Steerable antenna system for the interior of a motor vehicle and method for operating a steerable antenna system

Abstract

The invention relates to a steerable antenna system (18) for a motor vehicle interior (16).The antenna system (18) comprises: at least one antenna (3) for radiating at least one electromagnetic antenna signal (4), wherein the antenna system (18) aligns a main lobe (1) of the antenna signal (4) with at least one degree of freedom by means of the at least one antenna (3); and at least one electronic computing unit (19) which is configured to receive at least one request signal (22, 23) from at least one requesting receiving device (10, 11) in the interior (15) and to determine one of the at least one requesting receiving device (10, 11) as the target device (10) and to orient the main lobe (1) of the antenna signal (4) towards the target device (10), wherein the antenna system (18) is configured to keep at least a part of a remainder of the antenna signal (4) directed towards at least one further receiving device (11) outside the main lobe (1), but still within the interior (15).Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a steerable antenna system (18).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles. In particular, the present invention relates to a steerable antenna system for the interior of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding method for operating a steerable antenna system.

[0002] According to the prior art, as exemplified in document JP 2 004 180 246 A, a stationary wireless device can comprise a parabolic concave mirror with an integrated omnidirectional antenna at an approximate focal point of the parabolic concave mirror. For example, the concave mirror can be mounted on a reflector mounting swivel arm. The mirror and antenna can be positioned at an access point device in a wireless local area network system.

[0003] According to the prior art, as exemplified in document US 2023 / 0370158A1, a wireless satellite communication device can be mounted on a vehicle. A mobile antenna of the wireless communication device can be an actuator-controlled phased-array array antenna pointed at a space satellite. The wireless satellite communication device can communicate wirelessly with local devices.

[0004] One disadvantage of the prior art relates to the signal distribution emitted by a device for improving signal reception. Specifically, the signal distribution in the prior art can be either unfocused or concentrated on a single user device. If the signal distribution is concentrated on a single user device, other user devices cannot benefit from improved signal reception. If the signal distribution is unfocused, transmission power may be lost in directions where no user devices are located, and / or at least one user device may not receive a sufficient improvement in signal reception for the uninterrupted execution of a running program.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a steerable antenna system and a corresponding method by which the signal reception for portable terminal devices inside a motor vehicle can be improved.

[0006] This problem is solved by a steerable antenna system and a corresponding method according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0007] One aspect of the invention relates to a steerable antenna system for the interior of a motor vehicle. The antenna system comprises at least one antenna configured to radiate at least one electromagnetic antenna signal. The antenna system is configured to orient or align a main lobe of the antenna signal with at least one degree of freedom. Furthermore, the antenna system comprises an electronic processing unit configured to receive at least one request signal from at least one requesting receiver in the interior, to determine one of the at least one requesting receiver as the target device, and to orient the main lobe of the antenna signal toward the target device. The antenna system is configured to keep at least a portion of the remaining antenna signal directed toward at least one further receiver outside the main lobe, but still within the interior.

[0008] By directing the antenna system such that the main lobe of the antenna signal is aimed at a user with higher demand and the remaining lobes are aimed at users with lower demand, signal reception within the vehicle can be improved. Therefore, the objective of the present invention, as formulated in the preceding section, can be achieved by applying the aforementioned principle.

[0009] The at least one antenna can be, for example, a helical antenna; a horn antenna; a Yagi-Uda antenna; or a microstrip antenna such as a patch antenna.

[0010] An electromagnetic antenna signal can be, for example, a high-frequency signal, a VHF signal such as a signal with a frequency of 54 to 60 MHz, which is used for television broadcasting. According to one embodiment, which is described in more detail below, the antenna signal is a WLAN signal. Examples of WLAN frequencies are 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz.

[0011] The main lobe is not necessarily stronger than the other lobes of the electromagnetic signal. Instead, the main lobe has at least as much power as any other individual lobe. For example, the antenna system may be configured so that the electromagnetic antenna signal has several lobes with approximately equal power. Alternatively, the main lobe may also be the most powerful lobe.

[0012] The main lobe is aligned within the vehicle with respect to spatial coordinates and / or angles. For example, the antenna system can be configured so that the main lobe is rotated around an axis parallel to a wheel axis (transverse axis) of the vehicle. In this way, the antenna system can align the main lobe from the driver's seat of the vehicle to a rear seat directly behind the driver's seat (as viewed from the vehicle's windshield).

