IP Library Granted Patent US 7,791,493
Granted Patent B2
US 7,791,493 · App. 12/031,240 · Granted Sep 7, 2010

Apparatus for determining failure of vehicle antenna

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,791,493
App. No.
12/031,240
Granted
Sep 7, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An on-vehicle device has a receiving antenna for receiving a radio signal from a mobile device, a receiving circuit for returning an electric signal obtained by conversion by the receiving antenna to the original state, a control unit for determining whether a received signal from the receiving circuit is correct or incorrect, a driving circuit that is driven in response to a driving signal from the control unit and supplies antenna current to a vehicle antenna, and a detector for detecting whether the vehicle antenna operates normally. A detection signal of the detector is fed back to the control unit through the receiving circuit, and the failure determination of the vehicle antenna is performed.

Claims (14)

1. An on-vehicle device comprising:

a receiving antenna for receiving a radio signal from a mobile device;

a receiving circuit for returning an electric signal obtained by conversion by the receiving antenna to a state of an original transmitted signal supplied from the mobile device;

a control unit for determining whether a received signal from the receiving circuit is correct or incorrect;

a driving circuit that is driven in response to a driving signal from the control unit and supplies antenna current to a vehicle antenna; and

a detector for detecting whether the vehicle antenna operates normally,

wherein the detector is formed of a capacitor, and

wherein, when a detection signal of the detector for detecting a failure of the vehicle antenna is fed back to the control unit, the control unit determines a failure of the vehicle antenna based on the detection signal.

2. The on-vehicle device of claim 1 , wherein

one end of the capacitor is connected to a midpoint between the driving circuit and the vehicle antenna, and the other end of the capacitor is connected to the input side of the receiving circuit.

3. The on-vehicle device of claim 1 , wherein

the control unit stops operation of the driving circuit when the control unit determines that the vehicle antenna is failed.

4. The on-vehicle device of claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs announcement when the control unit determines that the vehicle antenna is failed.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2008
From: IKEURA, MASASHI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021035/0200 →