Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Bruce R Jones

Andrew Adrian

Timothy J Talty

Tamara Jean Nordstrom

Robert Arnold Schuessler

George F Tannery, Iv

Joseph Michael Huk

Dilip K Pithadia

Uniform and concentrated radio broadcast signals are obtained employing an antenna structure which uses separate antenna conductors on opposite sides of a radio reception area. The antenna conductors perform similarly to the plates of a capacitor. Highly efficient antenna performance results. In a preferred embodiment wherein the antennas are used for radio testing inside a vehicle assembly plant, the track or carrier structure of the vehicle assembly line provides one of the antenna conductors.

Radio frequency broadcast system for enclosed spaces

A vehicular radio reception antenna is concealed within a body trim piece such as a spoiler or a luggage rack. A supporting body panel is utilized as a ground plane and a conductive loop is concealed within the trim piece. A transmission line connects two opposite sides of the resulting slot. Capacitors are used to connect the conducting loop to the sheet metal ground plane in order to form a dual slot/monopole antenna for receiving both FM and AM signals. An integrated mounting structure provides both mechanical and electrical connection of the trim piece and antenna in a single integrated assembly part.

Mounting structure for combined automotive trim accessory and antenna

A vehicular radio reception antenna is concealed within a body trim piece such as a spoiler or a luggage rack. A supporting body panel is utilized as a ground plane and a conductive loop is concealed within the trim piece. A transmission line connects two opposite sides of the resulting slot. Capacitors are used to connect the conducting loop to the sheet metal ground plane in order to form a dual slot/monopole antenna for receiving both FM and AM signals.

Vehicular slot antenna concealed in exterior trim accessory

A motor vehicle antenna system is disclosed for receiving electromagnetically radiated signals in the FM radio broadcast frequency range. The antenna system includes a magnetic current receiving, conformal, substantially rectangular truncated slot antenna. The slot antenna is defined in part by a substantially horizontal portion of a conductive periphery of a window opening of the motor vehicle. The slot antenna is further defined in part by a conductive trace integral with a glazing panel mounted in the window opening. The conductive trace extends horizontally a distance equal to one-half a wavelength in the FM broadcast frequency band. The ends of the trace are effectively connected to the conductive periphery of the window opening. An electrical lead is provided for carrying signals from the slot antenna to a radio receiver, having a first conductor connected to the conductive window periphery and a second conductor coupled to the slot antenna, such as by a network feed structure integral with the windshield, optionally forming an electrical junction with the trace. The side points of the trace are effectively connected to the conductive periphery, e.g., by direct physical connection using an electrical lead, or by providing vertically-extending end traces parallel and proximate to opposite vertical portions of the electrically conductive periphery of the window opening.

Motor vehicle antenna systems

An automotive antenna system for receiving FM broadcast band radio signals includes a conformal antenna and a glazing panel having an electrically conductive coating. A conductive trace integrated with a front windshield panel, for example, forms an active slot antenna which is connected by a coaxial cable to the automobile's FM radio receiver. A transparent conductive layer is applied over a substantial portion of the rear window opening which is typically dimensioned such that it would otherwise be resonant within the FM broadcast band and parasitically coupled to the active antenna, which would cause the active antenna to have an undesirable directional pattern. The transparent layer has a sufficiently high conductivity and is applied over a sufficiently large portion of the resonant window opening to substantially reduce or eliminate resonances within the FM broadcast band.

Growing community of inventors

Romulus, MI, United States of America

Bruce R Jones