Antenna system of vehicle for receiving broadcast signals

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna system of a vehicle for receiving broadcast signals and a method of operating the same. An antenna system of a vehicle includes: a first low noise amplifier (LNA) for adjusting a strength of a radio frequency (RF) signal received by an antenna element; a mixer for converting the adjusted RF signal received through the connection cable into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal; the second low noise amplifier is used for adjusting the intensity of the IF signal; a noise level detector for measuring a level of noise introduced into the connection cable; and a second automatic gain controller (AGC) for controlling the gain of the second LNA based on the intensity of the IF signal and the noise level.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0186951, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an antenna system for a vehicle for receiving broadcast signals and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0004] Generally, an electronic device that processes signals implements automatic gain control (AGC) in order to reduce cross-modulation occurring in an amplifier and prevent saturation. Specifically, in a receiver of a communication system, when the signal level at the input is not constant, automatic gain control is used to obtain a signal at a desired level. That is, AGC is used to prevent signal saturation by reducing the gain value when the input signal level is greater than a reference value, and to output a signal at a constant level by increasing the gain value when the input signal level is less than the reference value.

[0005] AGC can be applied to a vehicle antenna system. A vehicle antenna system includes: an antenna module that first adjusts the intensity of a radio frequency (RF) signal received from the outside; and a radio tuner that secondarily adjusts the intensity of an intermediate frequency (IF) signal converted from the RF signal. An automatic gain controller can adjust the gain of the antenna module and the gain of the radio tuner.

[0006] The antenna module and the radio tuner adjust the intensity of the RF signal or the IF signal to minimize noise in each signal so that passengers in the vehicle can clearly hear a radio broadcast on a target channel that they want to listen to.

[0007] However, due to noise from the outside entering the antenna system and the relationship between channels in the signal, it may be difficult for a vehicle antenna system to reduce distortion and noise in a target channel. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to at least one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an antenna system for a vehicle. The antenna system includes: a first low-noise amplifier for adjusting the intensity of a radio frequency (RF) signal received by an antenna element; a mixer for converting the adjusted RF signal received through a connection cable into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal; a second low-noise amplifier (LNA) for adjusting the intensity of the IF signal; a noise level detector for measuring the noise level introduced into the connection cable; and a second automatic gain controller (AGC) for controlling the gain of the second LNA based on the intensity of the IF signal and the noise level.

[0009] The vehicle may include the above antenna system.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating a vehicle antenna system is provided. The method includes: measuring a noise level introduced into a connection cable between a first low noise amplifier (LNA) and a second LNA, the first LNA being used to adjust an intensity of an RF signal received by an antenna element, and the second LNA being used to adjust an intensity of an IF signal converted from the adjusted RF signal; and controlling a gain of the second LNA based on the intensity of the IF signal and the noise level.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating a vehicle antenna system includes: adjusting, by a first low noise amplifier (LNA), an intensity of a radio frequency (RF) signal received by an antenna element; converting, by a mixer, the adjusted RF signal received through a connection cable into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal; adjusting, by a second LNA, an intensity of the IF signal; measuring, by a noise level detector, a noise level introduced into the connection cable; and controlling, by a second automatic gain controller (AGC), a gain of the second LNA based on the intensity of the IF signal and the noise level. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a spectrum of an RF signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 is a configuration diagram of an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram of a method for operating an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] It should be understood that as used herein, the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms include motor vehicles in a broad sense, such as passenger vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, boats (including various small boats and vessels), airplanes, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As mentioned herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, e.g., gasoline-powered and electric vehicles.

[0018] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It should also be understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of the stated element but not the exclusion of any other element. In addition, the terms "unit," "-er," "-or," and "module" described in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and can be implemented by hardware components or software components and combinations thereof.

[0019] In addition, the control logic of the present disclosure can be embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable medium on a computer-readable medium, which contains executable program instructions executed by a processor, a controller, etc. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable medium can also be distributed in network-coupled computer systems so that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, e.g., via a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide a vehicle antenna system and an operation method thereof for preventing deterioration of a noise factor caused by noise introduced into a connection cable between an antenna module and a radio tuner.

