Vehicle glass having antenna

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle glass having an antenna. The vehicle glass comprises: a first glass layer; and a metal thin film layer disposed on the first glass layer and having an antenna pattern. The antenna pattern comprises: a first monopole antenna pattern extending from a feeding line in the longitudinal direction to radiate a predetermined first frequency band signal; a first transverse branch pattern extending from an end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern to a first transverse side surface; and a meander radiation pattern extending from a point between a feeding line-connection portion and the end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern to a second transverse side surface, having a meander line, and radiating a second frequency band signal that is lower than the first frequency band.

Description

Automotive glass equipped with an antenna

[0001] The present invention relates to equipment and structures for wireless communication and vehicles, and more specifically, to vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

[0002] Wireless communication technology for the transmission and reception of information continues to advance. In particular, antenna devices are required to transmit or receive signals for wireless communication, and various types and methods of antenna devices have been developed to achieve higher performance.

[0003] Meanwhile, in the automotive sector as well, various wireless communication technologies are being utilized to transmit and receive vehicle-related information in response to advancements in information and communication technology. Previously, only low-level radio transmission and reception technologies, such as radio, were equipped in vehicles; however, recently, there has been a significant increase in demand for vehicles to transmit and receive large amounts of information with various entities, such as other vehicles, surrounding objects, infrastructure, or base stations, as referred to by the term V2X. Furthermore, regarding wireless communication methods for transmitting and receiving vehicle information, there is an increasing number of cases utilizing not only short-range communication systems like Wi-Fi but also global wireless communication systems such as 3GPP LTE (4G), 5G, and 6G.

[0004] To support signal transmission and reception using such various communication systems, various types of antenna devices have been equipped in vehicles. Due to the radio wave blocking characteristics of the vehicle body, additional antenna structures formed integrally on the exterior of the vehicle body, such as the shark fin antenna shown in Fig. 1, have traditionally been mainly adopted. However, since such external antennas have a negative impact on the aesthetics of the vehicle, various methods have been proposed to reduce the aesthetic disparity. As an example, the need for glass antennas installed on the vehicle's glass has emerged.

[0005] However, conventional proposals for antennas installed on vehicle glass are limited to merely transmitting and receiving radio signals, or even if antennas supporting high-capacity communication are proposed conceptually, they are limited to the form of film antennas attached to vehicle glass at an experimental level and fail to provide a solution applicable to the mass production of vehicle glass that can be used in actual vehicles.

[0006] One objective of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems is to provide a vehicle glass equipped with a mass-producible antenna that has more stable performance and durability by being designed considering a glass stack-up structure mounted on an actual vehicle.

[0007] Another objective of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems is to provide a vehicle glass having a type-specific antenna pattern to enable signal transmission and reception according to various communication systems applicable to a vehicle, and in particular, having an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals.

[0008] However, the problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited thereto and may be expanded in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0009] A vehicle glass having an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the aforementioned problems may include: a first glass layer; and a metal thin film layer disposed on top of the first glass layer and having an antenna pattern. Herein, the antenna pattern may include: a first monopole antenna pattern extending longitudinally from a feed line and radiating a predetermined first frequency band signal; a first transverse branch pattern extending from the end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern to a first transverse side; and a meander radiation pattern extending from a point between the feed line connection portion and the end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern to a second transverse side, having a meander line, and radiating a second frequency band signal lower than the first frequency band.

[0010] According to one aspect, the meander radiation pattern comprises: a first transverse pole pattern having a first end coupled to the first monopole antenna pattern; a first longitudinal pole pattern having a first end coupled to a second end of the first transverse pole pattern; a meander line having a first end coupled to the second end of the first longitudinal pole pattern, formed transversely away from the first monopole antenna pattern, wherein the shape of the first transverse pole pattern and the shape of the first longitudinal pole pattern are repeatedly arranged, and having a terminal end of the shape of the first transverse pole pattern located at an upper end; and a second longitudinal pole pattern coupled to the terminal end of the meander line, wherein a lower end is positioned at the same longitudinal position as the lower end of the meander line, and an upper end is positioned higher than the upper end of the meander line. It may include a second transverse pole pattern that extends transversely from the upper part of the second longitudinal pole pattern toward the first monopole antenna pattern and is positioned at a predetermined distance from the first monopole antenna pattern.

