EP1903632B1 - Antenna module, in particular as a central transmission and/or receiver module for a vehicle, with several antennas and several transmission and receiver devices - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an antenna module according to the preamble of claim 1. Such antenna modules are used in automotive engineering to radio services such as radio reception (analog, digital), television reception (analog, digital), GPS information, vehicle access control system, control of the immobilizer, release the engine start, making personal settings, interior monitoring, parking assistance, tire pressure monitoring, mobile radiotelephony (GMS bands, UMTS), auxiliary heating, remote start, Bluetooth, WLAN etc.

Such services are partially separated into off-board and in-vehicle services, the services also being transmitted on different frequencies (LF, HF) or bands. On the other hand, some services require over-the-vehicle trans-boundary transmission, such as the communication between the ID transmitter (key) and the access control control unit, interior control and engine start or immobilizer control, to determine the exact position of a person and to take appropriate actions in the vehicle Dependence of the position trigger.

In order to enable these different services partly on different frequencies for the vehicle exterior and vehicle interior, usually several antennas are arranged in the vehicle and outside the vehicle.

The arrangement of a plurality of antennas including any power supply (controllers and / or active antennas) and forwarding the transmitted signals, however, requires increased cabling and is thus in today's increased number of existing services in the vehicle tigen increased number of existing services in the vehicle disadvantageously in the production and maintenance and any subsequent installation and repair time and cost. In addition, an exact electromagnetic separation of the antennas or their transmission or reception fields in the increased number of antennas is problematic.

An antenna module according to the preamble of claim 1, for example, in the DE 10025931 A1 . WO 99/66595 A1 and EP 1087464 A2 proposed. In the DE 29500961 U1 On the other hand, a vehicle antenna arrangement for receiving terrestrial services is disclosed, which has an electronics housing arranged below the body panel for a linear and a strip conductor antenna arranged above the body panel.

The present invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide an antenna module, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages and in a cost effective and simple way more services and at the same time reduces the cabling.

This object is achieved with an antenna module having the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, an antenna module has a plurality of antennas and a plurality of transmitting and / or receiving devices, which are integrated into the antenna module at least partially in the form of a central transceiver box. The antenna module, for example in the form of an antenna cassette, thus comprises at least part of the receiving and / or transmitting devices which are necessary for operating or controlling the individual antennas. According to the invention, the antenna module has an upper and lower part with a plurality of antennas, which are separated by an area of the body of a vehicle and that the transceiver box is integrated in the upper or lower part, so that the body as shielding ground surface acts. In addition, the antenna module in the lower part may have a lower printed circuit board, which serves as an additional shield below the transceiver box.

Such an antenna module can then advantageously be used in a vehicle, for example in the rear roof area or rear area as a central transmitting and / or receiving module, so that preferably all services in a vehicle can be operated with such an antenna module with minimal cabling.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transceiver box has a modular structure and has standardized slots for receiving different transceiver modules. As a result, it is advantageously possible, in particular in the production and equipment of vehicles different configurations (required services) to take into account, without a layout of the boards, design of the antenna cassette, etc. must be changed. In the case of different requirements, it suffices to use the required individual transceiver modules on existing slots, for example to insert them into corresponding slots of a board present in the transceiver box, or to replace or omit them for retrofitting or conversion.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the antenna module covers several, for example, at least two, three or more or all different services of the resulting in a vehicle radio services (RKE, PASE, DAB, TPMS, WLAN, SDARS, GPS, Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS, auxiliary heating, Remote start) centrally.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transceiver box comprises the several transmitting and / or receiving devices (so-called transceivers) completely, so that no additional Electronics for controlling the antennas or for the transition to the baseband is necessary.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the antenna module has a bus connection via which at least a major part of the communication with terminals in the vehicle takes place. In this way, advantageously, the cabling effort can be further reduced, the vehicle bus having to be correspondingly dimensioned for this (corresponding speed and bandwidth or corresponding cutoff frequency and data rate) in order to possibly improve the serviceability of the services via the antenna module using various diversity methods such as, for example, and frequency division multiplexing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the antenna module on several different antennas for different services. Of course, it is also possible, at least for individual services which need not necessarily be parallel or simultaneously, and for which time multiplexing or frequency multiplexing is out of the question, to provide only one common multiband-capable antenna.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