[0013] The ability to pivot the main and secondary lobes is made possible by various further developments of the invention, which are described below.

[0014] The receiving device is configured to transmit at least at a frequency at which the antenna system is configured to receive. Furthermore, the receiving device is configured to receive at least at a frequency at which the antenna system is configured to transmit. Examples of receiving devices include portable tablets, smartphones, personal computers, smartwatches, radios, and portable televisions.

[0015] The request signal can be, for example, a network packet transmitted from the first receiving device to the antenna system. The request signal can include, for example, the date and / or time, as well as a requested network load. The transmission of the request signal can automatically qualify as a request that the main lobe be directed toward the receiving device sending the request signal, or the request signal can explicitly request that the main lobe be directed toward the sending receiving device. The method by which the electronic processing unit determines the direction in which the receiving device is pointing is described later.

[0016] The choice of which receiving device is selected as the target device in the case of several requesting receiving devices can be implemented by a person skilled in the art using known solutions, for example with "first come, first served" or randomly or based on the highest of the different priorities assigned among the receiving devices.

[0017] The remainder of the antenna signal comprises all the power radiated by the antenna system outside the main lobe, but still at the frequency of the antenna signal. The portion intended for at least one other receiving device may include a series of sidelobes with power levels that are at most equal to the power level of the main lobe. Alternatively or additionally, this portion may follow a diffuse power characteristic of radiation in at least one angular interval, such that the radiated power does not vary with the angle, or such that the radiated power varies more with the angle than in an interval classified as a lobe.

[0018] As a result of directing the main lobe of the antenna signal towards the receiving device and distributing at least a portion of the remaining antenna signal within the vehicle's interior, signal reception within a vehicle can be improved as needed for multiple devices simultaneously. Therefore, the previously stated problem can be solved by the present invention.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the antenna system comprises at least two antennas and at least two of the at least two antennas form a phased-array group antenna.

[0020] A phased-array array antenna comprises at least two antennas radiating the same antenna signal, but potentially with different phase shifts and / or amplitudes, which are steered by an antenna feed system. Differences in phase shifts and / or amplitudes can lead to a shift of at least one physical location of constructive or destructive interference of the antenna signal. In this way, the spatial orientation of at least one main lobe and / or at least one side lobe can be modified by the electronic processing unit.

[0021] In other words, in this embodiment the positions of the individual antennas relative to the motor vehicle remain unchanged, while for individual antennas in the antenna system at least one phase shift and / or at least one amplitude of the antenna signal is changed.

[0022] One advantage of this embodiment is that, by simultaneously feeding all antennas with the same phase shift through the electronic processing unit, the overall antenna gain can be increased compared to a single large antenna. A further advantage of this embodiment is that with a sufficiently complex antenna feed system, multiple radiation beams can be generated, so that each receiving device within the vehicle's interior can receive a side lobe specifically intended for that device.

[0023] Another advantage of this embodiment is that a group of antennas can determine the position of a receiving device sending a query signal, since the query signal is received by several individual antennas with slightly different positions. This advantage is further explained in another embodiment of a different aspect of the invention.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the antenna signal is a WLAN signal. For example, the antenna signal can be an ultra-high frequency (UHF) signal, such as a 2.4 GHz signal used as a long-range WLAN signal. An electromagnetic antenna signal can also be, for example, a super-high frequency (SHF) signal, such as a 5 GHz signal used as a short-range WLAN signal.

[0025] This design offers the advantage that the antenna system can potentially work with any receiving device that supports WLAN, such as tablets, smartphones, personal computers and smartwatches.

[0026] According to one embodiment, at least one antenna is an omnidirectional antenna. This embodiment offers the advantage of distributing the electromagnetic antenna signal potentially throughout the entire interior of the vehicle.

[0027] Furthermore, when combined with a component whose geometry passively concentrates the radiation, such as the horn of a horn-type antenna, the radiation emitted by the omnidirectional antenna can be limited to regions within the vehicle's interior. For example, if an omnidirectional antenna transmits an electromagnetic antenna signal without a concentrating component, part of the signal can radiate upwards through the vehicle's roof, resulting in power loss.

[0028] Therefore, this embodiment is an example of how to keep at least part of the remainder of the antenna signal directed towards at least one other receiving device outside the main lobe, but still within the interior.

[0029] In this way, receiving devices outside the main lobe can benefit from improved signal reception, since the main lobe provides a concentrated signal to the first receiving device and the omnidirectional antenna distributes at least part of the remaining antenna signal throughout the entire interior of the vehicle.