[0011] According to one aspect, the length of the first monopole antenna pattern may be three times the length of the first transverse branch pattern.

[0012] According to one aspect, the length of the first transverse pole pattern may be 0.5 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, the length of the first longitudinal pole pattern may be 2 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, the length of the second longitudinal pole pattern may be 3 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, and the length of the second transverse pole pattern may be 4 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern.

[0013] According to one aspect, the antenna pattern may include: a first current flow path composed of the first monopole antenna pattern and the first transverse branch pattern; a second current flow path composed of the first transverse pole pattern, the first longitudinal pole pattern, a meander line, the second longitudinal pole pattern, and the second transverse pole pattern; a third current flow path composed of the second longitudinal pole pattern and the second transverse pole pattern; and a fourth current flow path composed of the second transverse pole pattern.

[0014] According to one aspect, the first current flow path may radiate a signal in the first frequency band, the second current flow path may radiate a signal in the second frequency band, the third current flow path may radiate a signal in a frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and the fourth current flow path may radiate a signal in a frequency band higher than the frequency band of the signal according to the third current flow path.

[0015] According to one aspect, the first frequency band includes a 1.5 GHz frequency, the second frequency band includes a 700 MHz frequency, and the antenna pattern may be an antenna for transmitting and receiving GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals.

[0016] According to one aspect, the vehicle glass may be a double-bonded glass further comprising: a polymer bonding layer disposed on top of the metal thin film layer; and a second glass layer bonded to the first glass layer and the metal thin film layer by the polymer bonding layer.

[0017] According to one aspect, the second glass layer is spaced apart from the first glass layer by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction to form an area of ​​the metal thin film layer that is not covered by the second glass layer, and a connector for feeding to the antenna pattern may be connected to the area of ​​the metal thin film layer that is not covered by the second glass layer.

[0018] According to one aspect, the antenna pattern comprises at least one CPW feed patch for coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding, and an area of ​​the metal thin film layer not covered by the second glass layer may be formed on at least a portion of the CPW feed patch.

[0019] The disclosed technology may have the following effects. However, this does not mean that a specific embodiment must include all of the following effects or only the following effects; therefore, the scope of the rights of the disclosed technology should not be understood as being limited by this.

[0020] According to the vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, by being designed with consideration of a glass stack-up structure mounted on an actual vehicle, it has the advantageous effect of being capable of mass production while possessing more stable performance and durability.

[0021] In addition, according to a vehicle glass having an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, it is possible to have a type-specific antenna pattern to enable signal transmission and reception according to various communication systems applicable to a vehicle, and in particular, to embed an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals in the vehicle glass.

[0022] FIG. 1 is an example of a shark-fin antenna for a vehicle according to the prior art.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an example diagram of an antenna device provided on a vehicle glass.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a layer structure of a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 is an example diagram of a misalignment-based connector connection structure according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an example of an embodiment of a connector connection structure for a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 6 is an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna pattern that can be applied to a vehicle glass according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 shows the current flow path of the antenna pattern of Figure 6.

[0029] Figure 8 shows the S-parameters measured according to the antenna pattern of Figure 6.

[0030] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail.

[0031] However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0032] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. Such terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component. The term "and / or" includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any of a plurality of related described items.

[0033] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0034] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the presence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate an overall understanding of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for identical components in the drawings, and redundant descriptions of identical components are omitted.

[0037]

[0038] outline

[0039] As mentioned above, various wireless communication technologies are being utilized in the automotive sector to transmit and receive vehicle-related information, and the V2X field, in particular, is receiving significant attention for its ability to transmit and receive large amounts of information with various entities such as other vehicles, surrounding objects, infrastructure, or base stations. Regarding wireless communication methods for transmitting and receiving vehicle information, there is an increasing number of cases utilizing not only short-range communication systems such as Wi-Fi but also global wireless communication systems such as 3GPP LTE, 5G, and 6G.

