MXPA00012110A - On-glass antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a transparent antenna including a transparent dielectric substrate, an electroconductive antenna element positioned along a major surface of the substrate, an electroconductive patch capacitively or directly connected to the antenna element, and a connector secured to the patch to permit transfer of signals generated by the antenna element to an electromagnetic energy transmitting and/or receiving device. The patch, is configured to have a visibility coefficient (i.e. a ratio of the non-opaque area to the total area) between 0 and 1. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the antenna element includes one or more transparent, electroconductive coatings positioned between first and second glass plies of a windshield for a motor vehicle and the electroconductive patch is applied to an exposed major surface of the windshield such that it overlays at least a portion of the antenna element and is capacitively coupled to the antenna element. The patch is may be formed from an opaque electroconductive ceramic IR, UV, thermoplastic or thermoset paint.

Description

ANTENNA ON CRYSTAL BACKGROUND TO INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle antenna and in particular to an antenna formed by a transparent coating laminated between two glass layers and an electrical connection device to connect the antenna to a radio or other transmission / reception device. 2. Technical Considerations In the past, the traditional automotive antenna for the reception and transmission of electromagnetic signals was a mast or stylus type antenna. Recently, there has been a trend towards the incorporation of the antenna into the structure of the vehicle. For example, Patent US 4,768,037 and 4,849,766 to name anaba et al., And 5,355,144 to name Walton, et al., Disclose a transparent electroconductive coating over a substantial portion of a window and , in particular, a vehicle windshield to form an antenna. In the design of an antenna system, attention is paid to the adaptation of the _¿_É? Td_É _ = ____ IE? ____ impedance of the antenna components and in particular the impedance matching radio, connecting electrically the antenna and feed line the two components to improve signal reception of selected radio. One way in which this issue has been addressed by antenna designers is to design the antenna to have a desired impedance, for example as described in U.S. Patent 5,083,135; 5,528,314; and 5,648,758 in the name of Nagey, et al. However, designing an antenna having a predetermined impedance would require each antenna was specifically designed for the particular type of radio and power line used in the particular antenna system and the vehicle in which the antenna is installed. In order to link the antenna element to an external device, connectors such as wires, braids or tabs have been laminated within the transparency to make electrical contact with an antenna element. However, it has been found that when such connectors are incorporated between the layers of the laminate, air can be trapped in the laminate in the vicinity of the connector. It is believed that the entrapment of air is the result of the connector preventing the ventilation of the laminate during . * «« & __-- __._ «> _, __..-.__.: __- -. _. _- S == _________ a conventional lamination pre-pressing operation. The bubbles formed by trapped air impair the aesthetics of the laminate, as well as increase the possibility of delamination and / or corrosion in or near the connection. To solve both problems, a capacitive type connection has been used to electrically interconnect the antenna elements to the power lines for a radio, for example, as described in U.S. Patent 5,355,144. More specifically, an electroconductive material is applied on the inner surface of the windshield and capacitively coupled to a portion of a coating within the windscreen forming an antenna element. The area of the material on the interior surface of the windshield is adjusted to provide adequate capacitance between the antenna coating and the material. However, the presence of the connector material blocks the vision of the vehicle operator. It would be advantageous to provide a connection device that provides the capacitive performance required for the connection, while at the same time providing the vehicle operator with increased visibility in the vicinity of the connector with minimal distraction. ^^^^^ _gH ^^ COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a transparent antenna that includes a transparent dielectric substrate, an electroconductive antenna element positioned along a major surface of the substrate, an electroconductive patch connected capacitively or directly to the antenna element, and a connector secured to the patch to allow the transfer of signals generated by the antenna element to a device for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy. The patch is configured to have a visibility coefficient (i.e., a ratio of the non-opaque area to the total area) between 0 and 1. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the antenna element includes one or more linings. transparent electroconductors placed between first and second glass layers of a windshield for an automobile and the electroconductive patch is applied to an exposed main surface of the windshield, in such a way that it overlaps at least a portion of the antenna element and is capacitively coupled to the element of antenna.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ^ gg H¡¡ ^^^ Figure 1 is a plan view of a transparent glass antenna incorporating characteristics of the present invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the particular embodiment of the antenna connection device shown in Figure 1 showing a patch connector of the present invention, with portions removed for clarity. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 1, with portions removed for clarity. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are plan views similar to Figure 2 illustrating additional embodiments of the invention with portions removed for clarity. Figure 7 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention, with portions removed for clarity. Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention, with portions removed. for clarity. Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 9. Figures 11 and 12 are plan views similar to Figure 2, where the antenna connection device is designed to provide visibility limited through the patch connector, with portions removed for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved connector device for a glass antenna system. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention can be used in other transmission and reception antenna systems where increased visibility is a priority.