[0030] According to one embodiment, at least one parabolic mirror is included.

[0031] This design offers the advantage of simplifying the antenna system's construction. The parabolic reflector can be used to concentrate rays of the antenna signal onto the first receiving device, potentially requiring only one radiator. The main lobe of the antenna signal can then be directed onto the first receiving device, regardless of its location within the vehicle, by motorizing the parabolic reflector in various directions.

[0032] The parabolic reflector of this embodiment can be particularly advantageous when combined with the omnidirectional antenna of a previous embodiment.

[0033] Half of the antenna signal that would otherwise be radiated away from the vehicle interior by the omnidirectional antenna can be focused by the parabolic reflector to form the main lobe, while the other half, due to its original orientation, is dispersed unfocused within the vehicle's interior. This design can achieve improved reception quality inside the vehicle with exceptional simplicity, which can facilitate manufacturing and / or increase the antenna system's durability.

[0034] The term "parabolic mirror" refers to a specific type of reflector geometry. This geometry is well suited for the task of focusing rays from an omnidirectional antenna onto a receiving device. Alternatively, a similar design within the scope of the present invention may include a non-paraboloidal reflector, e.g., a horn of a horn antenna as mentioned in a previous embodiment.

[0035] According to one embodiment, at least one component of the antenna system is controlled by the electronic computing unit via at least one electric motor.

[0036] For example, at least one antenna could be steered in different directions by the electric motor, similar to security cameras. For example, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera could use two coordinated motors to change the camera's pitch and yaw angles.

[0037] This embodiment offers the advantage of enabling the automatic alignment and / or repositioning of at least one component of the antenna system, thereby increasing the user-friendliness of the antenna system, as a user might otherwise have to position the at least one component manually. For example, the electronic processing unit can execute a sequence to operate the at least one electric motor based on a calibration of the electric motor, so that the electric motor automatically points toward a specific target. In this example, the calibration can correspond to a computer-readable state of the electric motor, consisting of a set of angles that specify a direction in which the at least one component should point, e.g., a direction from the at least one component to the receiving device.Alternatively, the calibration can correspond to the computer-readable state of the electric motor from a physical location inside the vehicle, where at least one component of the antenna system is to be displayed.

[0038] Furthermore, when combined with the parabolic reflector and omnidirectional antenna of a previous embodiment, the electric motor can be used to directly align the main lobe, since the parabolic reflector continuously aligns the radiation from the omnidirectional antenna. Using only two electric motors, the parabolic reflector and omnidirectional antenna can automatically align approximately half of the antenna signal, as the main lobe, at the first receiving device, regardless of its location within the vehicle's interior, while simultaneously distributing the other half of the antenna signal evenly throughout the vehicle's interior. This combination of embodiments can be advantageous due to its combination of design simplification and ease of use.

[0039] The electric motor of the preceding embodiment can also be used to reposition components instead of, or in addition to, reorientation. For example, the electric motor can be used to stow a parabolic reflector of the antenna system when a key is removed from the vehicle's ignition. This mechanism can have the advantage of protecting the parabolic reflector when not in use. For example, moving a bulky object into the vehicle's interior might involve an unintentional collision with the parabolic reflector, which can be avoided if the reflector can stow itself automatically.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating a steerable antenna system according to the preceding aspect. The at least one request signal is received by the electronic processing unit. The electronic processing unit determines a beam distribution plan, which includes at least one beam target point, depending on the at least one request signal. The electronic processing unit resolves a configuration of the steerable antenna system to implement the beam distribution plan. The electronic processing unit configures the steerable antenna system according to the configuration. The antenna signal is then transmitted by the electronic processing unit.

[0041] The at least one beam target point includes at least the first receiving device mentioned in the preceding section. Each of the at least one beam target points can be directed at at least one further receiving device.

[0042] The beam distribution plan contains a beam strength allocation for each target point. For example, a beam distribution plan might allocate 50% of the total antenna signal power to the main lobe, i.e., the first receiving device. Furthermore, the beam distribution plan might, for instance, allocate the remaining 50% of the antenna signal strength as diffuse radiation to all other receiving devices inside the vehicle. Such an example is particularly suitable when the antenna system includes a parabolic reflector and an omnidirectional antenna.

[0043] A beamforming plan might, for example, allocate 40% of the antenna signal strength to the main lobe and the remaining 60% to three side lobes of equal power, directed to three additional receivers. This means each side lobe receives 20% of the total antenna signal power. This example can be particularly suitable if the antenna system includes a phased-array array antenna that has sufficient flexibility to produce such a radiation pattern.

