Vehicle comprising an antenna arrangement for distance measurements in the traffic area

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle comprising a glass pane (10) and an antenna arrangement (1) for distance measurements in the traffic area, arranged in an interior of the vehicle behind the glass pane (10), wherein the antenna arrangement (1) comprises a circuit board (2) having at least one opening (3) in the form of a slot, at least one strip line (5) arranged on a first side (4) of the circuit board (2) corresponding to the at least one opening (3), which is at least partially arranged within a recess provided on the first side (4) of the circuit board (2), and at least one secondary radiator (7) arranged on a second side (6) of the circuit board (2) corresponding to the at least one opening (3), wherein the secondary radiator (7) is arranged at a distance from the circuit board (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle comprising an antenna arrangement for distance measurements in the traffic sector.

[0002] Antennas for pulse radar radio systems operating according to ultra-wideband (UWB) technology must have a very large relative bandwidth (of, for example, 12.5% ​​or more) of the respective radio system and must not generate any significant phase distortions within such a bandwidth, so that a group delay that is as constant as possible is achieved.

[0003] In order to integrate such a radio system cost-effectively into existing vehicles (e.g. rail vehicles), an antenna arrangement is either mounted directly behind a front or rear window or has a greater distance to the aforementioned windows.

[0004] In both of these cases, however, it is problematic that the antenna arrangement is detuned or influenced by the disc (for example, a glass pane), and thus the above-mentioned requirements regarding low phase distortion are no longer met.

[0005] To mitigate this problem, antennas or antenna assemblies are currently mounted externally (i.e., not behind a window inside a vehicle), resulting in increased effort and therefore higher costs. These costs are primarily due to the necessary certification and / or maintenance requirements resulting from harsher environmental conditions (such as snow, ice, etc.). Furthermore, for interior applications, numerous different assemblies with varying dimensions are available for mounting directly on the glass as well as at greater distances. The resulting high product diversity necessitates corresponding warehousing, which also generates significant effort and costs.

[0006] The task is therefore to provide an antenna arrangement that avoids the aforementioned disadvantages while still fulfilling the required technical properties.

[0007] According to the invention, a vehicle comprising a glass pane and an antenna arrangement for distance measurements in the traffic area is provided in an interior of the vehicle behind the glass pane, wherein the antenna arrangement comprises a printed circuit board having at least one opening in the form of a slot, at least one strip line arranged on a first side of the printed circuit board corresponding to the at least one opening, which is at least partially arranged within a recess provided on the first side of the printed circuit board, and at least one secondary radiator arranged on a second side of the printed circuit board corresponding to the at least one opening, wherein the secondary radiator is arranged at a distance from the printed circuit board.

[0008] According to the invention, the dimensions of an excitation structure (i.e., the slot and feed network as well as the distance to the secondary radiator) are designed such that operation as required near a glass pane as well as operation in free space is ensured. The presented solution therefore has the advantage that only the secondary radiator needs to be replaced to meet different requirements. Such a replacement can be carried out in a simple manner.

[0009] This reduces the required product variety, as only a single antenna arrangement or antenna system is needed for all installation variants behind a glass pane. If necessary, only the secondary radiator needs to be replaced during project planning, which can be achieved, for example, by using a separate, cost-effective circuit board or simple sheet metal parts.

[0010] Preferably, the antenna arrangement further comprises a shielding plate arranged on the second side corresponding to the printed circuit board, wherein the shielding plate is positioned at a distance from the printed circuit board. This has the advantage that shielding in an undesired direction of radiation is achieved and, moreover, the mechanical stability of the antenna arrangement is increased.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the at least one stripline is arranged essentially orthogonally to a principal direction of extension of the at least one opening. This allows electromagnetic waves to propagate through the opening in the direction of the secondary radiator. In this context, the opening is understood to be a recess in a metallization acting as a ground plane within or on one side of the printed circuit board.

[0012] Advantageously, a detachable mounting of at least one secondary radiator is provided. For this purpose, for example, a holder for the secondary radiator can be provided using connecting elements such as spring clamps and the like, thus ensuring easy replacement.

[0013] Preferably, the antenna arrangement includes a network for antenna feed, which is connected to the at least one stripline. This enables control of the secondary radiator or a plurality of secondary radiators for setting a directional characteristic.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the antenna feed network is arranged on the printed circuit board. This results in a compact design of the antenna assembly.

[0015] Advantageously, the antenna feed network includes at least one power divider and at least one phase shifter, which are designed to control a multitude of secondary radiators via a multitude of striplines. A phase shifter can be either fixed or adjustable. In this way, the directional characteristic of a array antenna comprising two or more secondary radiators can be selected such that radiation above a horizontal plane is minimized. For example, sidelobes of the antenna array can be more than 12 dB weaker than a main lobe pointing towards the horizon, thus enabling the use of the maximum transmit power permitted by regulatory authorities.

