Antenna apparatus for use in automobiles

An automobile antenna apparatus comprising:

• a smart antenna mounted on a window of an automobile, the smart antenna including:
• a slot antenna having a slot space as a main element, the slot space being surrounded with a first region in which a metal film covers a defogger formed on the window of the automobile and a second region formed of a metal portion of a car body including a window frame of the automobile, and
• an integrated multiband antenna having a plurality of antenna elements of thin-film conductive pieces which are arranged such that at least some of the antenna elements are inserted into the slot space of the slot antenna;
• and
• an antenna unit having a control circuit section provided close to the smart antenna, one end of the control circuit section being connected to the smart antenna, and another end thereof being connected to a transmission/reception set section and a car computer network, which are both provided inside the automobile, through a LAN in the automobile,
• wherein, in response to an external operation signal and automobile position information detected by a GPS, the control circuit section electronically controls the smart antenna such that the smart antenna fulfills a receiving function of receiving an AM broadcast wave, an FM broadcast wave, a TV broadcast wave, a GPS wave and a BS/CS wave, and a transmifting/receiving function of transmiffing/receiving waves for a car phone and keyless door-lock control and a wave for using an automatic toll collection system.