Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-04
2004-01-20
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With vehicle
C343S900000, C343S895000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06680706
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to antennas, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for dampening low frequency vibrations associated with the use of telematic antennas on motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND
Over the past few decades, automobile technology has improved dramatically, particularly in the areas of consumer comfort, convenience, and safety. As automobile manufacturers continually strive to make automobiles more comfortable for passengers, a key area of concern is the level of noise and vibration present within passenger compartments. Many factors contribute to these noise and vibration levels, including the mounting of the engine, the nature of any insulation within the engine compartment, the type and balancing of the tires, and the ability for wind to pass freely over the external profile of the automobile. Such factors are thus carefully designed so as to ensure the most comfortable environment possible within the passenger compartment.
One example of a device that affects the ability for wind to pass freely over the external profile of an automobile is an antenna used for wireless communications. When such an antenna is present upon the external profile of an automobile, wind resistance is generated and a discernable noise and/or vibration may resultantly develop when the automobile travels at high rates of speed or is otherwise subject to strong winds. This noise and/or vibration is often detectable and might prove annoying or distracting to persons within the automobile's passenger compartment (hereafter “occupants”). As a result, this generation of noise and/or vibration may resultantly prevent the occupants from enjoying the very communications that such antennas were designed to facilitate.
The type of noise and/or vibration generated by an antenna depends in large part upon the antenna's shape. Although there are now many shapes of antennas being used on automobiles, perhaps the most common antenna traditionally used has a rod-shape. A rod-shaped antenna is typically relatively long and quite slender, and is often referred to as a “mast” antenna. For example, an automobile's AM/FM radio antenna is typically a rod-shaped antenna having a length of between about 0.3 meters and about 1 meter and a diameter of less than about 10 millimeters. Some rod-shaped antennas might also include a phase coil disposed along the rod.
Certain rod-shaped antennas have been identified as generating high frequency whistling noises, such as in the 1,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz range, when the antenna is attached to an automobile moving at high speeds or is otherwise subject to strong winds. These whistling noises are said to interfere with occupants' comfort within the automobile, particularly with regard to such activities as cellular telephone conversations. Various patents have disclosed structures for eliminating this whistling noise. For example, Taguchi (U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,711) teaches the addition to a rod-shaped antenna of a hollow cylindrical member including a plurality of hollow cylindrical units, wherein the cylindrical member has one or more ridges to generate a turbulent flow of air around the antenna and resultantly eliminate the high frequency whistling caused by strong winds. However, such patents are deficient in many areas, particularly with regard to eliminating different types of wind noises, such as those created by antennas not having the traditional rod-shape.
As technological advances in wireless automotive communication systems continually progress, antennas not having the traditional rod-shape are becoming more commonplace. For example, because many of these recent advances, such as the Global Positioning System (“GPS”), satellite radio, and advanced cellular (e.g.: wireless) telephones, typically transmit and receive relatively high frequency digital radio waves having correspondingly short wavelengths, these systems are able to effectively communicate using considerably shorter antennas than those rod-shaped antennas traditionally used by other less sophisticated communication systems. One such alternative to the traditional rod-shaped antenna involves an antenna incorporating an extremely short but relatively wide shaft, wherein the overall length of the shaft is less than about ten times the diameter of the shaft, hence giving the antenna a “finger-shape”. Because of its unique configuration, the finger-shaped antenna does not typically generate the high frequency whistling noises that are typically associated with rod-shaped antennas when subjected to strong winds. Rather, the finger-shaped antennas often generate an equally annoying and disturbing low frequency vibration when subjected to strong winds. Because rod-shaped antennas tend to whistle at high frequencies rather than vibrate at low frequencies, and because finger-shaped antennas are physically quite different from rod-shaped antennas, a creative solution is necessary to dampen the low frequency vibrations common to finger-shaped antennas. Although the shafts of some finger-shaped telematic antennas have been modified to include indentations such as grooves, slots, dimples, or the like, presumably for aesthetic purposes, none of these prior art designs functions to reduce low frequency vibrations. To the contrary, such designs generate even greater amplitudes of low frequency vibrations when subjected to strong winds. It is for these reasons that the solution of the present invention has come to light.
In accordance with the present invention, a finger-shaped antenna is affixed to an exterior surface of an automobile. The shaft of the finger-shaped antenna is fitted with one or more turbulence generators specifically configured and arranged to dampen any low frequency vibrations that would otherwise be generated by the antenna when exposed to strong winds. The one or more turbulence generators can, in one embodiment of the present invention, constitute an outwardly directed protrusion from the outer surface of the shaft, wherein the protrusion extends helically in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. This protrusion is operable to generate air turbulence and resultantly dampen the problematic low frequency vibrations of the finger-shaped antenna. The present invention therefore enables the use of the finger-shaped antenna, and accordingly any associated communication devices, without any adverse impact on the comfort of the automobile's occupants.
The present invention is not limited to the finger-shaped antenna, but is equally applicable to a multitude of other antennas or objects that generate noise and/or vibrations when exposed to strong winds, such as those winds present surrounding an exterior surface of an automobile, truck, aircraft, motorcycle, all terrain vehicle (“ATV”), watercraft, building, or other such location. Furthermore, the present invention relates not only to antennas for GPS, satellite radio, and advanced cellular telephones, but also to antennas for any other type of communication system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce low frequency vibrations associated with the use of telematic antennas on motor vehicles.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention defined herein, an apparatus and method is provided for enabling the dampening of low frequency vibrations associated with telematic antennas on motor vehicles. The telematic antenna with low frequency dampening for use on a motor vehicle comprises a shaft adapted to be mounted on a vehicle
Kowalik Jerome M.
Loftus, Jr. James A.
Chen Shih-Chao
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Le Hoang-anh
LandOfFree
Telematic antenna vortex generator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Telematic antenna vortex generator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Telematic antenna vortex generator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3268296