Figure 1 illustrates an antenna system 10, which includes a vehicle window, i.e., a windshield 12 formed by layers of external and internal glass 14 and 16, respectively, which are joined together by a thermoplastic intermediate layer 18, preferably of polyvinyl butyral. Alternatively, the layers 14 and 16 may be of other transparent rigid materials, for example, acrylic, polycarbonate, or the windshield 12 may include a combination of different transparent rigid materials. The windshield 12 further includes at least one antenna element 20. In the particular configuration of the antenna, ^? áw ^ '^ illustrated in Figure 1, the antenna element 20 is a transparent, electroconductive coating applied on the surface 22 of the outer layer 14, in a manner well known in the art, and generally occupies the central portion of the windshield 12. The liner can be a single layer or multilayer metal containing liner, for example, as described in U.S. Patent 3,655,545 to Gillery, et al .; 3,962,488 in the name of Gillery; and 4,898,789 in the name of Finley. The windshield 12 may additionally include a decorative rim (not shown) attached to the marginal edge portion of the windshield 12. This rim is typically formed from an opaque, non-electrically conductive ceramic paint applied to the surface 24 of the inner layer 16, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Although the antenna element 20 described above is a transparent coating, if the antenna element is not placed in the main viewing area of the windshield 12, or does not obstruct the main viewing area of the windshield, the antenna 20 can be an electroconductive material not transparent, for example, ceramic paint containing silver, wire, metal sheet, etc. In addition, the antenna element 20 may include a combination of paint, wire and / or ceramic antenna elements. However, it is preferable that the antenna pattern provides a degree of visibility through the pattern. With continued reference to Figure 1, the antenna element 20 in this particular configuration is basically quadrilateral in shape and is preferably spaced from the peripheral edges of the windshield 12. However, it should be appreciated that the antenna element 20 may have a configuration different from that shown in Figure 1. The exact configuration and position of the antenna element 20, as well as the inclusion of any additional antenna element, depends in part on the design of the antenna element 20. vehicle in which the windshield 12 is installed, the windshield installation angle, the resistivity of the coating, the type of signals to be transferred or received, and the desired performance of the antenna. These types of design considerations for a transparent glass antenna are described in U.S. Patents 4,768,037 and 4,849,766. For example, the antenna element 20 may have a configuration and / or incorporate multiple elements, as described in U.S. Patent 5,083,135; 5,528,514; 5,648,758; and 5,670,966.

An antenna feeding device 26 provides a connection between the antenna element 20 and a unit for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy 28 through a power line, for example, a coaxial cable 30. The connection can be a capacitive connection, as will be described with respect to FIGS. 1-12 of the present application, or it may be a direct electrical connection, as will be described later in more detail. The unit 28 may be a radio, cellular phone, television, computer, global positioning system, or any other type of system that uses an antenna element 20 to transmit and / or receive signals. Although not required in the particular antenna device shown in Figure 1, the antenna feeding device 26 is positioned along the upper edge 32 of the windshield 12. The antenna feeding device 26 is configured in such a way that it does not is laminated between the layers 14 and 16. More specifically and with reference to figures 2 and 3, the device 26 includes an electroconductive element or patch 34 which is placed in spaced relation and overlaps a part of the antenna element 20. In the form of particular embodiment illustrated in these figures, the patch 34 is secured to an exposed surface of the windshield 12, and in particular, the surface 24 of the inner layer 16, and is spaced from the coating by the inner layer 16 and the intermediate layer 18 , such that the patch 34 is capacitively coupled to the antenna element 20. It has been found that a capacitive connection can be configured to Use a capacitive reactance that adapts the inductive reactance of the antenna to the radio 28 and the coaxial cable 30 by minimizing the net reactive component, as described in U.S. Patent 5,355,144. This, in turn, results in an optimal transfer of energy from the antenna to the radio or other receiver. Although the coating forming the antenna element 20 in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1-3 is placed along the surface 22 of the outer layer 14, and more specifically, is applied to the surface 22 and laminated between the two glass layers, the coating forming the antenna element can be applied to the surface 35 of the inner layer 16 or, as an alternative, it can be incorporated in the intermediate layer 18. Without limiting the present invention, for example, an antenna wire or an electroconductive element can be placed on or within the intermediate layer 18. It is also contemplated that the antenna element can be applied to a flexible substrate such as a polyester film, which is itself incorporated into the an intermediate layer and / or laminate as described in U.S. Patent 5,306,547 in the