[0021] Other embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide a vehicle antenna system and an operation method thereof for preventing degradation of a noise factor caused by the signal strength of a channel adjacent to a target channel.

[0022] The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other problems not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below using various drawings. Additionally, when reference numerals are assigned to each component in the drawings, even for components shown in different drawings, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible. Furthermore, in the description of the present disclosure, when a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, its detailed description is omitted.

[0024] When describing components according to embodiments of the present disclosure, symbols such as first, second, i), ii), a), and b) may be used. These symbols are only used to distinguish components from other components. The identity, sequence, or order of the components is not limited by the symbols. In this specification, when a component "includes" or "is equipped with" an element, this means that the component may further include other elements, excluding other elements only when explicitly stated to the contrary. Additionally, when an element in the written description and claims is described as "for" performing or implementing the stated function, step, instruction set, etc., the element may also be regarded as "configured to" do so.

[0025] Each component or method of the device according to the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, the function of each component may be implemented in software. A microprocessor or processor may execute the functions of the software corresponding to each component.

[0026] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 , the vehicle antenna system may include an antenna module 110, a connection cable 120, and a radio tuner 130.

[0028] The antenna module 110 may receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from the outside or transmit an RF signal. The antenna module 110 may be disposed on the roof, rear windshield, etc. of the vehicle.

[0029] The radio tuner 130 may analyze signals received by the antenna module 110, decode audio information, or process GPS information. The radio tuner 130 may be disposed at the top of the instrument panel, at the top or middle of the center panel, at the rear of the transmission, at the backrest of the driver's seat or the passenger's seat, or at the rear of the headrest.

[0030] To minimize the noise of the received signals so that passengers in the vehicle can clearly listen to the radio broadcast on the target channel they want to listen to, both the antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130 include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and an automatic gain controller (AGC) for adjusting the signal strength.

[0031] The first LNA in the antenna module 110 first adjusts the strength of the RF signal received from outside the vehicle based on the gain determined by the first AGC.

[0032] The second LNA in the radio tuner 130 then adjusts the strength of the intermediate frequency (IF) signal converted from the RF signal based on the gain determined by the second AGC.

[0033] The antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130 are electrically connected by a connection cable 120. The connection cable 120 transmits signals between the antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130.

[0034] However, a large amount of external noise is introduced into the connection cable 120 between the antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130. For example, multiple vehicle controllers arranged around the connection cable 120 may cause noise signals, and noise may be introduced into the connection cable 120 from other wires around the connection cable 120.

[0035] Due to this external noise, it may be difficult for the second LNA in the radio tuner 130 to appropriately adjust the IF signal level. Here, the signal level refers to the strength or power of the signal. In other words, it may be difficult for the second AGC to appropriately adjust the gain of the second LNA. In this case, when listening to the radio broadcast, passengers in the vehicle will hear noise.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radio tuner 130 can prevent the degradation of the noise factor in the antenna system by adjusting the IF signal considering the noise introduced into the connection cable 120.

[0037] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Refer to Figure 2 , the vehicle antenna system includes an antenna module 110, a connection cable 120, a radio tuner 130, and a noise level detector 210.

[0039] The antenna module 110 may include an antenna element 111, a first LNA 113, and a first AGC 117, and may further include a band-pass filter (BPF) 115.

[0040] The antenna element 111 receives an RF signal. The antenna element 111 is typically implemented by using at least one type of antenna that can be mounted on a vehicle. For example, the antenna element 111 can be implemented by using a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a roof antenna, a slot antenna, etc.

[0041] The first AGC 117 determines the gain of the first LNA based on the intensity of the RF signal. Here, the RF signal refers to the signal at the input of the first LNA 113.

[0042] The first LNA 113 adjusts the intensity of the RF signal. The first LNA 113 can amplify the RF signal according to the gain determined by the first AGC 117.

[0043] When the RF signal is a high electric field signal (i.e., the intensity of the RF signal is higher than the first threshold), the first AGC 117 is powered on, and the gain of the first LNA 113 can be reduced. The gain of the first LNA 113 can be inversely proportional to the intensity of the RF signal with an intensity higher than the first threshold. The first threshold can represent a reference for the high electric field signal at the antenna module 110.