[0040] In order to support signal transmission and reception using such various communication systems, various types of antenna devices have been provided in vehicles, and due to the radio wave blocking characteristics of the vehicle body, additional antenna structures formed integrally on the exterior of the vehicle body, such as the shark-fin antenna (10) shown in Fig. 1, have been mainly adopted in the past.

[0041] However, since such external antennas have a negative impact on the aesthetics of the vehicle, various methods have been proposed to reduce the aesthetic disparity. For example, the need for a glass antenna installed on the glass of a vehicle has arisen. FIG. 2 is an example of an antenna device provided on vehicle glass. As shown in FIG. 2, an antenna installation area (20) may be provided, for example, on the front windshield installed on a vehicle. However, this is merely an example, and an antenna installation area may be provided on at least a part of the front, side, or rear of the vehicle.

[0042] Although the concept of equipping an antenna on the glass of a vehicle has been proposed in the past, conventional proposals for antennas installed on vehicle glass were limited to merely transmitting and receiving radio signals, or even if antennas supporting high-capacity communication were proposed conceptually, they were limited to the form of film antennas attached to vehicle glass at an experimental level and failed to provide a solution applicable to the mass production of vehicle glass that can be used in actual vehicles.

[0043] Furthermore, conventional antenna patterns for transmitting and receiving signals in broadband or multi-band frequency bands employed highly complex structures, which reduced mass production feasibility and made them difficult to realize. Since the detailed structure of the pattern required to radiate signals in a specific frequency band demanded highly precise numerical and geometric design, there was a very high probability that the signal would not be radiated as designed due to slight design changes or changes in the application. However, automobiles are classified into a wide variety of types, such as SUVs and sedans; moreover, even within the same vehicle type, the curvature, shape, and thickness of the glass vary depending on the model, which can lead to variations in the characteristics of the radiated signals. In vehicle signal transmission and reception, specific signals are required to possess directional properties—for example, GNSS signals are controlled to radiate upwards toward satellites, while V2X signals are radiated horizontally. To achieve this, there was a need to tune the antenna pattern to suit each vehicle type and / or model. However, it was practically impossible to tune conventional complex patterns for application to individual vehicles.

[0044] The present invention aims to solve such problems. According to a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention, by being designed considering a glass stack-up structure mounted on an actual vehicle, it has the advantageous effect of being capable of mass production while possessing more stable performance and durability. In other words, the need for a glass antenna that prevents the external antenna from damaging the exterior appearance of the vehicle has arisen, and according to a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention, the antenna pattern is protected from the external environment, thereby providing stable performance and durability.

[0045] Furthermore, regarding the antenna pattern provided on the vehicle glass according to one aspect of the present invention, in radiating broadband radiation, multi-band radiation, or signals of a specific frequency band, by simplifying possible pattern design and simplifying elements for tuning the transmitted and received signals, the radiation characteristics of the transmitted and received signals can be easily controlled according to the vehicle to which they are applied. That is, by simplifying design parameters, the radiation characteristics of the signal according to the application can be simply tuned.

[0046] Hereinafter, a vehicle glass having an antenna according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0047]

[0048] Automotive glass equipped with an antenna

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a layer structure of a vehicle glass having an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle glass (1000) having an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention may include at least one of a first glass layer (100), a metal thin film layer (200), a polymer bonding layer (300), and a second glass layer (400).

[0050] For example, according to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle glass (100) having an antenna may include a first glass layer (100) and a metal thin film layer (200) disposed on the first glass layer and having an antenna pattern. Note that the metal thin film layer (200) may, for example, be coated with silver (Ag) paste on the first glass layer (100), but is not limited thereto, and any metal material for forming the antenna pattern may be used.

[0051] According to one aspect, the vehicle glass (1000) may further include a polymer bonding layer (300) disposed on top of a metal thin film layer and a second glass layer (400) bonded to the first glass layer and the metal thin film layer by the polymer bonding layer. Accordingly, the vehicle glass (1000) according to one aspect of the present invention may be a double-bonded glass. According to one aspect, the polymer bonding layer (300) may be polyvinyl-butyral (PVB), but is not limited thereto.