name of Hood et al. Additionally, it is envisaged that the antenna may be formed on a monolithic window assembly, for example, along a main surface of an individual glass layer, the antenna feeding device being positioned on the opposite major surface of the layer. The required area of the patch 34, which overlaps a corresponding portion of the antenna element 20, is based, in part, on the spacing between the patch 34 and the antenna element 20, ie, in the thickness of the intermediate layer 18 and the inner layer 16; in the types of material used for the antenna element, patch, intermediate layer and glass; and in the required performance of the antenna. Since the signal transfer through the patch 34 depends on the frequency, the lower frequency signals (such as AM radio signals) require a larger patch area than the higher frequency signals (such as FM radio signals) to achieve an acceptable performance of the antenna. In general, as the overlap area of the patch increases Capacitive KrV, the signal transfer from the antenna connector device is close to that of a direct connection to the antenna element. The capacitance can be controlled, among other modes, either by varying the electroconductivity of the patch material or by changing the coverage area of the patch and a corresponding portion of the antenna coating. An object of the present invention is to provide a capacitive connection between the antenna element 20 and the feeding device 26, such that the patch 34 provides a desired amount of visibility through the windshield 12, so that it is not impaired the visibility of the vehicle operator through the portion of the windshield, where the antenna feeding device 26 is placed, and in particular the upper portion of the windshield 12, as shown in Figure 1, for example, when a traffic signal. Additionally, providing a degree of visibility through the patch 34 may be aesthetically pleasing to the occupants of the vehicle. More specifically, the patch 34 can be designed to provide visibility through the connection. As an alternative, the patch 34 may be designed to expressly block a portion of the light passing through the windshield 12, as will be described in more detail below. For this purpose, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the patch 34 is formed in a pattern similar to a grid, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, using an opaque electroconductive material. The material used to form grid lines 36 connected together can be, for example, an opaque electroconductive ceramic coating or paint. This type of material includes typically silver and glass frit combined with one of several types of supports. It should be appreciated that the amount of silver used in an electroconductive ceramic paint depends on the conductivity required to produce the required capacitance between the lines of grid 36 that form the patch 34 and the coating that forms the antenna element 20 and to prevent significant losses of the resistance. One type of paint that can be used to form the patch 34 is an electroconductive ceramic paint of the type typically used to form heating lines on the rear window of the vehicles. This paint generally includes silver particles, flux modification agents, pigments and a dry support of infrared radiation JSÜ (this painting is referred to hereafter as "IR electroconductive ceramic paint"). With this type of material, the grid lines 36 are screen printed on the surface 24 of the layer 16 using techniques well known in the art and heated in an oven or oven to dry the ceramic paint. Additional or prolonged heating is required to harden the paint and adhere it to the glass surface. Although it provides acceptable results, one drawback of the use of this type of ceramic paint is that it remains moist for a prolonged period of time, i.e., generally until it is dried by an oven. As an alternative, it is contemplated that the grid pattern may be formed using an opaque electro-conductive ceramic paint that includes silver particles, flow modifiers and pigment and incorporates a thermoplastic or thermosetting support (hereinafter referred to as "ceramic thermoplastic paint"). electroconductive "and" thermosetting electroconductive ceramic paint ", respectively). Paints using a thermoplastic or thermosetting support are often referred to as hot melt paints. Electrically non-conductive heat-melted coatings for use on glass are described in U.S. Patent 5,346,933 in the name of Knell and 5,411,768 in the name of Knell et al. Electrically non-conductive heat-fused paints are also used in the can and bottling industry to mark the outer surface of the package. Electroconductive ceramic thermoplastic paint has been used to form heating lines on a rear window of a vehicle, as described in Canadian Patent 1,193,150. In the present invention, a thermoplastic or thermosetting electro-conductive ceramic paint is applied along the surface 24 of the layer 16 to form the patch 34 using a screen printing process incorporating a heated metal screen that melts the paint and keeps it in liquid form. When the hot paint comes in contact with the coldest glass surface, the paint sets, that is, it dries immediately. It should be appreciated that although the paint may dry, it must still be heated to harden and adhere the paint to the glass surface, as with an IR electroconductive ceramic paint. This type of paint provides an advantage over the electroconductive IR ceramic paints, since since the thermoplastic / thermosetting paints are immediately dried, the glass layer can be handled without danger of smearing