[0044] A steerable antenna system configuration is a computer-readable state of at least one component of the antenna system, the setting of which modifies a power characteristic of the antenna signal's radiation. For example, if the steerable antenna system includes a parabolic reflector driven by two electric motors, the configuration of the steerable antenna system could be a set of angular positions for the two electric motors. Another example: If the steerable antenna system includes a phased-array array antenna, the configuration of the steerable antenna system could include a set of values ​​for adjustable electrical components in the antenna feed system, such as potentiometer resistances and / or capacitor values ​​for phase-switching sub-circuits.

[0045] Since the configuration of the steerable antenna system is solved to influence the beam pattern, the configuration solution step can involve determining the position of each beam target and transforming this position (at least one) into a control signal for at least one component of the antenna system, such that the power characteristic of the antenna signal matches the beam pattern. For example, if the steerable antenna system includes a phased-array array antenna, the electronic processing unit can measure the query signal using at least two antennas in the phased-array array. The steerable antenna system can, for instance, be calibrated with fixed values ​​for the positions of at least two antennas.The calibrations can then be applied by the electronic computing unit to calculate an estimated origin angle of the query signal from the at least two measurements of the query signal.

[0046] As an additional step in the process, the antenna signal may have been received as a Wi-Fi signal from outside the vehicle. For example, a Wi-Fi repeater installed in a house rebroadcasts a signal from a router. Similarly, the antenna system can relay a received signal to the first receiving device and at least one further receiving device.

[0047] As a result of applying the method, signal reception within a motor vehicle can be improved, since the steerable antenna system can respond to at least one request for improved signal reception by reconfiguring the at least one antenna to generate a radiation performance characteristic that assigns greater signal power over at least one angular interval corresponding to the at least one request. Therefore, the problem stated above can be solved by the present invention.

[0048] According to one embodiment, determining the beam distribution plan involves assigning a priority to at least one request signal by the electronic processing unit. The electronic processing unit can, for example, compare characteristics of at least two request signals to estimate a signal requirement based on which the at least two request signals can be sorted.

[0049] For example, when determining the beam distribution plan, the electronic processing unit can consider an ideal data rate value estimated by a receiving device associated with each request signal. For instance, if a receiving device is streaming a movie, the request signal can include an estimate of the minimum data rate the receiving device needs to play the movie without interruption.

[0050] The antenna system can automatically track the actual data consumption of each receiving device to continuously verify the accuracy of request signals. For example, if a request signal claims a high minimum data rate but ultimately uses a small amount of data, the electronic processing unit can deprioritize the receiving device connected to the inconsistent request signal.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the solution for configuring the steerable antenna system includes the electronic processing unit providing a set of phase shifts and / or amplitudes for at least two individual component signals of the antenna signal sent to at least two different antennas of the steerable antenna system. Both analog and digital beamforming are included here. That is, the set of phase shifts and / or amplitudes can be implemented either by adjusting circuit elements such as potentiometers in an antenna feed system or by modifying the signal sent to each antenna.

[0052] This embodiment offers the advantage of automatically aligning the power characteristics of the radiation from a phased-array array antenna. As already mentioned in the description of an embodiment of a previous aspect of the invention, a phased-array array antenna can offer advantages in generating a more powerful, concentrated beam as well as a more differentiated power characteristic of the radiation than would be possible if the steerable antenna system were implemented with a parabolic reflector.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the method includes the additional step of guiding the at least one antenna through the electronic computing unit to determine the physical location of the source of the at least one query signal.

[0054] This embodiment can offer an advantage by facilitating a form of radio direction finding with a single radio receiver. It is known in the prior art that radio direction finding can be carried out simply by comparing an electromagnetic signal as measured by at least two radio receivers of known separation. However, if the steerable antenna system is implemented with an omnidirectional antenna and a parabolic reflector, as, for example, according to two embodiments of a previous aspect of the invention, it can simplify the design to carry out a method requiring only one receiver.

[0055] In particular, in the example of the steerable antenna system consisting of an omnidirectional antenna and a parabolic reflector, the steerable antenna system can be steered across its range of motion to search for an angle that corresponds to a signal strength maximum of each of the at least one request signal. Then, as soon as the electronic processing unit assigns a first receiver to a main lobe, the parabolic reflector can be brought to a standstill as soon as it points in a direction determined by the maximum of the request signal emitted by the first receiver.

