Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
  • G01R31/50—Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections
  • G01R31/66—Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints
  • G01R31/68—Testing of releasable connections, e.g. of terminals mounted on a printed circuit board

Definitions

• the invention relates to a diagnostic method for monitoring at least one plug connection to an antenna, in particular a plug connection in the antenna signal path to a motor vehicle window antenna.
• the receiver e.g. Radio or TV box to define a power window for a normal operating range of an active circuit in the antenna signal path.
• a diagnostic signal is fed via the antenna signal path in the direction of the antenna, the diagnostic signal is guided past an active circuit provided in the antenna signal path, depending on whether the diagnostic signal has a fault due to the at least one plug connection the power supply of the active circuit is influenced, it is detected whether the current consumption of the active circuit is outside a predetermined window and, if appropriate, signals a fault, in contrast to conventional solutions, more plug connections can be diagnosed, in particular the plug connection / the plug connector for the motor vehicle Glass antenna.
• conventional solutions only the connector is diagnosed from the receiver to the impedance converter, that is to say to the active circuit for antenna matching.
• the connector to the window antenna is not diagnosed, or only via a loop with two separate contacts.
• the method according to the invention can be used to easily establish a lack of disc contact.
• the invention offers the possibility of monitoring all plug connectors, including those of an optionally provided diversity device.
• the method according to the invention is characterized in that the diagnostic signal (s) are fed onto the RF antenna connection of the receiver to the antenna, that is to say into the RF cable to the antenna. This means that no additional plug contacts are required.
• the heating field is always grounded on one side, so that detection is simply possible with just one plug contact.
• FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment with an antenna structure grounded on one side
• FIG. 2 shows an alternative exemplary embodiment for any antenna structure
• FIG. 3 shows a return of the diagnostic signal for the power supply of an active circuit
• FIG. 4 co-monitoring of a diversity device
• FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment for monitoring the diversity device
• FIG. 6 shows an alternative for monitoring the diversity device and evaluating it using a diagnostic resistor
• FIG. 7 shows another alternative for monitoring a diversity device. Description of exemplary embodiments
• Figure 1 shows a vehicle rear window 1, the heating wires are used for defrosting the window as an antenna.
• Antenna and receiver 2 in particular a car radio and / or a TV box, is an antenna matching stage 3, that is, an impedance converter, which is designed here as an active amplifier circuit 31.
• the direct current feed signal for the active circuit 3 is simultaneously used as a diagnostic signal for the plug connections 4 in the antenna signal path. It becomes an impedance converter via the HF cable 5
• the diagnostic signal is routed in the secondary path of the active circuit 31 via an in particular high-resistance diagnostic resistor 8 of, for example, 10 k ohms.
• the diagnosis of the correct or existing plug contact is detected on the one hand by a voltage drop at a diagnostic resistor 8, which results in a constant current flow. On the other hand, by interrupting the
• the diagnostic method or the diagnostic device according to the invention is characterized in that the diagnostic signals are fed to the HF antenna connection and thus no additional plug contacts are required.
• a current interrupter 10 for the active circuit 31 is activated via the voltage drop across the high-resistance diagnostic resistor 8 by the evaluation unit 9 connected to the diagnostic resistor 8. By switching off the active circuit 31, no or only a very small current flows. This will be in the
• Receiver 2 detects, that is, the power consumption of the active circuit 31 is outside a predetermined window and a fault in the receiver 2 is signaled.
• the heating field is grounded on one side, so that detection is possible here simply by means of a plug contact on the window side.
• detection can take place via a bridge 42 against ground in the pane connector 4.
• the monitored plug connections are marked in all figures with a dark filled rectangle.
• the diagnostic resistor 8 in the secondary path of the active circuit 31 is not necessary, since the diagnostic signal is returned to the power supply connection 32 of the active circuit 31 via the bridge 43 after it has passed through the plug-side connector.
• the plug connections of the diversity device 21 upstream of the adaptation stage 3 are also monitored.
• the diagnostic signal is also phantom-powered via the RF cable 5 of the antenna signal path and is separated at the input of the diversity device 21, bypassed the active circuit of the diversity device 21 and on
• FIG. 5 shows a diversity device 21 with an integrated (downstream) adaptation stage.
• the diagnostic signal is separated here at the input of the diversity device 21, at the active circuit (s) of the diversity device and the
• Adaption stage 3 passed to the disc-side output of the adaption stage and there again added to the RF signal.
• FIG. 6 shows an alternative to FIG. 5 with an integrated diversity device.
• the diagnostic resistor 8 with evaluation unit 9 and
• Power interrupter 10 is provided as an alternative to returning the diagnostic signal via a bridge on the connector on the disk side.
• FIG. 7 shows the bypassing of the diagnostic signal to the active circuit of the upstream diversity device and the evaluation of the voltage drop at the diagnostic resistor 8 provided in FIG. 1 in the matching circuit 3.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Details Of Aerials (AREA)
• Monitoring And Testing Of Transmission In General (AREA)
• Testing Of Short-Circuits, Discontinuities, Leakage, Or Incorrect Line Connections (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34706382

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (10)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2003
  • 2003-12-20 DE DE10360209A patent/DE10360209A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2004
  • 2004-11-09 EP EP04804520.7A patent/EP1725883B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-11-09 JP JP2005518537A patent/JP4273120B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-11-09 WO PCT/EP2004/052879 patent/WO2005062063A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2004-11-09 BR BR0407418-1A patent/BRPI0407418A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-11-09 US US10/581,159 patent/US7400152B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (3)

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