[0044] On the other hand, when the RF signal is a low electric field signal (i.e., the intensity of the RF signal is lower than the first threshold or the second threshold), the first AGC 117 is powered off, and the gain of the first LNA 113 remains constant. The second threshold is lower than the first threshold and can represent a reference for the low electric field signal.

[0045] The band-pass filter 115 can filter the frequency band of the RF signal adjusted by the first LNA 113, thereby reducing the noise in the adjusted RF signal.

[0046] The RF signal adjusted by the antenna module 110 is sent to the radio tuner 130 through the connection cable 12.

[0047] Here, the connection cable 120 is a component that electrically connects the antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130. The connection cable 120 can be composed of a single cable or multiple cables. For example, the connection cable 120 may include a first feed cable 121, a second feed cable 125, and a connector 123 that connects the two feed cables. The feed cable can be implemented by using a twin cable, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, an Ethernet cable, etc.

[0048] The radio tuner 130 includes a second LNA 133 and a second AGC 135. The radio tuner 130 may further include a filter at the input of the second LNA 133 or at the input of the mixer 131 for extracting a target channel that a user wants to listen to. In this case, the IF signal input to the second LNA 133 includes only signals from the target channel.

[0049] The mixer 131 down-converts the frequency of the adjusted RF signal, which is a high-frequency signal, into an IF signal. Specifically, a local oscillator (LO) generates a predetermined oscillation frequency source according to a control voltage and outputs it to the mixer 131. The mixer 131 may convert the adjusted RF signal into an IF signal based on the oscillation frequency source.

[0050] The second LNA 133 adjusts the intensity of the IF signal. The second LNA 133 may amplify the IF signal according to the gain determined by the second AGC 135.

[0051] The second AGC 135 determines the gain of the second LNA 133 based on the intensity of the IF signal.

[0052] Here, the intensity of the IF signal refers to the intensity of the IF signal output from the second LNA 133 (i.e., the amplified IF signal). In another embodiment, the intensity of the IF signal may refer to the intensity of the IF signal input to the second LNA 133. To this end, the radio tuner 130 may include a detector for detecting the signal level in front of or behind the second LNA 133.

[0053] When the IF signal is a high electric field signal, i.e., when the intensity of the IF signal is higher than a third threshold, the second AGC 135 is powered off, and the gain of the second LNA 133 remains constant. The third threshold may represent a reference for high electric field signals at the radio tuner 130.

[0054] On the other hand, when the IF signal is a low electric field signal, i.e., when the intensity of the IF signal is lower than the third threshold or a fourth threshold, the second AGC 135 is powered on, and the gain of the second LNA 133 may increase. The gain of the second LNA 133 may be inversely proportional to the IF signal whose intensity is lower than the third threshold or the fourth threshold. If the intensity of the IF signal is lower than the third threshold or the fourth threshold, the gain of the second LNA 133 and the intensity of the IF signal may be represented as a linear shape with a negative slope. At the same time, the fourth threshold is lower than the threshold and may represent a reference for low electric field signals. The third threshold may be equal to or lower than the first threshold.

[0055] Meanwhile, due to the noise signal introduced through the connection cable 120 between the antenna module 110 and the radio tuner 130, the level of the adjusted RF signal and the intensity of the IF signal will change. For example, the output RF signal from the connection cable 120 can be an input RF signal with noise. Due to the noise, the intensity of the output RF signal will be higher than that of the input RF signal, and the intensity of the IF signal input to the second LNA 133 will be distorted.

[0056] If the intensity of the IF signal becomes closer to the third threshold due to noise, the second AGC 135 can reduce the gain of the second LNA 133. Optionally, if the intensity of the IF signal noise is lower than the third threshold and the sum of the intensity of the IF signal and the noise level is higher than the third threshold, the second AGC 135 can be powered off due to the noise. Therefore, even if a frequency filter for removing noise is applied to the output signal from the second LNA 133, the signal will have a low level and low signal quality.