[0052] As a non-limiting example, the thickness of the first glass layer (100) and the second glass layer (400) may be 2.1 mm, the thickness of the polymer bonding layer (300) may be 0.8 mm, and the thickness of the metal thin film layer may be 30 to 80 nm, preferably 5 to 20 µm, but is not limited thereto.

[0053] However, the vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention may have a thickness and / or shape capable of providing safety in the event of a collision of the vehicle. For example, double-bonded glass bonded, for instance, via PVB, may be used for the front windshield of the vehicle to reduce the possibility of breakage due to a collision or of an object from the outside penetrating and entering the interior. However, it should be noted that the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to double-bonded glass.

[0054] In this regard, for example, in the case of automotive glass such as double-bonded glass, an antenna pattern can be provided by forming a metal thin film layer (200) between a first glass layer and a second glass layer as shown in FIG. 3. Since the antenna pattern has glass layers on both the upper and lower layers, it can be implemented to have very low risk of damage and high durability. However, in such a structure, the metal thin film layer is required to be formed to have a very thin thickness, so if a conventional antenna pattern design is followed in which a metal layer of a certain thickness or more is provided, it is highly likely that resonance will not occur as intended. Furthermore, in a conventional antenna design, the layer providing the antenna pattern is required to be placed at the outermost edge, but in the case of an antenna pattern embedded in double-bonded glass as shown in FIG. 3, glass layers are provided on both the upper and lower sides, and such glass layers have a considerable thickness to ensure the safety of the vehicle. In a non-limiting manner, for example, glass with a total thickness of 4 mm or more is positioned adjacent to the antenna pattern as a dielectric, so that, according to a general antenna design, a signal is not radiated and an electromagnetic field is formed inside the double-bonded glass. Accordingly, the antenna patterns according to the embodiments of the present invention described below are designed to achieve target radiation characteristics while maintaining the basic performance of automotive glass, taking into account such special characteristics.

[0055] First, considering that, unlike a conventional patch antenna in which a ground region is formed on one side of the dielectric and a microstrip line is disposed on the other side of the dielectric, only a single layer of metal thin film (200) can be used for antenna fabrication in the structure of automotive glass, according to one aspect of the present invention, an antenna pattern provided on the metal thin film layer (200) of an automotive glass (1000) equipped with an antenna may adopt a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding structure. That is, the antenna pattern provided on the metal thin film layer (200) may include at least one CPW feeding patch for CPW feeding. Here, a structure is required for a coupler to be coupled to the CPW feeding patch for supplying a feeding signal.

[0056] In this regard, FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram of a misalignment-based connector connection structure according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of a connector connection structure of a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, according to one aspect of the present invention, a second glass layer (400) and a first glass layer (100) may be joined together in a state including an intended misalignment. That is, the second glass layer (400) may be spaced apart from the first glass layer (100) by, for example, a predetermined distance (d1) in the longitudinal direction. Herein, the longitudinal direction may refer to, for example, the height direction when the vehicle glass is placed in a vehicle, but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, in this description, 'longitudinal direction' and 'transverse direction' may be used to refer to different directions that are orthogonal to each other. For example, the 'longitudinal direction' may be referred to as the 'first direction' and the 'transverse direction' may be referred to as the 'second direction'. According to one aspect, a metal thin film layer (200) may be formed aligned with a first glass layer at a predetermined position, and a PVB layer (300) may be applied at a position corresponding to the underside of the second glass layer, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, by positioning the second glass layer (400) apart from the first glass layer (100) by a predetermined distance (d1), at least a portion of the metal thin film layer (200) may form an area not covered by the second glass layer (400). A connector (500) for feeding power to an antenna pattern may be connected to the area of ​​the metal thin film layer (200) formed in this way that is not covered by the second glass layer (400). Accordingly, according to one aspect of the present invention, a connector (500) for supplying a power signal to an antenna pattern can be connected without performing separate additional processing on the first glass layer (100) or the second glass layer (400).

