Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – Combined with diverse-type art device
Patent
1997-10-28
1999-10-05
Le, Hoanganh
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
Combined with diverse-type art device
343713, 343712, H01Q 106
Patent
active
059631724
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY
The invention is based on a headlight, particularly a motor vehicle headlight, with an integrated microwave antenna of the generic type having a reflector that is used both for bundling the light of the headlight and for bundling the microwave beams.
In a known headlight of this type (U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,379), the filament of a headlight bulb is used both to emit the optical radiation in the visible-light range and in the function of the radiator, beam reflector and receiving antenna for high frequencies. The use of the filament is provided in conjunction with a vehicle warning and control system for maintaining a sufficiently safe distance from preceding vehicles. This type of system is also called distance radar in vehicles. This known system operates at a frequency of about 850 MHz, which is insufficient for meeting today's requirements for a relatively high-resolution, more precise distance radar. Moreover, the operating frequency has an upper limit because the filaments of the headlight bulb can hardly be wound smaller and narrow than spirals for attaining higher frequencies. Thus, this known headlight with an integrated microwave antenna has an inherent, systemstipulated upper frequency limit.
Furthermore, EP 0 559 546 A1 discloses a microwave antenna for a transmitter and/or receiver of a vehicle and a headlight filament for an embodiment of the same. In this instance, the high-frequency radiator element is disposed inside the glass sphere of the incandescent bulb, near the filament arranged there for high beams and low beams, and near the focal point of the headlight reflector. Aside from the very complex design of such a bulb, the local association of a visible-light source and a microwave-radiation source are rigidly connected to one another by this arrangement.
These known headlights with an integrated microwave antenna provide either a functional coupling of the filament or a spatially-rigid coupling of the filament with the microwave antenna.
The problems found in the prior art as discussed above generally are overcome according to the present invention by a headlight, particularly a motor-vehicle headlight, with an integrated microwave antenna, and having a reflector that is used both for bundling the light of the headlight and for bundling the microwave beams, and wherein the optical system with its light source and the microwave system with its feeder element and/or receiver element are configured and disposed functionally and spatially completely separately from one another.
SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
In contrast, the headlight of the invention, having an integrated microwave antenna as discussed above, has the advantage of optimum bundling of the headlight light as well as the radar beams; with a suitably-selected reflector geometry, and the possible arrangement of the light source and the microwave-radiation source independently of one another, the optimum radar-beam shape can be achieved independently of the desired light bundling. This solution saves costs and space, and, with an optimized light bundling and radar-lobe shape, permits simultaneous adjustment of light and radar beams.
In accordance with the invention, this principle is attained in that the optical system with its light source and the microwave system with its feeder element and/or receiving element are functionally and spatially configured and arranged completely separately from one another.
Advantageous modifications of and improvements to the basic headlight with an integrated microwave antenna, as described above are possible with the measures outlined in the further claims.
A particularly useful embodiment of the invention provides paraboloid reflectors. In an advantageous modification of the invention, the reflector is provided with a scatter plate and/or a dielectric lens. In corresponding, advantageous embodiments, the reflector can further be configured to be rotationally symmetrical or an offset reflector.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, th
REFERENCES:
patent: 3683379 (1972-08-01), Saddler et al.
patent: 5446470 (1995-08-01), Avignon et al.
Petry Hans-Peter
Pfizenmaier Heinz
Kunitz Norman N.
Le Hoang-anh
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Spencer George H.
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