IP Library Granted Patent US 12,028,142
Granted Patent B2
US 12,028,142 · App. 17/616,419 · Granted Jul 2, 2024

Motor vehicle with antenna network

Inventor: Thomas Smits (Straelen, DE)
Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
H04B7/0691H04L67/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,028,142
App. No.
17/616,419
Granted
Jul 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle comprises a towing vehicle and an antenna network which has at least two antenna units with identical network addresses, wherein the two antenna units are arranged on different side surfaces of the towing vehicles and are digitally connected.

Claims (23)

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a towing vehicle defined by at least four side surfaces; and

an antenna network with at least two antenna units which are assigned an identical network address, wherein the at least two antenna units are arranged on different side surfaces of the at least four side surfaces of the towing vehicle, wherein the at least two antenna units each have at least one antenna and one network interface, wherein each of the network interfaces is designed for:

receiving a data packet with the same data content transmitted to the at least two antenna units;

providing respectively, on the basis of a specified communication protocol, a transmission data packet which comprises the data content of the received data packet and the assigned identical network address of the at least two antenna units; and

transmitting the transmission data packet provided via the respective antenna.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two antenna units are designed to at least one of: receive the data packet synchronously and to transmit the transmission data packet synchronously.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two antenna units are arranged on opposite side surfaces of the towing vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a first antenna unit is on a right side of a driver's cab of the towing vehicle and a second antenna unit is on a left side of a driver's cab of the towing vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two antenna units are each integrated in an exterior mirror or in a camera arm of a mirror replacement system.

6. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising

at least one camera of a mirror replacement system; and

a network concentrator which, during operation, combines signals from the at least one camera and signals from at least one of the antennas of the at least two antenna units for transmission.

7. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the antennas of the at least two antenna units each have an omnidirectional antenna characteristic or a directional antenna characteristic.

8. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the antenna units has at least two antennas, wherein a first of the antennas has an omnidirectional antenna characteristic and a second of the antennas has a directional antenna characteristic.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein the antenna unit has a switching device to switch between the first antenna with the omnidirectional antenna characteristic and the second antenna with the directional antenna characteristic.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a trailer which is fastened to the towing vehicle; and

a further antenna unit of the antenna network, wherein the further antenna unit is assigned the same network address as the two antenna units arranged on the towing vehicle, wherein the further antenna unit has at least one antenna and one network interface, wherein the network interface of the further antenna unit is designed for:

receiving the data packet with the same data content transmitted to the antenna units arranged on the towing vehicle;

providing, on the basis of the specified communication protocol, a transmission data packet which comprises the data content of the received data packet and the assigned network address of the further antenna unit; and

transmitting the transmission data packet provided via the antenna.

11. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one antenna of the further antenna unit has an omnidirectional antenna characteristic.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2025
From: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 070441/0899 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: SMITS, THOMAS
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
Reel/Frame 058309/0083 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,683,840