US 5,926,141 A · Windowpane antenna with transparent conductive layer

Abstract

An antenna for a windowpane or windshield, comprising a thin, electrically conductive layer flatly applied to an area of the windowpane. The layer is transparent to light and capable of reducing the transmission of heat through the windowpane, and creates a low-conductive area having non-negligible surface resistivity on the windowpane. Also provided is a substantially flat electrode made of highly conductive material, which is high-frequency connected with a reduced high frequency loss connected at at least one edge of said low-conductive layer, and also capacitively connected at high frequencies to an antenna connection point. The electrode is sufficiently long so as to minimize the loss created by the edge of the low-conductive layer. The low-conductive layer can also be sandwiched between glass panels such as in automotive safety glass and an additional electrode can be capacitively coupled to the main electrode. Multiple electrodes can also be disposed on the windowpane for receiving a diversity of frequencies.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An antenna for mounting on a windowpane having at least two glass panels, comprising:

a thin, electrically low conductive layer, embedded between the at least two panels of the windowpane, each panel having an outer surface, said layer being transparent to light and capable of reducing the transmission of heat through the windowpane, said layer creating a low-conductive area having non-negligible surface resistivity on the windowpane;
at least one substantially flat first electrode made of highly conductive material and mounted on one of said two outer surfaces of said glass panels, extending substantially parallel and adjacent with at least one edge of said thin low conductive layer, wherein said surface resistivity of said highly conductive material is several orders of magnitude lower than that of said low conductive material, thus forming a capacitive coupling between said layer and said first electrode;
and
an antenna connection point, high frequency coupled to said flat first electrode.

1 more element

The windowpane antenna according to claim 4, wherein the specific surface resistivity of said low conductive layer is between 2 and 20 ohms, and wherein said first antenna electrode is formed on the outer surface of one of the glass panels, and comprising a second electrode which is embedded with said low conductive layer between the two panels of a composite glass windowpane opposite said first antenna electrode, said second electrode extending substantially parallel to the edge of said low-conductive layer,

a thin plastic sheet disposed between the two glass panels, the high-frequency connection of said second electrode to the low-conductive layer being made capacitively, wherein the high frequency connection to said second electrode is made capacitively by connecting said antenna connection point to said first antenna electrode mounted on the outer surface of the glass panel, said second electrode having a conductive surface substantially the same shape as said first electrode and mounted opposite thereof so that said first and said second electrodes are capacitively coupled to each other at high frequencies through the glass panel.

An antenna for mounting on a windowpane having one or more glass panels, comprising:

a thin, electrically low conductive layer flatly applied to an area of the windowpane of a motor vehicle, wherein said motor vehicle has an electrically conductive body, a conductive window frame, and black print delineating view boundaries of the windshield, said layer being transparent to light and capable of reducing the transmission of heat through the windowpane, said layer creating a low-conductive area having non-negligible surface resistivity on the windowpane, wherein said low conductive layer covers the view boundaries and extends under and parallel to said black print, and wherein the edge of said low conductive layer is spaced as far as possible from said window frame;
and
a plurality of substantially flat electrodes, made of highly conductive material, in contact with said low conductive layer, said electrodes are separated from each other and distributed around the circumference of said conductive window frame to form a plurality of diversity antennas, each of said electrodes having an antenna connection point, and further comprising a plurality of grounding points located on the conductive window frame, each grounding point being adjacent an antenna connection point, wherein said surface resistivity of said highly conductive material is several orders of magnitude lower than that of said low conductive material.

An antenna for mounting on a windowpane having one or more glass panels, comprising:

a thin, electrically low conductive layer flatly applied to an area of the windowpane of a motor vehicle, wherein said motor vehicle has an electrically conductive body, a conductive window frame, and black print delineating view boundaries of the windshield, said layer being transparent to light and capable of reducing the transmission of heat through the windowpane, said layer creating a low-conductive area having non-negligible surface resistivity on the windowpane, wherein said low conductive layer covers the view boundaries and extends under and parallel to said black print, and wherein the edge of said low conductive layer is spaced as far as possible from said window frame;
and
a plurality of substantially flat electrodes, made of highly conductive material, capacitively connected to said low conductive layer, said electrodes are separated from each other and distributed around the circumference of said conductive window frame to form a plurality of diversity antennas, each of said electrodes having an antenna connection point, and further comprising a plurality of grounding points located on the conductive window frame, each grounding point being adjacent an antenna connection point, wherein said surface resistivity of said highly conductive material is several orders of magnitude lower than that of said low conductive material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Windowpane antenna with transparent conductive layer

Life of this patent

Windowpane antenna with transparent conductive layer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31