[0059] According to one aspect, the metal thin film layer (200) antenna pattern includes at least one CPW feed patch for coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding, and the area not covered by the second glass layer (400) of the aforementioned metal thin film layer (200) may be formed in at least a portion of such CPW feed patch. That is, by positioning the second glass layer (400) at a predetermined distance from the first glass layer (100), at least a portion of the CPW feed patch formed in the metal thin film layer (200) is configured not to be covered by the second glass layer (400), and a connector (500) may be attached to this area. For example, the second glass layer (400) may be removed by 5 mm in the feed patch area to attach the connector in the target band, but it should be noted that this is merely exemplary and is not limited to that value.

[0060] According to one aspect, the longitudinal length of the region in which at least a portion of the metal thin film layer (200) is not covered by the second glass layer (400) may be set to be smaller than the longitudinal length of the glass insert portion of the glass frame of a vehicle in which the vehicle glass according to one aspect of the present invention is installed. Accordingly, when the vehicle glass is installed on the vehicle frame, even if misalignment as described above is included, it can be prevented from being exposed to the outside other than the first glass layer or the second glass layer.

[0061]

[0062] GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna pattern

[0063] As mentioned above, various wireless communication technologies are utilized in the automotive sector to transmit and receive vehicle-related information. In particular, the V2X field, where vehicles transmit and receive large volumes of information with various entities such as other vehicles, surrounding objects, infrastructure, or base stations, is receiving significant attention. Regarding wireless communication methods for such vehicle information transmission and reception, there is an increasing number of cases utilizing not only short-range communication systems like Wi-Fi but also global wireless communication systems such as 3GPP LTE, 5G, and 6G. Furthermore, GNSS antennas for determining vehicle location information are also being equipped as essential components in vehicles. Therefore, there is a growing need for an integrated antenna that combines various band antennas required for internal and external vehicle communication, such as GNSS, Wi-Fi, V2X, and 4G / 5G / 6G. In particular, even in the case of automotive glass equipped with antennas, there may be a demand for an integrated antenna capable of performing all signal transmission and reception through various communication systems. As a non-limiting example, the implementation of an integrated antenna in which all antennas for internal and external vehicle communication bands are included on the vehicle's windshield may be required. To achieve this, antennas for all bands may be located together, or a full-field antenna covering a wideband is required.

[0064] According to one aspect of the present invention, the antenna pattern provided on the metal thin film layer (200) may each have antenna patterns for a specific frequency band of a different type capable of transmitting and receiving signals for various communication systems required for internal and external communication of a vehicle. Additionally, according to one aspect, antenna patterns for transmitting and receiving signals for at least some of the communication systems among the plurality of communication systems may be implemented as an integrated antenna pattern embedded in the vehicle glass, and individual antenna patterns for transmitting and receiving signals for at least some of the communication systems among the plurality of communication systems may be implemented in a form embedded in the vehicle glass. Furthermore, according to one aspect, antenna patterns for transmitting and receiving signals for at least some of the communication systems among the plurality of communication systems may be implemented as an integrated antenna pattern embedded in the vehicle glass, and individual antenna devices or integrated antenna devices for transmitting and receiving signals for at least some of the communication systems among the plurality of communication systems may be implemented as separate antenna devices, such as a shark antenna.

[0065] According to one aspect, at least one of a plurality of antenna patterns that can be embedded in vehicle glass may be an antenna pattern capable of transmitting and receiving signals from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) system. According to one aspect, such an antenna pattern may be configured to transmit and receive signals in a frequency band of 1.43 GHz to 1.55 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0066] Hereinafter, a GNSS antenna pattern that can be embedded in a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0067]

[0068] FIG. 6 is an example of a GNSS antenna pattern that can be applied to a vehicle glass according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a GNSS antenna pattern that can be applied to a vehicle glass (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first monopole antenna pattern (210), a first transverse branch pattern (211), and a meander radiation pattern (220).

