Vehicle global positioning system

A vehicle global positioning system in a vehicle having a metallic body, comprising:

• an exterior mirror assembly including a reflective element, a housing for said reflective element, a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element, a motorized positioning device for selectively positioning said reflective element in said housing and electrical leads extending through a wireway to said housing for supplying electrical current to at least said heater and said positioning device, wherein said housing is made from a material that is electrically substantially non-conducting, said housing forming a cavity, said cavity being open at one end and closed at an opposing, end said reflective element positioned at said open end;
• a global positioning system receiver including a receiving antenna fixedly mounted with respect to said housing separate from said first reflective element and electrical leads, said receiving antenna located within said cavity at a position between said reflective element and said opposing end, said global positioning system receiver adapted to receive earth satellite signals from a plurality of global positioning satellites with said receiving antenna, and convert said signals to at least one of location, velocity and time parameters;
• and
• wherein said receiving antenna is positioned within said housing outside of the vehicle's body thereby avoiding the cage effect of the vehicle body and said electrical leads of said global position system extend through said wireway.

A vehicle global positioning system in a vehicle having a metallic body, comprising:

• a driver side exterior mirror assembly including a first reflective element and a first housing for said first reflective element, said first reflective element movably mounted with respect to said first housing by a first positioning device, wherein said first housing is made from a material that is substantially electrically non-conducting, said first housing forming a first cavity, said first cavity being open at one end and closed at an opposing end, said first reflective element positioned at said open end of said first cavity;
• a passenger side exterior mirror assembly including a second reflective element and a second housing for said second reflective element, said second reflective element movably mounted with respect to said second housing by a second positioning device, wherein said second housing is made from a material that is substantially electrically non-conducting, said second housing forming a second cavity, said second cavity being open at one end and closed at an opposing end, said second reflective element positioned at said open end of said second cavity;
• a global positioning system receiver including first and second receiving antennas, said global positioning system receiver adapted to receive earth satellite signals from a plurality of global positioning satellites with said receiving antennas and convert said signals to at least one of location, velocity and time parameters;
• wherein said first receiving antenna is fixedly mounted with respect to said first housing separate from said first reflective element, said first receiving antenna located within said first cavity at a position between said first reflective element and the opposing end of said first cavity, and said second receiving antenna is fixedly mounted with respect to said second housing separate from said second reflective element, said second receiving antenna located within said second cavity at a position between said second reflective element and the opposing end of said second cavity wherein said first and second receiving antennas are outside of the vehicle's body thereby avoiding the cage effect of the vehicle's body.