Vehicle rearview assembly incorporating a tri-band antenna module
A rearview assembly includes a mounting structure and a tri-band antenna module. The mounting structure is adapted for mounting to a conductive mounting button that is attached to an inside surface of a vehicle windshield. The tri-band antenna module is mounted adjacent the conductive mounting button and includes a patch antenna and a dual-band cellular antenna.
1. A rearview assembly for providing an image of a scene at a rear of a vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a mounting structure adapted for mounting to a conductive mounting button that is attached to an inside surface of a vehicle windshield; and
an antenna module mounted adjacent the conductive mounting button, the antenna module comprising a dual-band cellular antenna, wherein the dual-band cellular antenna is configured such that the mounting button increases the gain of the dual-band cellular antenna due to the fact that the mounting button increases the area of the ground plane.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the patch antenna operates at about 1.57542 GHz and the dual-band cellular antenna operates in a range from about 824 to 894 MHz and in another range from about 1.85 to 1.99 GHz.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the dual-band cellular antenna and the patch antenna share a common ground plane.
4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the ground plane is located adjacent the mounting button and the patch antenna is oriented toward a roof of the vehicle.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located in a range of about 1 mm to 3 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located about 2 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , further including:
a patch antenna;
an amplifier for amplifying a signal received through the patch antenna; and
a filter coupled between the amplifier and the patch antenna, wherein the filter blocks cellular signals associated with the dual-band cellular antenna and thereby prevents the cellular signals from overloading the amplifier associated with the patch antenna.
8. A rearview assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a mounting structure adapted for mounting to a conductive mounting button that is attached to an inside surface of a vehicle windshield; and
an antenna module mounted adjacent the conductive mounting button, the antenna module including a patch antenna and a dual-band cellular antenna, wherein the patch antenna operates at about 1.57542 GHz and the dual-band cellular antenna operates in a first range from about 824 to 894 MHz and in a second range from about 1.85 to 1.99 GHz, and wherein the dual-band cellular antenna is configured such that the mounting button increases the gain of the dual-band cellular antenna due to the fact that the mounting button increases the area of the ground plane.
9. The assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the ground plane is located adjacent the mounting button and the patch antenna is oriented toward a roof of the vehicle.
10. The assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located in a range of about 1 mm to 3 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
11. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located about 2 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
12. The assembly of claim 8 , further including:
a patch antenna;
an amplifier for amplifying a signal received through the patch antenna; and
a filter coupled between the amplifier and the patch antenna, wherein the filter blocks cellular signals associated with the dual-band cellular antenna and thereby prevents the cellular signals from overloading the amplifier associated with the patch antenna.
13. A rearview assembly for providing an image of a scene at a rear of a vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a mounting structure adapted for mounting to a mounting button that is attached to an inside surface of a vehicle windshield;
a tri-band antenna module mounted adjacent the mounting button, the antenna module including a patch antenna and a dual-band cellular antenna;
an amplifier for amplifying a signal received through the patch antenna; and
a filter coupled between the amplifier and the patch antenna, wherein the filter blocks cellular signals associated with the dual-band cellular antenna and thereby prevents the cellular signals from overloading the amplifier associated with the patch antenna, wherein the dual-band cellular antenna is configured such that the mounting button increases the gain of the dual-band cellular antenna due to the fact that the mounting button increases the area of the ground plane.
14. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the patch antenna operates at about 1.57542 GHz and the dual-band cellular antenna operates in a first range from about 824 to 894 MHz and in a second range from about 1.85 to 1.99 GHz.
15. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the dual-band cellular antenna and the patch antenna share a common ground plane.
16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the ground plane is located adjacent the mounting button and the patch antenna is oriented toward a roof of the vehicle.
17. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a patch antenna, wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located in a range of about 1 mm to 3 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the cellular antenna and the patch antenna are parallel to an inside surface of the vehicle windshield and located about 2 mm from the inside surface of the vehicle windshield.
19. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the antenna module is located within the mounting structure.
20. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the mounting button is a conductive mounting button, and wherein the common ground plane is physically coupled to the conductive mounting button with a conductor.
21. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the mounting button is electrically conductive.