[0070] As described above, in order to provide an antenna in the vehicle glass, a single metal thin film layer (200) may be provided, so the antenna pattern implemented in the metal thin film layer (200) can perform feeding in a CPW manner. For this purpose, for example, a first CPW feeding patch (241) and a second CPW feeding patch (243) may be placed at one end of the longitudinal direction of the metal thin film layer (200). Here, the longitudinal direction may refer to, for example, the height direction when the vehicle glass is placed in a vehicle, but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, in this description, 'longitudinal direction' and 'transverse direction' may be used to refer to different directions that are orthogonal to each other. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the up-down direction in the drawings may be referred to as the longitudinal direction and the left-right direction in the drawings as the transverse direction, but it should be noted that the technical concept of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0071] Referring again to FIG. 6, an antenna pattern that can be provided in a vehicle glass having an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention can be designed considering the specific characteristics of the antenna pattern embedded in the vehicle glass. As described above, a single metal thin film layer (200) for providing an antenna in the vehicle glass is not limited but has a very thin thickness of, for example, 30 to 80 nm or 5 to 20 μm; therefore, if the design of a general planar patch antenna is applied as is, a signal in the target frequency band may not be generated. That is, resonance may not occur at the desired frequency. Furthermore, the vehicle glass having an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a first layer with a thickness of 2.1 mm, and in particular, when manufactured as double-bonded glass by providing a second layer, the metal thin film layer is located on a glass layer having a total thickness of 4 mm or more. Also, unlike a general patch antenna where the antenna pattern is placed on the outermost layer, the antenna pattern may be placed between two glass layers. Therefore, according to conventional antenna designs, a problem may occur where the resonating signal is not radiated and is trapped between two glass layers. Taking into account such specific characteristics, the antenna pattern of a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention is designed so that a signal in a target frequency band can be radiated.

[0072] In addition, an antenna pattern that may be provided on a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention can be designed to ensure maximum visibility of the driver's external area while securing a target radiation pattern and performance. As a non-limiting example, as shown in FIG. 2, the antenna pattern may be designed to be located in an area (20) positioned on one side of the vehicle glass so as not to obstruct the driver's field of vision. Furthermore, to reduce obstruction to the driver's field of vision, the antenna pattern of the vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention may be designed in a direction that decreases the total length in one direction even if the total length in one direction is increased. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the antenna pattern may be designed in a direction that decreases the total length in the longitudinal direction even if the total length in the transverse direction of the vehicle glass is increased. Hereinafter, when described with reference to the drawings attached to this description, the antenna pattern according to the embodiments of the present invention may be designed in a direction that reduces the total length in the 'longitudinal direction' or 'first direction' even if the total length in the 'transverse direction' or 'second direction' is increased. However, it should be understood that such directions are merely exemplary, and the technical concept of the present invention is not to be interpreted as being limited by the description regarding whether the length in a specific direction is minimized.

[0073]

[0074] Referring again to FIG. 6, the first monopole antenna pattern (210) may be configured to extend longitudinally from the feed line to radiate a predetermined first frequency band signal. As a non-limiting example, the feed line may be arranged to have a predetermined spacing between the first CPW feed patch (241) and the second CPW feed patch (243). As previously described, a first part of the connector may be connected to the first CPW feed patch (241) and the second CPW feed patch (243), and a second part of the connector may be connected to the feed line. Thus, it is possible to supply a feed signal to an antenna pattern having a single layer.

[0075] The boundary between the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and the feed line may be, for example, a connection point of the meander radiation pattern (220). As a non-limiting example, the first frequency band radiated by the first monopole antenna formed by the first monopole antenna pattern (210) may include, but is not limited to, 1.5 GHz. To this end, for example, the first monopole antenna formed by the first monopole antenna pattern (210) may be set to have a length of λ / 4 for a wavelength λ corresponding to a frequency of 1.5 GHz.

[0076] Meanwhile, according to one aspect of the present invention, an open-ended branch may be provided for impedance matching of the first monopole antenna pattern (210). For example, the antenna pattern may include a first transverse branch pattern (211) extending from the end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern (210) to a first transverse side. The end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern (210) may be the end opposite to the feed line connection point of the first monopole antenna pattern (210).