the pattern formed by the grid lines 36, and the material additional can be printed with a sieve directly on the previously sieved pattern. As another alternative, the grid pattern can be formed using an opaque electroconductive ceramic paint including silver particles, flow modifiers and pigment and incorporates a support hardened with ultraviolet radiation (hereinafter referred to as "UV electroconductive ceramic paint") . UV electroconductive ceramic paint dries by exposing the grid pattern to UV light; however, like the other paints described above, the UV electroconductive ceramic paint must still be heated to harden and adhere the paint to the glass surface. It should be appreciated that although the patch material described above is an electroconductive ceramic paint, other electroconductive materials may be used to form a capacitive connection with the antenna coating with the required visibility coefficient, such as, but not limited to electrically conductive screens or screens. , threads, inks, plastics, tapes or stickers. The pattern of the patch includes an opaque area, i.e., an area physically coated with the grid lines, and a non-opaque area, i.e., the uncoated area between the grid lines. To measure the degree of visibility through the patch, as used herein, the term "visibility coefficient" means the ratio of the non-opaque area of the patch to the total area of the patch, ie, the sum of the non-opaque areas and opaque. It is evident that the greater the visibility coefficient, the more "transparent" the patch is. More specifically, a visibility coefficient of 1 would indicate that non-opaque elements exist in the connector device, while a visibility coefficient of 0 would indicate a completely opaque connector device. To connect the patch 34 to the thread 30, a wire conductor 38 is secured to the patch 34. Although not required, in the particular embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the wire 38 is welded directly to the patch 34. terminal assembly 40 (shown only in Figure 3), for example, a reinforced sword assembly, a male Jaso pin, or other electrical connection device well known in the art, is connected to end 42 of wire 38, so that the coaxial cable 30 can be secured to the feeding device 26. To facilitate the connection of the lead 38 to the patch 34 by welding, a connector pad 44 can be provided in the form of a solid coating of the patch material on the patch 34. As a As an alternative to welding a conductive thread 38 to the patch 34, a metal fastener (not shown) of a type well known in the art may be attached to the pad 44 of the patch 34, for example, by welding, and stando fixed a wire or coaxial cable to the metal bra. Additionally, if desired, the coaxial cable 30 may be directly connected to the pad 44. With reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, if it is desired to place an antenna feed device 126 near the upper edge. 32 of the windshield 12 and the antenna element is configured such that it is spaced from the edge 32, a patch 134 having grid lines 136 can be configured to include an extension 170 extending along the surface 24 of the layer internal 16 from the portion of the patch 134 that overlaps the lining forming the antenna element 120, towards the upper edge 32. A connector pad 144 is positioned at the end of the extension 170 near the edge 32. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the liner forming the antenna element 120 can also extend towards the edge 32 to provide additional antenna area that can be coated r the patch 134 in order to provide the desired capacitance for the antenna feed device 126. Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment, where it is desired to move the entire patch of an antenna feed device 226 close to the windshield edge 32, at the same time that the antenna coating is kept separate from the edge 32. More specifically, a portion of the coating forming the antenna element 220, and in particular, the coated area 280 is placed on the surface 22 of the layer external 14 along the edge 32 with the connecting area 282 electrically interconnecting the area 280 with the antenna element 220. The patch 234 with the grid lines 236 and the connecting pad 244 is positioned on the surface 24 of the layer 16 to cover at least a portion of the area 280 and provide the desired capacitive characteristics of the connection. Although it is not required, the coated areas 280 and the connecting area 282 can be made of the same material as the antenna element 220. Although not required, it is preferable that the coating forming the antenna elements 20, 120 and 220 and the additional coating areas , such as the area 280 does not extend to the edge 32 of the windshield 12, but instead end at least 1 mm from the edge 32. This will ensure that the coating is completely sealed within the windshield 12 and will inhibit the degradation of the windshield 12. lining along the edge 32. It is also desirable that the patch 34, 134 and 234 be placed on the windshield 12, in such a way that it does not interact electrically, either by direct electrical contact or capacitive coupling, with other electroconductive elements contained in it. the automobile, since such an interaction can degrade and weaken the resistance of the signal generated by the antenna element. More specifically, with reference to Figure 3, a windshield 12 is typically supported on a car 46 on a metallic edge 48 and secured to the vehicle by an adhesive 50 which, in some cases, is electrically conductive. Additionally, ornamental strips 52 or other types of molds that can be formed from electrically conductive materials, can be placed along the selected edges of the windshield 12 to hide the space between the windshield 12 and the vehicle mounting frame 46. patch 34 should be separated from such elements of the vehicle at a distance sufficient to at least minimize and preferably to avoid such adverse electrical interaction. Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention where the antenna element includes various configurations and the patch overlaps selected portions of the coating that forms the antenna element (s). More specifically, the antenna pattern, which is applied to the surface 22 of the outer layer 14 and is similar to that described in U.S. Patent 5,528,314, includes a first covering element 320 that covers the central portion of the windshield 12, a second covering element 380 positioned between the first covering element 320 and the upper edge 32 of the windshield 12, and a third covering element 382 electrically interconnecting the first and second covering elements. The patch 334 of the antenna connector device 326 includes grid lines 336 and is configured to extend along the surface 24 of the inner layer 16 from the upper edge 32 of the windshield 12 and overlap a selected portion of the second coating element. 380. More specifically, the patch 334 includes a section 372 that overlaps a portion of the liner element 380 and a section 370 extending from the section 372 to the edge 32. A connecting pad 344 is positioned close to the edge of the windshield 32 for connecting patch 334 to a driver to the radio. Although not required, the coating pattern may include a fourth coating element 384 extending from the second coating element 382 toward the edge of the windshield 32. As described above, this additional element provides additional coating area which may be overlapped by patch 334 for additional capacitive coupling. However, it should be appreciated that the antenna pattern can eliminate the third and fourth antenna elements, as described in USPN 5,670,966. An embodiment of the invention, which provides an acceptable signal for an antenna 20 for a receiving device 28, includes an antenna coating configured according to FIG. 6, the coating having a resistivity of approximately 3 ohms per square. The patch 334 is configured as a "T" as described above and overlaps the selected portions of the antenna skin element. More specifically, in this particular embodiment, the section 372 of the patch 334 is approximately 45 mm by 130 mm and overlaps a portion of the second liner 380, and the section 370 of the patch 334 is approximately 22 mm by 45 mm and overlaps a portion of the room lining element 384. The grid lines 336 are 0.4 mm wide and are spaced both horizontally and vertically at intervals ranging from about 4.5 to 20 mm, depending on the particular position of the grid line within the pattern general. A section area 370 of approximately 22 mm by 13 mm is covered with a solid electro-conductive ceramic paint coating, i.e., without the grid pattern, to form the connection pad 344 for a connecting wire or coaxial cable. The grid lines 336 and the pad of the connector 344 are formed by an opaque electroconductive thermoplastic paint produced by Cerdee Corporation, Washington, Pennsylvania, which includes about 76% silver powder, 2% lead borosilicate glass frit, and the rest pigment, acrylic resin (flow modifier) and 1-octadecanol (thermoplastic support). The thermoplastic paint has a resistivity of approximately 0.035 ohms per square and flaps approximately 1008 mm2 (excluding connecting pad 344) of the antenna coating, while extending over a total area of about 6554 mm2 (excluding connecting pad 344). This pattern results in a visibility coefficient of approximately 0.85. Increasing the width of the grid line from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm would reduce the visibility coefficient to approximately 0.69, while reducing the line width to 0.2 mm would increase the coefficient of visibility up to approximately 0.92. It should be appreciated that the opaque area required to overlap a corresponding portion of the antenna element, i.e., the actual area covered by grid lines, which overlaps a corresponding area of the antenna element liner, will depend on the performance requirements of the antenna and the materials that make up the windshield, the antenna and the connection. It should be further appreciated that the patch can extend beyond the antenna element, such that the entire opaque area does not overlap or capacitively couple with a corresponding portion of the antenna element. Although Figures 2-6 illustrate rectangular grid patterns for patches 34, 134, 234 and 334, respectively, other patterns may be used, such as, but not limited to, interconnected circles or other configurations and curvilinear patterns to provide the necessary capacitive connection to antenna 20, at the same time allowing the vehicle occupant to "see through" the patch. Based on the design requirements, it is expected that a pattern with the approximate visibility coefficient a l can be formed from opaque lines and still provide acceptable capacitive coupling performance. As an alternative to using only a single type of material for the patch, it should be appreciated that the patch can be constructed from a combination of materials of the type described above, such as, but not limited to, electroconductive paints and metal tape. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, it is contemplated that an antenna connector device 426 may include a patch 434 formed from a transparent electroconductive coating 450 used in combination with opaque electroconductive elements 436 for capacitive coupling with the scanning element. antenna 420. The coating 450 for the patch 434 is applied to the surface 22 of the outer layer 14 and may be similar to the transparent coating that forms the antenna element 420. The elements 436 are applied to the surface 24 of the inner layer 16 and can be opaque electroconductive materials as described above. The element 436 may have any configuration required to provide the desired performance. If required, the device 426 may include an electrically conductive connector pad 444, similar to the pad 44 described above, to facilitate the connection of a connecting wire and / or coaxial cable to the patch. It should be appreciated that if the device 426 does not include the opaque elements 436, the visibility coefficient of the device (excluding pad 444) would be 1. In the embodiments of the invention described above, at least one crystal layer serves to separate the antenna element from the antenna connection. However, it should be appreciated that the antenna coating and the connector can both be applied to the same surface of the substrate. More specifically, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the coating forming the antenna element 520 is applied to the main surface 24 of the inner layer 16. The connector device 526 includes a patch 534 having a non-electroconductive material 590 applied in a predetermined pattern on a portion of antenna element 520, and an electroconductive material 536 applied on the pattern of material 590. Material 590 will electrically isolate material 536 from antenna element 520, such that the material 536 is capacitively coupled to the antenna coating. If required, the pattern formed by the material 590 may be slightly larger than the covering pattern of the material 536 to ensure that the material 536 does not come into direct electrical contact with the antenna element 520. Although both materials are expected to be 590 and 536 are opaque, if the material 590 is opaque, for example, a conventional ceramic paint typically used in the glass industry in automotive decorative trim, the material 536 may be transparent. Conversely, if the material 536 is opaque, for example an opaque electroconductive paint of the type described above, the material 590 may be transparent. Further, although Figures 9 and 10 showed the antenna element on the exposed surface of a laminate, it should be appreciated that an antenna element placed on a transparent single layer can use the same connector device as described above. It is also contemplated that the pattern used for the capacitive patch can be extended to provide partial shading for the occupants of the vehicle. More specifically, solar sun visors are typically placed in the upper right and left portions of a car windshield to provide shading of sunlight to the driver and front seat passenger, respectively. With reference to Figures 11 and 12, it is contemplated that a patch 634 may be placed in the center of a windshield 12 and configured as a "third visor" to provide as much shade to the internal compartment of the vehicle as, if desired, a limited amount. of visibility through the covered portion of the windshield patch, while still operating as part of an antenna feed 626 for the antenna system. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 11, the patch configuration 634 includes a plurality of horizontally oriented lines 636 formed from electro-conductive ceramic paints of the type described above. All lines 636 are electrically interconnected by a plurality of vertical lines 690 spaced along the length of lines 636. This particular patch pattern includes ten lines spaced 3 mm apart from each other. The width of the line changes progressively from 10 mm in width at the top (ie near the edge of the windshield) to a width of 1 mm at the bottom of the pattern. During the placement of the pattern on the inner main surface of the windshield 12, the uppermost line may be placed either above or below the decorative opaque rim (not shown) that may extend around the periphery of the windshield. Additionally, if desired, at least a portion of the pattern can be aligned behind a shaded band (not shown) that is typically incorporated in the intermediate layer 18. The entire pattern serves to block a desired amount of sunlight entering the vehicle. , at the same time that a limited amount of visibility is provided through the patch. The horizontal line configuration in Figure 12 is similar to Figure 11, except that a single vertical line 790 is used to electrically interconnect all horizontal lines 736. The portion of the patches in Figures 11 and 12, which overlaps a portion of the coating forming the antenna elements 620 and 720, respectively, forms a capacitive coupling with the antenna as described above. These particular configurations provide a visibility coefficient of approximately 0.33. It should be noted that, in the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 11, the coating forming the antenna element 620 is similar to the coating pattern in Figure 6 and the pattern of the patch 634 overlaps a coating portion of the antenna but does not correspond directly with the configuration of the coating, while in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 12, this coating forming the antenna element 720 is configured in such a way that most, if not all of the patch 734, overlaps a corresponding portion of the antenna coating . The