Fig. 1

eine schematische dreidimensionale Außenansicht auf ein externes Gehäuse eines erfindungsgemäßen Antennenmoduls;

Fig. 2

eine schematische dreidimensionale Unteransicht auf ein internes Gehäuse eines erfindungsgemäßen Antennenmoduls;

Fig. 3

eine schematische dreidimensionale Innenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Antennenmoduls ohne Fahrzeugdach;

Fig. 4

eine schematische Teilansicht einer Trägerplatte eines Antennenmoduls nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 5

eine schematische dreidimensionale Ansicht einer Transceiverbox.

In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a schematic three-dimensional exterior view of an external housing of an antenna module according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a schematic three-dimensional view of an internal housing of an antenna module according to the invention;

Fig. 3

a schematic three-dimensional interior view of an antenna module according to the invention without a vehicle roof;

Fig. 4

a schematic partial view of a support plate of an antenna module according to Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5

a schematic three-dimensional view of a transceiver box.

This in Fig. 1 illustrated antenna module has on its outer side, for example on a vehicle roof, preferably in the middle rear area or at a vehicle rear, an external housing 1, for example in the form of a fin, which preferably has an aerodynamic outer shape, ie a tapering in the direction of travel form.

Below this external housing 1, an internal housing 5, for example by means of fastening bolts or nipples 11 is arranged on the inside of the corresponding location of the vehicle roof 3, which has a flat rectangular or any, preferably other flat shape, so that this internal housing 5 in rectangular, round or other shape between the car roof and the roof panel can be positioned.

As in Fig. 2 shown, the internal housing 5 on one of its narrow sides a bus connection 7, for example, for a CAN, LIN, MOST or other future vehicle bus, wherein, of course, within the internal housing 5 in addition to the electronics explained below, a corresponding bus driver located. In addition, in the internal housing 5 outwardly guided, further leads out, for example in the form of spare connections 9 and connect depending on internal occupancy and design of the antenna module, the corresponding electronics and antennas with the terminals located in the vehicle.

As in Fig. 3 shown, but for reasons of clarity without the respective portion of the vehicle roof, the interior of the antenna module has an upper board 15 with arranged on the top outer antennas 13 different configuration, said upper board 15 is disposed on the outside of the vehicle roof 3 and the external housing. 1 protected against environmental influences, such as wind and weather, etc. Below the upper board 15 is located this in Fig. 3 not shown vehicle roof, which has at least one breakthrough in the size of a few mm for contacting the upper board 13.

Below this area of the vehicle roof there is an in Fig. 3 covered by the upper board 15 Transceiverbox 21, as in Fig. 5 is shown. In one embodiment, this transceiver box 21 may be integrated in a lower board 17, for example on its upper side, or may be formed as an independent transceiver box 21 with, for example, additional shielding in the form of a housing 25. The lower board 17 is located as in Fig. 3 shown in the internal housing 5, wherein at the bottom of the lower board 17, as in Fig. 4 shown, in-vehicle antennas 19 are in different versions and are contacted, for example by means of through-connection with the located at the top of the board 17 Transceiverbox 21.

The transceiver box 21 or its individual transmitting and / or receiving modules or transceiver modules 23 are also connected to the respective external antennas 13 via the aforementioned opening in the vehicle roof and corresponding through-connection of the upper board 15 in connection.

As in Fig. 5 illustrated, the transceiver 21 has individual transceiver modules 23, which are preferably soldered in a printed circuit board at designated locations or plugged into corresponding slots. Accordingly, it is already possible in the production of the antenna module to equip the transceiver box 21 depending on the equipment level and requirements of the future use accordingly with the necessary transceiver modules 23, without changing the basic structure of the transceiver box and the conductor therein or its layouts.