[0057] Therefore, to prevent signal distortion caused by external noise introduced through the connection cable 120, the second AGC 135 determines the gain of the second LNA 133 by considering the noise level of the connection cable 120 and the intensity of the IF signal.

[0058] For this purpose, the noise level detector 210 measures the noise level of the connection cable 120. For example, the noise level detector 210 can measure the noise level by comparing the power at the input of the connection cable 120 with the power at the output. For another example, the noise level detector 210 can measure the noise level based on the comparison between the spectrum of the signal at the input of the connection cable 120 and the spectrum of the signal at the output.

[0059] The second AGC 135 can determine the gain of the second LNA 133 based on the intensity of the distorted IF signal input to the second LNA 133 and adjust the gain based on the noise level of the connection cable 120. The higher the noise level of the connection cable 120, the lower the gain determined by the second automatic gain controller 135 based on the intensity of the distorted IF signal.

[0060] Alternatively, the second automatic gain controller 135 can determine the gain of the second LNA 133 based on the intensity of the distorted IF signal and the noise level. For example, the second automatic gain controller 135 can save the gain curve graph for each section of the noise level, and by referring to the gain curve graph corresponding to the section of the measured noise level, determine the gain according to the intensity of the distorted IF signal.

[0061] Alternatively, the second automatic gain controller 135 may adjust the slope of the inverse relationship between the gain of the second LNA 133 and the intensity of the IF signal based on the noise level. The higher the noise level of the connection cable 120, the lower the slope of the inverse relationship adjusted by the second automatic gain controller 135.

[0062] After that, once the amplified noise in the output IF signal from the second LNA 133 is removed, the output IF signal from which the amplified noise is removed becomes equal to the amplified IF signal that has no noise from the start.

[0063] In addition, the second AGC 135 may adjust the third threshold and the fourth threshold of the second LNA 133 based on the noise level of the connection cable 120. The higher the noise level, the higher the third threshold and the fourth threshold adjusted by the second automatic gain controller 135. It is possible to prevent the second AGC 135 from being powered off due to the noise in the distorted IF signal.

[0064] Therefore, the second AGC 135 can control the gain of the second LNA 133 by further considering the noise level of the connection cable 120, thereby reducing the distortion of the IF signal caused by the noise in the connection cable 120.

[0065] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the spectrum of an RF signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] In the channel environment of satellite broadcasting that outputs a broadband frequency signal, the signal intensity varies widely depending on the area and weather of the received signal. In addition, with the recent shift to high-definition digital broadcasting, the specifications of receivers have become increasingly strict, which has led satellite broadcasters to transmit stronger signals than those used in their existing channels. Therefore, the target channels that users want to receive signals and the channels adjacent to the target channels increasingly affect each other.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 , the RF signal received through the antenna includes signals from other channels and signals from the target channel that the user wishes to listen to. Here, Channel 2 (which is an adjacent channel) may have a much higher signal level than Channel 1 (which is the target channel that the user wants to listen to).

[0068] Further reference Figure 2 , the first AGC 117 determines the gain of the first LNA based on the power of the entire frequency band in the RF signal. As Figure 3As shown, if the signal levels of adjacent channels are high, the gain of the first LNA 113 can be determined based on the signal levels of the adjacent channels rather than the target channel. Specifically, if the signal level of an adjacent channel is higher than a first threshold, the first AGC 117 determines that the RF signal is a high electric field signal and reduces the gain of the first LNA 113.

[0069] In this case, the total noise factor of the antenna system deteriorates.

[0070] Specifically, in the antenna system, the noise factor of the antenna module 110, the connection cable 120, and the radio tuner 130 is calculated by dividing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the input end by the SNR at the output end.

[0071] The total noise factor of the antenna system is calculated based on the noise coefficients of the cascaded components. The total noise factor can be calculated by Equation 1:

[0072] [Equation 1]

[0073]

[0074] where F total is the total noise factor, F1 is the noise factor of the antenna module 110, F2 is the noise factor of the connection cable 120, F3 is the noise factor of the radio tuner 130, G1 is the gain of the antenna module 110, and G2 is the gain of the connection cable 120.