incorporation of the capacitive connector in a third viewer allows very large patches, which, in turn, improve the signal coupling for low frequency signals, without aesthetic deterioration of the windshield. In the design of the capacitive patch as a third viewer, since the line elements are electroconducting, care must be taken in configuring the line elements so that the patch does not act as an antenna that interferes with the antenna element 620. The present invention provides an antenna connection device having a predetermined amount of visibility through the connector, while being capacitively coupled to the antenna coating. More specifically, the patch area has a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1, ie, greater than 0, but less than 1, and preferably 0.1 to 0.95. In the embodiments of the invention, where the connector device is also used to provide additional shading in the interior of the vehicle, it is preferred that the patch have a visibility coefficient of up to about 0.5, and preferably of about 0, 1 to 0.4. For other connector devices, it is preferred that the patch have a visibility coefficient of about 0.5 to 0.95, preferably about 0.6 to 0.9. Although the embodiments of the invention described above show that the patch is applied directly to a main surface of the transparent substrate, it should be appreciated that the patch can be applied to a separate element, for example, a polyester film, which is attached to its surface. Once the substrate is applied to the substrate, it allows the patch to cover and fit capacitively to the antenna element. The antenna feed device, as described above and shown in Figures 1-12 is a capacitive connection. More specifically, the electroconductive patch overlaps and is spaced from the coating that forms the antenna element (s) by a dielectric. However, it should be appreciated that the connector "through which it is seen" of the type described herein may also be configured to make direct electrical connection with the antenna element. More specifically, for example, referring to Figures 9 and 10, the material 590 can be removed so that the electroconductive patch material 536 is in direct electrical contact with the antenna element 520. The patch material making the electrical connection direct is preferably an electroconductive ceramic paint of the type described above and would be configured to provide a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1. It should be noted that for a direct electrical connection, it is not necessary for the patch to overlap a portion of the antenna element, but that is simply in direct electrical contact with the antenna element. It should also be appreciated that the outer layer 14 and the intermediate layer 18 can be removed so that the transparent antenna would include only a single layer of glass. In addition, another layer can be fixed to the individual glass layer so that the antenna element and the direct connection are laminated between the layers. The invention described and illustrated herein represents a description of its illustrative preferred embodiments. It is evident that several changes can be made without departing from the essence of the invention defined in the following claims.

Claims (27)

Claims

1. A transparent antenna comprising: a transparent dielectric substrate; an electroconductive antenna element positioned along a main surface of said substrate; an electroconductive patch having opaque elements electrically connected to said antenna element, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1; a connector fixed to said patch to allow the transfer of signals generated by said antenna element to a device for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy.

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said opaque elements of said patch are formed from material selected from the group consisting of electroconductive IR ceramic paints, electroconductive ceramic thermoplastic paints, electroconductive ceramic thermoset paints, and electroconductive ceramic IV paints.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate is a crystal layer, said antenna element is a transparent electroconductive coating applied to said main surface of said crystal layer, and said patch includes an opaque electroconductive paint in electrical contact direct with the selected portions of said electroconductive coating.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate is a crystal layer, said antenna element is a transparent electroconductive coating applied to said main surface of said crystal layer, and said patch includes a non-electroconductive material applied in a predetermined pattern on a portion of said electroconductive coating and an electroconductive opaque paint applied on the selected portions of said non-electroconductive material, such that said electroconductive paint is spaced and capacitively coupled to said electroconductive coating.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate is a crystal layer, said antenna element is a transparent electroconductive coating applied to said main surface of said crystal layer, and said patch includes an opaque electroconductive paint applied to the along an opposite major surface of said glass layer, such that said paint overlaps at least a portion of said coating and is capacitively coupled to said electroconductive coating.

The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said patch includes a plurality of opaque elements connected together which form a pattern having a visibility coefficient of 0.1 to 0.95.