[0056] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the procedure and are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, according to the procedure, an error message and / or a request for user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0057] A computing unit can be understood, in particular, as a data processing device containing a processing circuit. The computing unit can therefore process data to perform arithmetic operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed access to a data structure, such as a lookup table (LUT).

[0058] The computing unit may, in particular, contain one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more systems on a chip (SoCs). The computing unit may also contain one or more processors, for example, one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). The computing unit may also include a physical or virtual array of computers or other units of the aforementioned type.

[0059] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more storage units.

[0060] A storage unit can be volatile data storage, for example as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static random access memory (SRAM), or as non-volatile data storage, for example as read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or flash EEPROM, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), or magnetoresistive random access memory.It can be designed as MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) or as phase-change random access memory, PCRAM (phase-change random access memory).

[0061] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also includes realizations that each exhibit a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.

[0062] The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention described. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1 A first diagram of a phased-array group antenna that generates multiple lobes of an antenna signal; Fig. 2 a second diagram of a phased-array group antenna that generates multiple lobes of an antenna signal; Fig. 3 a third diagram of a phased-array group antenna that generates multiple lobes of an antenna signal; Fig. 4 a three-part diagram of an omnidirectional antenna with radiation guidance by means of a parabolic mirror; Fig. 5 a three-part schematic view of a side view of a motor vehicle having an omnidirectional antenna with radiation guidance by means of a parabolic mirror; Fig. 6 a schematic side view of a motor vehicle comprising several embodiments of the steerable antenna system and illustrating several embodiments of the method; and Fig. 7 A schematic flowchart according to several embodiments of the method.

[0063] The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0064] In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0065] Fig. Figure 1 shows a main lobe 1 and several side lobes 2 of an antenna signal 4, which is generated by the coordination of several antennas 3, of which only three are labeled to simplify the diagram. In this example, the antennas 3 can be arranged in a grid of, for example, four by eight to form a phased-array array antenna 5 consisting of thirty-two antennas 3. According to the lobes 1, 2, the antenna signal 4 is transmitted at different signal strengths, here characterized in the known manner by a quantity specific to each lobe 1, 2. The complex pattern of lobes 1, 2, as shown here, is possible because at least two of the antennas 3 differ in phase and / or signal amplitude.

[0066] Fig. 2 shows content that corresponds to that of Fig. Figure 1 is similar, but shown from a different angle. Furthermore, in this example, the antennas 3 can be arranged in a grid of, for example, eight by eight to form a phased-array group antenna 5 consisting of sixty-four antennas 3. A higher number of antennas 3 can give a manufacturer greater control over the power characteristics of the radiation, for example, facilitating more complex patterns. Additionally, in Fig. 2. Several backlobes 6 are partially visible. Backlobes 6 can represent a power loss in non-preferred directions. However, increasing the number of antennas 3 and adjusting the signal amplitudes and phase differences can help reduce the power loss in non-preferred directions.

[0067] Fig. Figure 3 again shows a phased-array group antenna 5 in a similar arrangement as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, but from a third perspective and in a more advantageous usage situation. This diagram shows several receiving devices 7, 8, 9, and 10. In this example, the phased-array array antenna 5 is advantageously not configured to radiate diffusely, but rather in defined lobes 1 and 2. For this purpose, receiving devices 7, 8, 9, and 10 can each send at least one data packet, such as a ping, to the phased-array array antenna 5, so that receiving devices 7, 8, 9, and 10 can benefit from improved signal reception by aligning one of the lobes toward the requesting receiving device.

[0068] In particular, as soon as the receiving devices 7, 8, 9 and 10 transmit the at least one data packet to the phased-array group antenna 5, the phased-array group antenna 5 can be used to determine the location of the transmitting receiving devices 7, 8, 9 and 10, e.g. by determining the angle of incidence of the radio signal on the group antenna 5. This allows the phased-array group antenna 5 to generate or align sidelobes 2 for the receiving devices 7, 8, 9 and 10.

[0069] Fig. Figure 4a shows a cross-section illustrating how an omnidirectional antenna 11 can be positioned in front of a parabolic reflector 12, particularly at its focal point or focal line, to provide both unfocused radiation 13 and concentrated or directional radiation 14 of an antenna signal 3. A portion of the omnidirectional, unfocused radiation 13 from the omnidirectional antenna escapes in directions away from the parabolic reflector 12.