[0075] Referring to Equation 1, as the gain G1 of the first LNA 113 decreases, the total noise factor F total increases. That is, the total noise factor deteriorates. Specifically, since the antenna module 110 is located at the front end of the antenna system, the total noise factor can deteriorate further.

[0076] Therefore, when determining the gain of the first LNA 113, the first AGC 117 needs to consider the signal level of the target channel and the signal levels of the adjacent channels in the RF signal.

[0077] The antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure determines the gain of the first LNA 113 by comparing the signal level of the target channel with the signal levels of the adjacent channels.

[0078] Figure 4 is a configuration diagram of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] Referring to Figure 4 , the antenna system may further include a coupler 119, a filter 310, and a signal level detector 320. The coupler 119, the filter 310, and the signal level detector 320 can detect the signal levels of each channel in the RF signal.

[0080] Specifically, the coupler 119 couples the RF signal received by the antenna element 111 and transmits it to the filter 310.

[0081] The filter 310 consists of a plurality of channel filters and switching elements, and is capable of filtering the channel signals in some frequency bands of the RF signal.

[0082] The signal level detector 320 can scan the channels in the RF signal by controlling the switching of the switching elements in the filter 310. The signal level detector 320 can detect the signal level of each channel in the RF signal by scanning the RF signal filtered by the channel filter. This allows the signal level detector 320 to detect the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or power of each channel in the RF signal.

[0083] Meanwhile, in another embodiment, the signal level detector 320 can detect the signal level of each channel by analyzing the spectrum of the RF signal obtained through the coupler 119 without using the filter 310.

[0084] After that, the first AGC 117 determines the gain of the first LNA 113 based on the signal level of the target channel and the signal levels of the adjacent channels in the RF signal.

[0085] In an embodiment, if the difference between the signal level of the target channel and the signal levels of the adjacent channels is greater than a predetermined threshold, that is, the signal level of the adjacent channel is higher than the sum of the signal level of the target channel and the threshold, the first automatic gain controller 117 can increase or maintain the gain of the first LNA 113.

[0086] In another embodiment, if the signal level of the adjacent channel is higher than the first threshold and the signal level of the target channel is lower than the first threshold, the first AGC 117 can increase or maintain the gain of the first LNA 113.

[0087] In another embodiment, if the signal level of the adjacent channel is higher than the first threshold and the signal level of the target channel is lower than the second threshold, the first AGC 117 can increase or maintain the gain of the first LNA 113. Here, the second threshold is lower than the first threshold.

[0088] In another embodiment, if the signal level of the adjacent channel is higher than the first threshold, the signal level of the target channel is lower than the second threshold, and the signal level of the adjacent channel is higher than the sum of the signal level of the target channel and the threshold, the first AGC 117 can increase or maintain the gain of the first LNA 113.

[0089] When the signal from the target channel is recognized as a low electric field signal, the second AGC 135 can maintain or increase the gain of the second LNA 133.

[0090] In another embodiment, the second AGC 135 can determine the gain of the second LNA 133 based on both the signal level of the target channel and the noise level of the connection cable 120.

[0091] As previously described, when the adjacent channel is a high electric field and the target channel is a low electric field, even if the RF signal is recognized as a high electric field signal, the first AGC 117 can maintain or increase the gain of the first LNA 113, thereby reducing the degradation of the total noise factor of the antenna system.

[0092] Referring to Equation 1, since the influence of the radio tuner 130 on the total noise factor is determined based on the gain of the first LNA 113, the control from the AGC 117 can reduce the influence of the radio tuner 130 on the total noise factor.

[0093] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram of an operation method of an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] Referring to Figure 5 , the first LNA in the antenna system adjusts the intensity of the RF signal received by the antenna element (S510).

[0095] Here, the antenna system includes a signal level detector and a first AGC to determine the gain of the first LNA.

[0096] The signal level detector detects the signal level of each channel in the RF signal. The signal level detector can detect the signal level of each channel by scanning the RF signal filtered by the channel filter.

