructed view of the sky but is in an exposed position
with a high risk of accidental damage and insecurity from
vandalism and theft. Positions have been proposed within the
car such as within the boot or under the parcel shelf of the
car but these positions can suffer from reflections or
interference from the rest of the vehicle structure or from
the attenuation of signals by the interposing material.
There can also be problems caused by a limited view of the
sky.
In the following specification the term GPS antenna will be
used to describe the antenna and pre-amplifier as a unit,
since they are typically all mounted together as a sealed
unit.
According to the invention there is provided a vehicle
including a GPS antenna, the vehicle including an air intake
grill cover including vents through which air is taken into
the vehicle and extending across the vehicle between the
base of its windscreen and the rear edge of its bonnet, in
which the GPS antenna is mounted directly beneath the air
intake grill cover.
This has proved to be an ideal position for the GPS antenna
since it provides a good view of the sky and is secure from
vandalism and theft and safe from accidental damage.
Typically the air intake grill cover includes intake vents
which do not extend across its width so that it includes a
non-vented area under which the GPS antenna may be mounted.
Typically the GPS antenna is mounted under an area of the
air intake grill cover which is smooth and homogeneous.
Preferably the cover, at least in the area overlying the
antenna is of constant thickness which provides minimum
attenuation or distortion of the signals. Typically the
thickness is substantially 2mm.
Preferably the air intake grill cover is not exactly
horizontal so that there is little likelihood of water or
debris accumulating on its surface. This helps reduce the
possibility of attenuation or distortion of signals.
Preferably the antenna is mounted at an angle of between
plus and minus 5° to the horizontal and preferably it is
substantially parallel to the air intake cover.
Preferably the surface of the air intake grill cover is a
fine grained surface which reduces the possibility of the
water forming beads, which is particularly problematic.
The air intake grill cover is typically of a plastic
material which does not attenuate the signals being fed to
the antenna. One example of a suitable plastic is
acrilonitryl butadiene styrene (ABS).
The position under the air intake grill cover is such that
there is little risk of obstruction due to articles being
placed over the air intake grill cover so this further
minimises the risk of signal distortion.
The antenna is protected from the outside environment and is
in a position where it is secure from vandalism and theft
since the air intake grill cover is not readily removed by a
thief. However the removal of the cover is straightforward
for a mechanic carrying out servicing of the vehicle and so
access for repair and maintenance of the antenna is
relatively simple.
Preferably the GPS antenna is of a high gain patch design
such as that sold by JRC of 1-1, Shimorenjaku 5-chome,
Mitaka - shi, Tokyo 181, Japan under the mark NAY-3520xx.
Preferably the antenna is mounted upon a ground plate which
typically is made of mild steel. The ground plate is
preferably flat and forms part of the antenna to reflect the
signals. Preferably the ground plate has an area of
substantially 100cm2 and its shape can be chosen to fit
within the area under the air intake grill cover.
The position under the air intake grill cover does not
interfere with the passage of air through the vehicle.
Preferably theGPS antenna is mounted within the duct
through which air is passed from the vents to the interior
if the vehicle. The air passing over the surface of the GPS
antenna ensures that if for any reason water has managed to
reach the surface of the antenna it is readily evaporated.
This is an extra precaution to ensure accuracy of readings
from the antenna.
A vehicle including a GPS antenna will now be described, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
- Figure 1
- is a schematic section through part of the front of the vehicle;
- Figure 2
- is a more detailed view of the section; and
- Figure 3
- is an isometric view of the ground plate of the antenna.
A vehicle 1 includes a GPS antenna 3. The vehicle 1 includes
an air intake grill cover 5 including vents (not shown)
through which air is taken into the vehicle and extending
across the vehicle between the base of its windscreen 7 and
the rear edge of its bonnet 11. The GPS antenna 3 is mounted
directly beneath the air intake grill cover 5.
The vents do not extend along the length of the air intake
grill cover 5 so that it includes a non-vented area shown in
Figures 1 and 2, under which the GPS antenna 3 is mounted.
Thus the vents do not interfere with the operation of the
antenna 3.
The air intake grill cover 5 is of ABS (Acrilonitryl
Butadiene Styrene) which is homogeneous and smooth and has a
fine grained surface. In the non-vented area the cover has a
substantially uniform thickness so that there is little
distortion of signals passing through the cover.