7. A transparent antenna for a car, comprising: a first layer of glass; a second glass layer fixed in relation underlying said first glass layer to form a windshield; a transparent electroconductive antenna element positioned between said first and second glass layers; an electroconductive patch positioned at least in close proximity to an exposed main surface of said second layer, and including opaque elements forming a pattern that overlaps at least a portion of said antenna element for capacitively coupling with said antenna element, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1; Y a connector fixed to said patch to allow the transfer of signals generated by said antenna element to a device for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy.

The antenna according to claim 7, wherein said antenna element is a transparent electroconductive coating applied to a major surface of said first layer and said patch includes an opaque coating applied to said exposed main surface of said second layer.

The antenna according to claim 8, wherein said patch is spaced a sufficient distance from any of the electroconductive elements of said automobile to prevent degradation of said signal due to electrical interaction between said patch and said electroconductive elements of said automobile.

10. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient of 0.1 to 0.95. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said antenna element is a first antenna element positioned at least on a central portion of said main surface of said first layer of said windshield and spaced apart and extending along the peripheral edges of said antenna. said first layer, and at least one additional antenna element placed on said first major surface of said first layer between said first antenna element and a peripheral edge selected from said first layer, wherein said patch overlaps at least a portion of said element of said antenna. additional antenna The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said opaque coating of said patch is formed from material selected from the group consisting of electroconductive IR ceramic paints, electroconductive ceramic thermoplastic paints, electroconductive ceramic thermoset paints, and electroconductive ceramic UV paints. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said patch is spaced a sufficient distance from any of the electroconductive elements of said * Tafc __- «. ^^^ automobile to prevent the degradation of said signal due to electrical interaction between said patch and said electroconductive elements of said automobile. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient of 0.1 to 0.5. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient of 0.5 to 0.95. 16. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said patch further includes a transparent electroconductive coating. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein said patch further includes an opaque pad portion of electroconductive material for securing said connector to said patch. The antenna according to claim 17, wherein said patch includes a first section spaced from one edge of said second substrate and a second section extending from said first section towards said edge of said second substrate, wherein said portion of opaque pad is placed within said second portion of said patch. 19. A connector for electrically connecting a transparent antenna element positioned along a main surface of a transparent dielectric substrate, comprising: first opaque electroconductive elements forming a pattern with selected portions corresponding to selected portions of said antenna element, wherein said pattern has a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1; a second opaque electroconductive element for fixing a wire in said connector to allow the transfer of signals generated by said antenna element to a device for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy. The antenna according to claim 19, wherein said patch further includes a transparent electroconductive coating. The antenna according to claim 19, wherein said patch has a visibility coefficient of 0.1 to 0.95. The antenna according to claim 21, wherein said first and second elements are an opaque electroconductive ceramic paint. 23. A method of manufacturing a transparent antenna comprising the steps of: placing an electroconductive antenna element at least in close proximity to a main surface of a rigid, transparent dielectric layer; configure an electroconductive patch with opaque elements that form a pattern that has a visibility coefficient between 0 and 1; placing said patch in such a way that said patch is electrically connected in said antenna element; Y fixing a wire to said patch to allow the transfer of signals generated by said antenna element to a device for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic energy. 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said layer is a crystal layer and said first placement step includes the step of applying a transparent electroconductive coating to said main surface of said layer, and said second placement step includes the step of placing said patch on said main surface, such that said patch is in direct electrical contact with said coating. The method according to claim 23, wherein said layer is a crystal layer and said first placement step includes the step of applying a transparent electroconductive coating to said main surface of said crystal layer, and said second placement step includes the step of placing said patch in spaced-apart relation from said coating, such that the patch overlaps at least a portion of said antenna element and is capacitively coupled to said antenna element. The method according to claim 25, further including the step of attaching a second crystal layer to said first crystal layer to form a laminate, such that said antenna element is between said first and second layers, and wherein said second layer The placement step includes the step of applying said electroconductive patch to an exposed main surface of said laminate. The method according to claim 23, wherein said layer is a crystal layer and said first placement step includes the step of applying a transparent electroconductive coating to said main surface of said crystal layer, and said second placement step includes the step of placing said patch on an opposite major surface of said crystal layer so that said patch overlaps at least a portion of said antenna element and is capacitively coupled to said antenna element.