[0097] The first AGC controls the gain of the first LNA based on the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channel in the RF signal. Specifically, if the difference between the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channel is greater than a threshold, the first AGC can increase the gain of the first LNA.

[0098] The mixer in the antenna system converts the adjusted RF signal received through the connection cable into an IF signal (S520).

[0099] The noise level detector in the antenna system measures the noise level introduced into the connection cable between the adjusted RF signal and the IF signal (S530).

[0100] Specifically, the noise level detector measures the noise level introduced into the connection cable (S530).

[0101] The second AGC in the antenna system controls the gain of the second LNA based on the intensity and noise level of the IF signal (S540).

[0102] Specifically, the second AGC determines the gain of the second LNA based on the intensity of the IF signal and adjusts the gain of the second LNA based on the noise level.

[0103] Meanwhile, the second automatic gain control (AGC) is powered off based on a comparison between the intensity of the IF signal and a threshold level. If the intensity of the IF signal is higher than the threshold level, the second AGC is powered off. Here, the threshold level refers to Figure 2 the third threshold or the fourth threshold in []. The threshold level is determined based on the noise level. If the noise level is high, the threshold level can be decreased. On the other hand, if the noise level is low, the threshold level may not be adjusted.

[0104] The second LNA in the antenna system adjusts the intensity of the IF signal based on the gain of the second LNA (S550).

[0105] The antenna system measures the noise level in the connection cable between the first LNA introduced into the antenna module and the second LNA of the radio tuner (S510).

[0106] The antenna system controls the gain of the second LNA according to the noise level (S520).

[0107] In addition, the antenna system can detect the signal level of each channel in the RF signal and control the gain of the first LNA based on the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channels in the RF signal.

[0108] Specifically, the antenna system detects the signal level of each channel by scanning the RF signal filtered by the channel filter.

[0109] After that, if the difference between the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channels is greater than the threshold, the antenna system can increase or maintain the gain of the first LNA.

[0110] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, deterioration of the noise factor caused by noise introduced into the connection cable between the antenna module and the radio tuner can be prevented.

[0111] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, deterioration of the noise factor caused by the signal intensity of the channels adjacent to the target channel can be prevented.

[0112] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0113] The various techniques described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations thereof. The implementation can be in the form of a computer program or a propagated signal tangibly embodied in a computer program product (i.e., an information carrier, e.g., a machine-readable storage device (computer-readable medium)) for processing by, or to control the operation of, a data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). A computer program, such as the computer programs mentioned above, can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to run on a single computer or multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0114] In addition, the components of the present disclosure can use integrated circuit structures such as memories, processors, logic circuits, lookup tables, etc. These integrated circuit structures execute each function described herein by controlling one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, the components of the present disclosure can be specifically implemented by a part of a program or code including one or more executable instructions for performing specific logic functions and executed by one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, the components of the present disclosure can include or be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, etc. for performing various functions. In addition, the components of the present disclosure can store instructions executed by one or more processors in one or more memories.

[0115] For example, processors suitable for processing computer programs include general and special purpose microprocessors, and one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer can include at least one processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include or be operatively coupled to one or more mass storage devices (e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data from which it receives data or to which it transfers data or both. By way of example, information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include semiconductor memory devices, such as magnetic media (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and digital video disk (DVD)), magneto-optical media (e.g., floppy optical disks), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

[0116] A processor can execute an operating system and software applications executed on the operating system. In addition, the processor device can access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to software execution. For convenience, there are cases where a single processor device is used, but those skilled in the art will understand that the processor device can include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processor device can include multiple processors or a single processor and a single controller. Other processing configurations (such as parallel processors) are also possible.

[0117] In addition, a non-transitory computer-readable medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer and can include both computer storage media and transmission media.

[0118] This specification includes details of various specific implementations, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of any invention or the scope of what is claimed, and should be understood as descriptions of features that may be unique to specific embodiments of a particular invention. In the context of various embodiments, the specific features described herein can also be implemented in combination with a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented independently or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Further, although features may operate in a particular combination and may initially be described as so claimed, in some cases, one or more features from the claimed combination can be excluded from the combination, and the claimed combination can be modified to a sub-combination or a variant of a sub-combination.