The cover lies at an angle to the horizontal of in the
region of 5°. This means that water will not accumulate on
the surface. Also in the non vented area overlying the
antenna the cover is of substantially constant cross
section, of thickness 2mm.
It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee of the
specification that there are many different designs of air
intake grill covers for different vehicles. However in the
majority of cases no modification of the cover will be
required for the effective installation of the antenna 3.
As can be seen in Figure 2 the antenna is mounted within
duct 13. This duct conveys air from the vents to the rest of
the vehicle for it to be used in the ventilation systems of
the vehicle. The constant passage of air through the duct 13
(at least when the vehicle is moving) ensures that water
droplets cannot accumulate on the surface of the antenna to
distort the signals.
The GPS antenna is a NAY-3520xx as sold by JRC of 1-1,
Shimorenjaku 5-chome, Mitaka - shi, Tokyo 181, Japan. The
antenna is a high gain patch design. The antenna is mounted
upon ground plate 15 the exact shape of which can be seen in
Figure 3. The plate is planar in its working area at the
centre of the plate and includes four tongues 17 cut from
the plate and bent upwards through 90°. The tongues are
positioned such that they define four edges of the antenna 3
so that the antenna can be placed on the plate 15 between
the tongues 17 which located it. The antenna has a magnet
mounted on its base so that it is attracted to the ground
plate 15 which is steel.
One edge 19 is bent downwards to form a flange having two L-shaped
projections 21 used for mounting the ground plate in
position. Each projection 21 includes a bore 23 through
which a bolt may be passed for fixing.
A further edge 25 of the plate includes an indented area 27
allowing the edge to be pushed under a rim in the vehicle
for further fixing the plate in position.
Claims (10)
- A vehicle including a GPS antenna, the vehicle including an air intake grill cover including vents through which air is taken into the vehicle and extending across the vehicle between the base of its windscreen and the rear edge of its bonnet, in which the GPS antenna is mounted directly beneath the air intake grill cover.
- A vehicle according to claim 1, in which the grill cover includes a non-vented area under which the antenna is mounted.
- A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, in which the antenna is mounted beneath an area of the grill cover which is smooth and homogeneous.
- A vehicle according to claim 3, in which the antenna is mounted beneath an area of the grill cover which is of substantially constant thickness.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, the air intake grill cover is not horizontal.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims in which the air intake grill lies at up to 5°to the horizontal.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the air intake grill cover has a fine grained surface.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the antenna is mounted at up to 5°to the horizontal.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the antenna is mounted upon a ground plate.
- A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the antenna is mounted in a duct through which air is passed from the vents to the vehicle.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBGB9624772.1A GB9624772D0 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1996-11-29 | Global positioning system antenna location |
| GB9624772 | 1996-11-29 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP0884795A1 true EP0884795A1 (en) | 1998-12-16 |
| EP0884795B1 EP0884795B1 (en) | 2000-10-04 |
Family
ID=10803630
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP19970309457 Expired - Lifetime EP0884795B1 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-24 | Global positioning system antenna location |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0884795B1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69703234T2 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB9624772D0 (en) |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5144318A (en) * | 1989-01-26 | 1992-09-01 | Nissan Motor Company, Limited | Apparatus and method for navigating vehicle using GPS |
| WO1996009941A1 (en) * | 1994-09-29 | 1996-04-04 | Trimble Navigation | Concealed mobile communications system |
-
1996
- 1996-11-29 GB GBGB9624772.1A patent/GB9624772D0/en active Pending
-
1997
- 1997-11-24 EP EP19970309457 patent/EP0884795B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-11-24 DE DE1997603234 patent/DE69703234T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5144318A (en) * | 1989-01-26 | 1992-09-01 | Nissan Motor Company, Limited | Apparatus and method for navigating vehicle using GPS |
| WO1996009941A1 (en) * | 1994-09-29 | 1996-04-04 | Trimble Navigation | Concealed mobile communications system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0884795B1 (en) | 2000-10-04 |
| DE69703234T2 (en) | 2001-02-15 |
| DE69703234D1 (en) | 2000-11-09 |
| GB9624772D0 (en) | 1997-01-15 |
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