[0016] Preferably, the antenna arrangement comprises a second circuit board on which the at least one secondary radiator is arranged. This allows for easy replacement of the secondary radiator.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the antenna arrangement comprises a second opening in the form of a slot, a second stripline arranged on the first side of the circuit board corresponding to the second opening, and a second secondary radiator arranged on the second side of the circuit board corresponding to the second opening, the second secondary radiator being spaced apart from the circuit board. Such an arrangement can, for example, achieve suitable radiation towards the horizon when the disks are tilted, particularly if the two secondary radiators acting as antenna elements are fed by power dividers and phase shifters in such a way as to steer the overall antenna characteristic. With respect to the second opening, a recess is also provided in a metallization acting as a ground plane within the circuit board.understood on one side of the circuit board.

[0018] Advantageously, the vehicle is a rail vehicle. Since the aforementioned antenna arrangement is designed for operation according to UWB technology, which is used in rail vehicles for distance measurements, such a configuration is advantageous.

[0019] Preferably, the antenna arrangement is positioned substantially parallel to a principal direction of extension of the glass pane. This is particularly advantageous if the glass pane is positioned substantially orthogonal to the desired radiation direction of a secondary radiator.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, the antenna arrangement is positioned at an angle inclined to a principal direction of extension of the glass pane. This is advantageous if the glass pane is not arranged substantially orthogonally to the desired radiation direction of a secondary radiator, but is instead inclined.

[0021] The properties, features, and advantages of this invention described above, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the following description of the exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings show: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an antenna arrangement for a vehicle in a perspective view; Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of an antenna arrangement for a vehicle in a perspective view; Figure 3 shows the second embodiment of the antenna arrangement in a side view; Figure 4 shows a first embodiment for the positioning of an antenna arrangement in a vehicle in a schematic representation; Figure 5 shows a second embodiment for the positioning of an antenna arrangement in a vehicle in a schematic representation; and Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an antenna arrangement with a reduction in radiation.

[0022] In the Figure 1 A first embodiment of an antenna arrangement 1 for distance measurements in the traffic area is shown in a perspective view, which has only a secondary radiator 7 as an antenna element.

[0023] The antenna arrangement 1 comprises a printed circuit board 2 having an opening 3 in the form of a slot. This opening 3 is, in particular, a recess in a metallization acting as a ground plane within or on one side of the printed circuit board 2. On a first side 4 of the printed circuit board 2, a stripline 5 is arranged corresponding to the at least one opening 3. This stripline 5 is arranged within a recess provided in the metallization of the printed circuit board 2. The recess in the metallization is provided on the first side 4 of the printed circuit board 2.

[0024] The strip line 5 is arranged essentially orthogonally to a main extension direction of the opening 3.

[0025] Furthermore, the antenna arrangement 1 includes according to Figure 1A secondary radiator 7 is arranged on a second side 6 of the circuit board 2, corresponding to the at least one opening 3. This secondary radiator 7 is spaced away from the circuit board 2, for example by suitable spacing means. The proposed arrangement of the secondary radiator 7 allows for its easy replacement.

[0026] Although this in Figure 1 Not shown, it may be provided that the secondary radiator 7 is located on or at a second circuit board 9, which is arranged on the second side 6 of the circuit board 2.

[0027] Furthermore, it shows Figure 1 a shielding plate 8 arranged on the second side 6 corresponding to the circuit board 2, which is spaced apart from the circuit board 2 and may be optionally provided.

[0028] A slot-coupled patch antenna is thus used, consisting of a printed circuit board 2 on which appropriate high-frequency (HF) modules are mounted for control purposes and which contains an opening 3 in the form of a slot, excited by a stripline 5, wherein the opening 3 is a recess in a metallization acting as a ground plane. The slot excites a secondary radiator 7 (i.e., the so-called patch), which in turn is located on a separate simple printed circuit board 9 (shown in Figure 3 ) may be located.

[0029] Figure 2 Figure 1 shows a second embodiment of an antenna arrangement 1 in a perspective view, which comprises two secondary radiators 7 and 17. In other words, two antenna elements are operated as a group.

[0030] Accordingly, antenna arrangement 1 includes distance measurements in the traffic area according to the Figure 2A printed circuit board 2 has two openings 3 and 13, each in the form of a slot and representing recesses in a metallization serving as a ground plane. Furthermore, striplines 5 and 15 are provided on a first side 4 of the printed circuit board 2, corresponding to the openings 3 and 13.

[0031] The also optional in Figure 2 The shielding plate 8 provided extends over the entire length and width of the circuit board 2 and is thus arranged correspondingly to it.

[0032] Although this in Figure 2 Not shown, the antenna arrangement 1 includes a network for antenna feeds, which is connected to the striplines 5 and 15. This network can be located on the circuit board 2, for example on the first side 4 thereof.

[0033] The antenna feed network includes power dividers and phase shifters, which are used to control the secondary radiators 7 and 17 via the striplines 5 and 15. In this way, the overall antenna characteristic can be controlled, thus enabling, for example, suitable radiation towards the horizon when mounted behind angled windows.