[0070] Fig. Figure 4b shows how the same arrangement of omnidirectional antenna 11 and parabolic reflector 12 can produce directed, concentrated radiation 14. In particular, the unfocused radiation 13 emitted by the omnidirectional antenna towards the parabolic reflector 12 can be reflected due to the parabolic geometry of the parabolic reflector 12, such that all rays of the unfocused radiation 13 are approximately parallel to each other. The approximate direction common to all reflected rays of the unfocused radiation 13 can be determined by the orientation of the parabolic reflector relative to the omnidirectional antenna 11.

[0071] Fig. 4c shows a superposition of Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b. In this example, the omnidirectional antenna 11 can continuously radiate the unfocused radiation 13 in all directions, while approximately half of the unfocused radiation 13 is reflected by the parabolic reflector 12 as concentrated radiation 14. Consequently, the arrangement shown can be used to ensure the antenna signal 3 throughout the interior of a motor vehicle, while at the same time the concentrated radiation 14 ensures particularly strong reception for a single target.

[0072] Fig. 5 shows how the arrangement consists of Fig. 4 can be arranged in an interior 15 of a motor vehicle 16. To simplify the diagrams, let Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b the omnidirectional antenna 11 is optically removed, but functionally it is present in front of the parabolic reflector 12 as described.

[0073] Fig. Figure 5a shows a first possible orientation of the parabolic mirror 12, such that the concentrated radiation 14 strikes a receiver 7, 8, 9, and 10 at a front seat in the interior 15, for example, a driver's seat. Meanwhile, the unfocused radiation 13 can spread approximately evenly throughout the entire interior 15.

[0074] Fig. Figure 5b shows a second possible orientation of the parabolic mirror 12. Here, the concentrated radiation 14 can strike a device at a rear seat in the interior 15, for example, a middle rear seat. The unfocused radiation 13 can continue to spread approximately uniformly throughout the entire interior 15. The extent of the interior 15 covered by the unfocused radiation 13 may only be slightly affected by the changed orientation of the parabolic mirror 12.

[0075] To illustrate an advantage of combining the omnidirectional antenna 11 with the parabolic reflector 12, shows Fig. Figure 5c shows a comparatively disadvantageous operation of the omnidirectional antenna 11 without the parabolic reflector 12. Completely diffuse radiation 17 is shown emanating from the omnidirectional antenna 11, some of which, in this example, may escape through the rear of the vehicle 16. This leakage can be considered an inefficiency in the form of power loss. In contrast, with the addition of a parabolic reflector 12, escaping rays can be directed back into the interior 15 and, in particular, directed towards a receiving device 7, 8, 9, and 10.

[0076] Fig. Figure 6 shows the motor vehicle 16. In this example, the motor vehicle 16 can include an example of a steerable antenna system 18. The antenna system 18 can be installed at any location in the interior 15. In this example, however, the antenna system 18 can be specifically installed along a ceiling of the interior 15, between a driver's seat and a passenger's seat.

[0077] According to one embodiment and in this example, the steerable antenna system 18 can comprise the omnidirectional antenna 11. The electromagnetic antenna signal 4 can be sent to the omnidirectional antenna 11 by an electronic processing unit 19 of the steerable antenna system 18.

[0078] According to one embodiment and in this example, the steerable antenna system 18 can further comprise the parabolic reflector 12.

[0079] According to one embodiment and in this example, the antenna signal 4 can be a WLAN signal such as a signal with a frequency of 2.4 GHz. Furthermore, in this example, the antenna signal 4 can originate from a mobile broadband network such as a satellite internet access system. In particular, in this example, an internet satellite 20 transmits the antenna signal 4 to the antenna system 18.

[0080] According to one embodiment and in this example, at least one component of the antenna system 18 can be controlled by the electronic processing unit 19 via at least one electric motor 21. In particular, in this example, the parabolic mirror 12 can be driven by two electric motors 21 of the antenna system 18, one for controlling a tilt angle of the parabolic mirror 12 and another for controlling a yaw angle of the parabolic mirror 12.

[0081] The parabolic reflector 12 allows the main lobe 1 of the antenna signal 4 to be aligned with at least one degree of freedom. Since the two electric motors 21 can control both the tilt and the yaw of the parabolic reflector 12, the main lobe 1 of the antenna signal 4 can be aligned with two degrees of freedom.