[0119] Similarly, although operations are described in a particular order in the figures, it should not be understood that such operations must be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order to achieve the desired result or that all described operations should be performed. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. In addition, the separation of the various device components of the above embodiments should not be understood as required in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and devices can generally be integrated in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0120] The above description is only an illustration of the technical concept of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the basic features of each embodiment. Therefore, this embodiment is not intended to limit but to describe the technical concept of this embodiment. The scope of the technical concept of the embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of various embodiments should be interpreted by the appended claims. All technical concepts falling within the scope of their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of this embodiment.

Claims

1. An antenna system for a vehicle, comprising: a first low noise amplifier for adjusting the strength of a radio frequency signal received by the antenna element; a mixer for converting a conditioned radio frequency signal received via the connecting cable into an intermediate frequency signal; A second low noise amplifier, used for adjusting the strength of the intermediate frequency signal; a noise level detector for measuring a noise level introduced into the connecting cable; as well as A second automatic gain controller is used to control the gain of the second low noise amplifier based on the strength of the intermediate frequency signal and the noise level.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The second automatic gain controller determines a gain of the second low noise amplifier based on the strength of the intermediate frequency signal, and adjusts the gain of the second low noise amplifier based on the noise level.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: the second automatic gain controller is powered off based on a comparison between the strength of the intermediate frequency signal and a threshold level, Wherein, the threshold level is determined based on the noise level.

4. The antenna system according to claim 1, further comprising: A signal level detector, used for detecting the signal level of each channel in the radio frequency signal; as well as The first automatic gain controller is used to control the gain of the first low noise amplifier based on the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channel in the radio frequency signal.

5. The antenna system according to claim 4, wherein: When a difference between the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channel is greater than a threshold, the first automatic gain controller increases a gain of the first low noise amplifier.

6. The antenna system according to claim 5, wherein: The signal level detector detects a signal level of each channel by scanning the radio frequency signal filtered by the channel filter.

7. A vehicle comprising the antenna system of claim 1.

8. A method for operating a vehicle antenna system, the method comprising: measuring, by a noise level detector, a noise level introduced into a connecting cable between a first low noise amplifier for adjusting the strength of a radio frequency signal received by an antenna element and a second low noise amplifier for adjusting the strength of an intermediate frequency signal converted from the adjusted radio frequency signal; as well as The gain of the second low noise amplifier is controlled by an automatic gain controller based on the strength of the intermediate frequency signal and the noise level.

9. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein: Controlling the gain of the second low noise amplifier comprises: determining a gain of the second low noise amplifier based on the strength of the intermediate frequency signal; and A gain of the second low noise amplifier is adjusted based on the noise level.

10. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein: Controlling the gain of the second low noise amplifier includes maintaining the gain of the second low noise amplifier based on a comparison between the strength of the intermediate frequency signal and a threshold level; Wherein, the threshold level is determined based on the noise level.

11. The operating method according to claim 8, further comprising: Detect the signal level of each channel in the RF signal; as well as The gain of the first low noise amplifier is controlled based on the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of an adjacent channel in the radio frequency signal.

12. The operating method according to claim 11, wherein: Controlling the gain of the first low noise amplifier includes increasing the gain of the first low noise amplifier when a difference between the signal level of the target channel and the signal level of the adjacent channel is greater than a threshold.

13. The operating method according to claim 12, wherein: Detecting the signal level of each channel includes detecting the signal level of each channel by scanning the radio frequency signal filtered by the channel filter.

14. A method for operating a vehicle antenna system, the method comprising: adjusting, by a first low noise amplifier, the strength of a radio frequency signal received by the antenna element; The mixer converts the conditioned radio frequency signal received via the connecting cable into an intermediate frequency signal; adjusting the strength of the intermediate frequency signal by a second low noise amplifier; measuring, by a noise level detector, a noise level introduced into the connecting cable; as well as The gain of the second low noise amplifier is controlled by a second automatic gain controller based on the strength of the intermediate frequency signal and the noise level.

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