[0034] In the Figure 3 The second embodiment of the antenna arrangement 1 for distance measurements in the traffic area is shown in a side view, wherein the antenna arrangement 1 is arranged parallel to a glass pane 10.

[0035] In Figure 3 It is explicitly shown that the antenna arrangement 1 includes a second circuit board 9 on which the two secondary radiators 7 and 17 are arranged.

[0036] Furthermore, the aforementioned explanations apply to Figure 2 also at Figure 3 Application.

[0037] Figure 4 Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment for the positioning of an antenna arrangement 1 for distance measurements in the traffic area.

[0038] The figure shows a glass pane 10 of a vehicle, with the antenna arrangement 1 located in an interior space of the vehicle behind the glass pane 10. The vehicle could, for example, be a rail vehicle.

[0039] The glass pane 10 is inclined at an angle α to a perpendicular, where the angle α is, for example, 22°. The antenna arrangement 1 is also inclined in the same way, so that it is arranged substantially parallel to a principal direction of extension of the glass pane 10. The antenna arrangement 1 is spaced from the glass pane 10 by a distance d.

[0040] Figure 5Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment for the positioning of an antenna arrangement 1 for distance measurements in the traffic area.

[0041] Just like in Figure 4 In this case, the glass pane 10 is inclined at an angle α to a vertical. Deviation from Figure 4 However, the antenna arrangement 1 is not shown in an arrangement that is essentially parallel to a main extension direction of the glass pane 10, but rather in an orientation of the antenna arrangement 1 at an angle inclined to a main extension direction of the glass pane 10.

[0042] This can be seen from the angle β shown between a main extension direction of the antenna arrangement 1 and a perpendicular, which differs from the angle α and is, for example, 13°.

[0043] The antenna arrangement 1 and the glass pane 10 are in Figure 5at the point with the smallest distance between them according to the distance d.

[0044] In the Figure 6 A schematic representation shows an embodiment of an antenna arrangement 1 for distance measurements in the traffic area with a reduction in radiation.

[0045] Based on a center of rotation 11, the radiation is therefore lowered by the angle u, resulting in a corresponding deviation of the radiation direction from a horizontal (angle ϕ=0°). This lowering 12 is also referred to as a "downtilt". The main radiation direction indicated by the lowered arrow changes, for example, by an angle of u=22°.

[0046] According to the invention, the power dividers and phase shifters described above provide a feed such that the overall antenna characteristic can be controlled, thereby achieving, for example, suitable radiation towards the horizon when the disks are tilted.

[0047] Although the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived from them by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the invention.

[0048] Regardless of the grammatical gender of a particular term, persons with male, female or other gender identities are included. Reference symbol list

[0049] 1 Antenna assembly 2 Circuit board 3, 13 Opening 4 First side of the circuit board 5, 15 Strip line 6 Second side of the circuit board 7, 17 Secondary radiator 8 Shielding plate 9 Second circuit board 10 Glass pane 11 Rotation center 12 Downtilt dDistance α, β, u, ϕAngle

Claims

1. Vehicle comprising a glass pane (10) and an antenna arrangement (1) arranged in an interior of the vehicle behind the glass pane (10) for distance measurements in traffic areas, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) comprises - a printed circuit board (2) having at least one opening (3) in the form of a slot, - at least one stripline (5) arranged on a first side (4) of the printed circuit board (2) corresponding to the at least one opening (3), which stripline is at least partially arranged within a recess provided on the first side (4) of the printed circuit board (2), and - at least one secondary radiator (7) arranged on a second side (6) of the printed circuit board (2) corresponding to the at least one opening (3), wherein the secondary radiator (7) is arranged at a distance from the printed circuit board (2).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) further comprises a shielding plate (8) arranged on the second side (6) corresponding to the circuit board (2), wherein the shielding plate (8) is arranged at a distance from the circuit board (2).

3. Vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one strip line (5) is arranged substantially orthogonal to a main extension direction of the at least one opening (3).

4. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a detachable fastening of the at least one secondary radiator (7) is provided.

5. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) further comprises an antenna feeding network which is connected to the at least one stripline (5).

6. Vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the antenna feeding network is arranged on the circuit board (2).

7. A vehicle according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the antenna feeding network comprises at least one power splitter and at least one phase shifter arranged to control a plurality of secondary radiators (7, 17) via a plurality of striplines (5, 15).

8. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) further comprises a second circuit board (9) on which the at least one secondary radiator (7) is arranged.

9. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) further comprises - a second opening (13) in the form of a slot, - a second second stripline (15) arranged on the first side (4) of the circuit board corresponding to the second opening (13), and - a second second secondary radiator (17) arranged on the second side (6) of the circuit board corresponding to the second opening (13), wherein the second secondary radiator (17) is arranged at a distance from the circuit board.

10. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle is a rail vehicle.

11. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) is arranged substantially parallel to a main extension direction of the glass pane (10).

12. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the antenna arrangement (1) is arranged at an angle inclined to a main extension direction of the glass pane (10).

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