It is also possible, on the board 17, the vehicle-mounted antennas arranged here via corresponding slots as well as the upper board with different in-vehicle antennas 19 and vehicle external antennas 13 to equip the antenna module to the appropriate purpose optimally and inexpensively. As explained above, the antenna module according to the invention has a modular design, resulting in the possibility of re-configurability of the module (adjustment of the number of services).

By grouping the receivers and / or transmitters in the immediate vicinity of the antenna structures results in a direct coupling of the antennas and the receiver and / or transmitter and a reduction in the number of coaxial cables or their complete elimination.

By the antenna module according to the invention it is also, for example, by appropriate interconnection by means of known diversity processes (or antenna switches) of the internal antenna structures for in-vehicle services (eg tire pressure control, keyless vehicle start, Bluetooth and WLAN services) with the vehicle external antenna structures for off-board services (for example, vehicle access system, Remote engine start, remote activation heater), it is possible to represent with one antenna module optimal reception and transmission properties for the vehicle exterior and vehicle interior simultaneously.

Due to the spatial separation of the in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle antennas they are shielded by the car roof and the ground plane of the receiver board, resulting in a low direct mutual interference of the antennas or good electromagnetic isolation of the individual antennas. Due to the electromagnetic and spatial separation, the antenna module according to the invention is also suitable for some services for a diversity method.

As explained above, the antenna module according to the invention can be positioned centrally in a radio-service-strategic manner in a vehicle. The antenna module in this case preferably contains all the necessary antennas and receivers and secures the connection to the control unit or to the terminals via the vehicle bus or by radio.

By the module according to the invention can be in a structurally simple way services that are both indoor and outdoor to be possible, such as access control system (RKE) indoor and outdoor or different functionalities or services, which only outdoors or be held indoors only. The electrical and possibly additional mechanical coupling of the first antenna with the second antenna device also ensures that in a simple manner, a plurality of services in the outer and inner regions of the vehicle, in particular by means of diversity method, can be optimally fulfilled without this multiple transmitters, receivers or transceivers and arranged at different locations of the vehicle antennas are necessary, which naturally have an increased cabling.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

external housing

3

Vehicle roof or middle rear area

5

internal housing

7

bus connection

9

reserve connections

11

Mounting bolt or nipple

13

outside aerial

15

upper, vehicle-external board

17

lower, in-vehicle board

19

in-vehicle antenna

21

transceiver box

23

Transceiver or transmitting and / or receiving device

25

Shielding housing of the transceiver box

Claims (7)

1. Antenna module, in particular as a central transmission and/or receiver module for a vehicle, comprising a plurality of antennas (13, 19) and a plurality of corresponding transmission and receiver devices (23), which transmission and/or receiver devices (23) are integrated at least partially in the antenna module in the form of a central transceiver box (21),
   characterised in that
   the antenna module comprises an upper (1) and a lower part (5) with in each case a plurality of antennas (13, 19) which are separated by a region of the bodywork (3) of a vehicle, and the transceiver box (21) is integrated in the upper (1) or lower part (5) so that the bodywork (3) acts as a shielding material surface.
2. Antenna module according to claim 1, characterised in that the transceiver box (21) is of modular construction and comprises standardised slots for receiving different transceiver components (23).
3. Antenna module according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the antenna module centrally covers at least two different radio services (RKE, PASE, DAB, TPMS, WLAN, SDARS, GPS, Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS, vehicle heating system, remote starting) present in a vehicle.
4. The antenna module as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transceiver box (21) entirely incorporates the plurality of transmission and/or receiver devices (23).
5. Antenna module according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the antenna module comprises a bus connection (7) via which at least a large proportion of the communication with terminal devices in the vehicle takes place.
6. Antenna module as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the antenna module in the lower part (5) comprises a lower circuit board (17) which serves as an additional shield beneath the transceiver box (21).
7. Antenna module as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the antenna module comprises a plurality of different antennas (13, 19) for different services.

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