Multiband Vehicular Antenna Assemblies

20160064807

14/501568

September 30, 2014

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of multiband vehicular antenna assemblies. In an exemplary embodiment, an antenna assembly for installation to a vehicle body wall is disclosed. The antenna assembly generally includes an antenna comprising electrical conductors along first and second sides of the first antenna that are interconnected to thereby define an electrical path extending around at least part of the antenna. The antenna is configured to be operable within multiple frequency bands including at least a first frequency band, a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band. For example, an exemplary embodiment includes an antenna operable within multiple frequency bands including AM (amplitude modulation), FM (frequency modulation), and DAB-III (digital audio broadcasting) frequency bands.

1. A shark fin antenna assembly for installation to a vehicle body wall, the shark fin antenna assembly comprising: a chassis; a radome having a shark-fin configuration, the radome coupled to the chassis such that an interior enclosure is collectively defined by the radome and the chassis; and a first antenna within the interior enclosure, the first antenna comprising electrical conductors along first and second sides of the first antenna that are interconnected to thereby define an electrical path extending around at least part of the first antenna, whereby the first antenna is configured to be operable within multiple frequency bands including AM (amplitude modulation), FM (frequency modulation), and DAB-III (digital audio broadcasting) frequency bands.

2. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are operable with the electrical conductors along the second side as a singular resonant structure for AM, FM, and DAB-III frequencies.

3. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: the first antenna comprises an inductor and a capacitor in series with the inductor; the inductor and the capacitor are electrically connected with the electrical conductors; whereby the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting portions of the electrical conductors such that: the first antenna is operable in the AM frequency band and the FM frequency band when the electrical conductors are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and the first antenna is operable in the DAB-III frequency band when the portions of the electrical conductors are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

4. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: the electrical conductors define a loading coil having a plurality of turns; the first antenna comprises an inductor and a capacitor in series with the inductor; the inductor and the capacitor are electrically connected with the electrical conductors; whereby the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil such that the first antenna is operable as a singular resonant structure with a primary resonance from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor, and with a secondary resonance from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

5. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are interconnected with the electrical conductors along the second side such that the electrical path defined by the electrical conductors is continuous and coils around the at least part of the first antenna to thereby define an inductively loaded coil of the first antenna.

6. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are collectively operable with the electrical conductors along the second side to thereby provide a singular resonant structure having multiple resonances including from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz when all of the electrical conductors are used, and from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz when less than all of the electrical conductors are used and a portion of the electrical conductors are shorted.

7. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the first antenna comprises: a printed circuit board having a first side and an opposing second side; and the electrical conductors comprise traces along the first and second sides of the printed circuit board.

8. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 7, wherein: the traces along the first side comprise five generally straight, horizontal, and parallel traces, including an upper trace connected by a bending portion to an electrically-conductive element along an upper portion of the printed circuit board; and the traces along the second side comprise five generally straight, parallel, and upwardly angled traces, including a lower trace electrically connected to a vertical trace that extends downwardly along the second side for electrically connecting the traces to a second printed circuit board.

9. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 7, wherein: the electrical conductors define an inductively loaded portion of the first antenna; and the first antenna further comprises a capacitively loaded portion along an upper portion of the printed circuit board.

10. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein: the first antenna comprises first and second electrically-conductive elements along the respective first and second sides of the printed circuit board that define the capacitively loaded portion of the first antenna; an electrically-conductive insert is positioned within the radome; and an electrically-conductive clip is coupled to the upper portion of the printed circuit board for establishing electrical contact between the first antenna and the insert, whereby the insert operates to form a capacitive load portion of the first antenna; and the shark fin antenna assembly is configured to be installed and fixedly mounted to a vehicle body wall after being inserted into a mounting hole in the vehicle body wall from an external side of the vehicle and nipped from the interior compartment side.

11. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, the first antenna is a vertical monopole antenna configured for use with AM, FM, and DAB-III frequencies; and the shark fin antenna assembly further comprises at least one antenna within the interior enclosure and operable within one or more frequency bands different than AM/FM/DAB-III bands.

12. The shark fin antenna assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a second antenna within the interior enclosure and configured to be operable with satellite navigation signals; and/or a third antenna within the interior enclosure and configured to be operable with cellular signals; and/or a fourth antenna within the interior enclosure and configured to be operable with DAB-L signals.

13. An antenna assembly for installation to a vehicle body wall, the antenna assembly comprising a first antenna including a printed circuit board and electrical conductors along first and second sides of the printed circuit board, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are interconnected with the electrical conductors along the second side to thereby define an electrical path around at least part of the printed circuit board, whereby the first antenna is configured to be operable with at least a first frequency band, a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are operable with the electrical conductors along the second side as a singular resonant structure having multiple resonances including from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz and from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical conductors along the first and second sides are operable to thereby provide a singular resonant structure having multiple resonances including: a primary resonance for frequencies within the first and second frequency bands from all of the electrical conductors; and a secondary resonance for frequencies within the third frequency band from less than all of the electrical conductors when a portion of the electrical conductors are shorted.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein: the first antenna comprises an inductor and a capacitor in series with the inductor; the inductor and the capacitor are electrically connected with the electrical conductors; whereby the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting portions of the electrical conductors such that: the first antenna is operable in the first and second frequency bands when the electrical conductors are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and the first antenna is operable in the third frequency band when the portions of the electrical conductors are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein: the electrical conductors define a loading coil having a plurality of turns; the first antenna comprises an inductor and a capacitor in series with the inductor; the inductor and the capacitor are electrically connected with the electrical conductors; the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil; the first antenna is operable in the first frequency band from 535 kilohertz to 1605 kilohertz and the second frequency band from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and the first antenna is operable in the third frequency band from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 13, further comprising: a chassis; a radome coupled to the chassis such that an interior enclosure is collectively defined by the radome and the chassis; a second antenna within the interior enclosure and configured to be operable with satellite navigation signals; a third antenna within the interior enclosure and configured to be operable with cellular signals; wherein the first antenna is within the interior enclosure; and wherein the first frequency band includes AM frequencies from 535 kilohertz to 1605 kilohertz, the second frequency band includes FM frequencies from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz, and the third frequency band includes DAB-III frequencies from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz.

19. An antenna comprising: a printed circuit board; electrical conductors along first and second sides of the printed circuit board, wherein the electrical conductors along the first side are interconnected with the electrical conductors along the second side to thereby define a continuous electrical path coiling around at least part of the printed circuit board; an inductor and a capacitor in series with the inductor, the inductor and the capacitor are electrically connected with the electrical conductors; whereby the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting portions of the electrical conductors such that: the antenna is operable in at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band that is higher than the first frequency band when the electrical conductors are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and the antenna is operable in at least a third frequency band that is higher than the second frequency band when the portions of the electrical conductors are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

20. The antenna of claim 19, wherein: the electrical conductors define a loading coil having a plurality of turns; the inductor and the capacitor are operable for shorting one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil; whereby the antenna is operable in at least the first frequency band including AM frequencies from 535 kilohertz to 1605 kilohertz and the second frequency band including FM frequencies from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and/or whereby the antenna is operable in at least the third frequency band including DAB-III frequencies from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor; and/or whereby the antenna is operable as a singular resonant structure having a primary resonance from 76 megahertz to 108 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are not shorted by the inductor and the capacitor, and a secondary resonance from 174 megahertz to 240 megahertz when the one or more turns or portions thereof of the loading coil are shorted by the inductor and the capacitor.

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edspap.20160064807