[0082] The electronic processing unit 19 is configured to receive at least one request signal from at least one requesting receiving device in the interior 15. In this example, a first request signal 22 is generated by a first requesting receiving device 10, which is, for example, a tablet streaming a film via an internet-based film streaming service.

[0083] Furthermore, in this example, the electronic processing unit 19 can also receive a second request signal 23 from a second requesting receiving device 11. In this example, the second receiving device 11 can be a smartphone using an instant messaging service.

[0084] In this example, the request signals 22, 23 can include various data, e.g., minimum bit rates estimated by the requesting receiving devices 10, 11 to ensure uninterrupted service; IP addresses of the requesting receiving devices 10, 11; and MAC addresses of the requesting receiving devices 10, 11.

[0085] However, the request signals 22, 23 can also contain other data depending on the use case. For example, if the antenna system 18 is configured with at least one parental control, the electronic processing unit 19 can require that the request signals 22, 23 contain information about the program call on the requesting receiving devices 10, 11 and compare this information against a predefined threshold. For example, the electronic processing unit 19 can be configured by a parent to assign the main lobe 1 only to the requesting receiving device 10, 11 if the request signal 22, 23 confirms that, for example, at least 90% of the time a user spends on the requesting receiving device 10, 11 is spent using a learning app.

[0086] In this example, the electronic processing unit 19 can prioritize between the two request signals 22 and 23, as described in one embodiment. Specifically, in this example, a first estimated minimum bit rate contained in the first request signal 22 can be higher than a second estimated minimum bit rate contained in the second request signal 23. Consequently, the electronic processing unit 19 can, for example, decide to direct the main lobe 1 toward the first receiver 10 instead of the second receiver. That is, the electronic processing unit 19 can determine that the first receiver 10 is the destination device 10.

[0087] In this example, although the electronic processing unit 19 has received the first query signal 22, it may not yet have determined the direction from the antenna system 18 to the first receiving device 10. In this example, and according to one embodiment, the electronic processing unit 19 can steer the at least one antenna 3 such that a direction from the at least one antenna 3 to the first receiving device can be determined.

[0088] In particular, the electronic processing unit 19 in this example can be pre-calibrated by a manufacturer of the motor vehicle 16 with seven pairs of angles, each pair of angles specifying an optimal pitch and yaw angle in conjunction with each of the seven passenger seats of the motor vehicle 16, excluding the driver's seat. The electronic processing unit 19 can, in this example, generate a series of control signals for the electric motors 21 to align the parabolic reflector 12 according to each of the seven pairs of angles. While the antenna system 18 thus switches between the pairs of angles, the first receiver 10 can continue to transmit at least one signal that is unique to the first receiver, e.g., the first request signal 22.

[0089] In particular, the electronic processing unit 19 in this example can record the signal strength of the at least one unique signal with the parabolic reflector 12, which is aligned according to each of the seven pairs of angles. The electronic processing unit 19 can then, for example, use the maximum recorded value of the signal strength as an indication of the pair of angles that corresponds to the direction from the antenna system 18 to the first receiver 10. In this example, the electronic processing unit 19 can therefore generate a control signal for the electric motors 21 to orient the parabolic reflector 12, and thus the main lobe 1, according to the pair of angles associated with the maximum recorded value of the signal strength.

[0090] In this example, vehicle 16 could be a sport utility vehicle (SUV) capable of carrying up to eight passengers. However, vehicle 16 could also be, as another example, a double-decker bus capable of carrying up to eighty passengers. Therefore, it may even be necessary for each antenna system in a double-decker bus to process query signals from, for example, up to fifteen receiving devices, even if multiple antenna systems are installed.

[0091] In this example, both the first request signal 22 and the second request signal 23 can be received by the electronic processing unit 19 via the omnidirectional antenna 11. Such a configuration can be advantageous because it can simplify the design of the electronic processing unit 19, which may not require a separate telecommunications device such as a WNIC (Wireless Network Interface Controller), as long as the electronic processing unit 19 can receive at least one request signal 22 via at least one of the at least one antenna 3.

[0092] The antenna system 18 can be configured to direct at least part of the remaining antenna signal 4 towards at least one additional receiver 11 located outside the main lobe 1, but still within the interior 15. In this example, approximately half of the electromagnetic antenna signal 4, which is radiated by the omnidirectional antenna 11 and therefore not focused by the parabolic reflector 12, can be diffusely distributed throughout the interior 15. In this way, the second receiver 11 can also benefit from improved signal reception in this example.

[0093] Fig. Figure 7 shows a schematic flowchart according to several embodiments of the method.

[0094] In a first step S1, the request signal 8 is received by the electronic processing unit 19. In this example, and according to one embodiment, the antenna system 18 can comprise at least two antennas 3, and at least two of these antennas 3 can form a phased-array group antenna 5. In particular, in this example, the antenna system 18 can comprise sixteen antennas 3 arranged in a four-by-four grid.

[0095] In this example, the vehicle 16 can be a minivan. Furthermore, in this example, the antenna system 18 can be installed along the ceiling of the interior 15, behind a middle seat in the rearmost row of seats.

[0096] In a second step S2, the electronic processing unit 19 determines a beam distribution plan. In this example, the electronic processing unit 19 receives a total of four request signals from four requesting receivers within the interior 15. The beam distribution plan includes at least one beam target depending on the request signals. In this example, and according to one embodiment, the electronic processing unit 19 can assign a priority to each of the four request signals based on a minimum requested bit rate associated with each request signal.

[0097] In this example, the electronic processing unit 19 can designate one of the four requesting receiving devices as the destination device 10, since the corresponding request signal 9 specifies a minimum requested bit rate of 16 Mbps, which may be greater than the minimum requested bit rates of all other request signals, which at this time can be referred to as further request signals 11. The remaining three minimum requested bit rates in this example can be 8 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 4 Mbps, and priorities can be assigned to the corresponding further request signals 11 that correspond to these minimum requested bit rates.

[0098] Based on these priorities, the electronic computing unit 19 in this example can determine a beam distribution plan that allocates 50% of all radiated power carrying the antenna signal 4 to the main lobe 1.

[0099] Furthermore, in this example, the electronic processing unit 19 can assign three sidelobes 2 to the three additional receivers 12 according to their assigned priorities in the beamforming plan. Specifically, in this example, the beamforming plan can assign sidelobes 2 comprising 25%, 12.5%, and 12.5%, respectively, of the total radiated power carried by the antenna signal 4 to the additional receivers 12, corresponding to the additional request signals 11 associated with minimum bit rates of 8 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 4 Mbps, respectively.

[0100] In a third step S3, the electronic processing unit 19 calculates a configuration of the steerable antenna system 18 to implement the beam distribution plan. According to one embodiment and in this example, S3 can include the calculation by the electronic processing unit 19 for a set of phase shifts and / or amplitudes for at least two individual component signals of the antenna signal that are to be transmitted to at least two different antennas 3 of the steerable antenna system 18.

[0101] In this example, the antenna system 18 can comprise the phased-array array antenna 5. Specifically, in this example, the phased-array array antenna 5 can comprise sixteen antennas 3. The electronic processing unit 19 can thus supply sixteen individual component signals to the phased-array array antenna 5: one component signal for each individual antenna 3. To provide these sixteen component signals, the electronic processing unit 19 can, in this example, determine a phase shift and an amplitude for each component signal.

[0102] In a fourth step S4, the electronic processing unit 19 configures the steerable antenna system 18 according to the configuration. In this example, after calculating the set of phase shifts and amplitudes, the electronic processing unit 19 can generate at least one control signal to modify an antenna feed system used by the electronic processing unit 19 to transmit the antenna signal 4 to the phased-array group antenna 5.

[0103] In particular, the electronic processing unit 19 in this example can generate a series of control signals to implement the set of sixteen phase shifts and the set of sixteen amplitudes calculated by the electronic processing unit 19 in S3. Specifically, the series of control signals in this example can modify at least one resistance of a resistive element and / or at least one capacitance of a capacitor element, for example, in a phase-change sub-circuit. Alternatively or additionally, the series of control signals can, for example, change an input voltage for at least one operational amplifier, resulting in a modification of the gain of the at least one operational amplifier.

[0104] As an alternative to control signals for modifying a circuit, the electronic processing unit 19 can digitally modify the antenna signal 4 to implement at least one phase shift and / or at least one amplitude modification. However, a hybrid approach can also be implemented, whereby at least one calculated phase change and / or at least one calculated amplitude is implemented via digital modifications, and where at least one calculated phase change and / or at least one calculated amplitude is implemented by reconfiguring the hardware.

[0105] In a fifth step S5, the antenna signal 4 is triggered by the electronic processing unit 19.

[0106] Overall, it is shown how the invention can provide a directional high-gain antenna for wireless mobile communication services in a motor vehicle. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2 004 180 246 A

[0002] US 2023 / 0 370 158 A1

[0003]

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