[0077] For impedance matching of the first monopole antenna pattern (210), the first monopole antenna and the branch may have a predetermined length ratio. As a non-limiting example, the length ratio of the vertical section to the horizontal section may be set to 3:1. For example, the length of the first monopole antenna pattern (210) may be three times the length of the first transverse branch pattern (211). Accordingly, impedance matching for the first monopole antenna pattern (210) is performed to ensure improved power efficiency, reduced signal reflection, and system stability. The width of the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and the width of the first transverse branch pattern (211) may be the same, but are not limited thereto.

[0078] For example, the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and the first transverse branch pattern (211) can form an L-shaped monopole antenna, and such an L-shaped monopole antenna can radiate signals in a frequency band including, for example, 1.5 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0079]

[0080] Referring again to FIG. 6, an antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention may have a meander radiation pattern (220). The meander radiation pattern (220) may extend laterally to a second side from a point between the feed line connection of the first monopole antenna pattern (210) or the end of the feed line connection. The meander radiation pattern (220) may have a meander line and may be configured to radiate a second frequency band signal lower than the first frequency band transmitted and received by the first monopole antenna pattern (210).

[0081] As a non-limiting example, the second frequency band radiated by the meander radiation pattern (220) may include, but is not limited to, 600 to 700 MHz. According to one aspect, in order to control the frequency of resonance generated by the meander radiation pattern (220), the longitudinal length or transverse length of the pattern element constituting the meander line may be controlled, and the longitudinal length or transverse length of an additional pattern element as described below in this description may also be controlled.

[0082] According to one aspect of the present invention, the degree to which each resonance influences each other can be reduced by separating the high-frequency and low-frequency resonance sections from each other. That is, the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and the meander radiation pattern (220) are separated from each other according to mutually predetermined placement positions, and the mutual influence between the resonance caused by the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and the resonance caused by the meander radiation pattern (220) can be minimized.

[0083]

[0084] As illustrated in FIG. 6, according to one aspect of the present invention, a meander radiating pattern (220) may include a meander line and additional pattern elements. For example, the meander radiating pattern (220) may include a first transverse pole pattern (221), a first longitudinal pole pattern (223), a meander line, a second longitudinal pole pattern (230), and a second transverse pole pattern (250).

[0085] More specifically, but not limitedly, a first end of a first transverse pole pattern (221) may be coupled to a first monopole antenna pattern (210), and a first end of a first longitudinal pole pattern (223) may be coupled to a second end of the first transverse pole pattern (221). Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a meander line may have its first end coupled to a second end of the first longitudinal pole pattern (223) and may be formed in a transverse direction away from the first monopole antenna pattern. The meander line may be formed by repeating the shape of the first transverse pole pattern (221) and the shape of the first longitudinal pole pattern (223) in a zigzag pattern. In other words, a zigzag-shaped line including a first transverse pole pattern (221) and a first longitudinal pole pattern (223) may be referred to as a meander line. Here, according to one aspect, the meander line may have an end portion of the shape of the first transverse pole pattern (221) located at the top. In other words, the shape of the first transverse pole pattern (221) and the shape of the first longitudinal pole pattern (223) are repeatedly arranged in a zigzag shape in the meander line, and at the end portion of the meander line, it may terminate into the shape of the first transverse pattern located at the top.

[0086] According to one aspect of the present invention, the meander radial pattern (220) may include additional pattern elements in addition to the zigzag-shaped meander line. For example, a second longitudinal pole pattern (230) may be coupled to the end of the meander line. More specifically, but not limitedly, the meander line may be coupled to the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) in an intermediate region between the upper and lower portions of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230). Here, also according to one aspect, the lower portion of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) may be positioned at the same longitudinal position as the lower portion of the meander line. In other words, the lower portion of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) and the lower portion of the meander line may be positioned at the same longitudinal position. Also according to one aspect, the upper portion of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) may be positioned higher than the upper portion of the meander line. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6, the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) can be extended longitudinally to a position beyond the upper part of the meander line.

[0087] Referring again to FIG. 6, a second transverse pole pattern (250) according to one aspect of the present invention extends transversely from the upper part of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) toward the first monopole antenna pattern (210) and may be positioned at a predetermined distance from the first monopole antenna pattern (210).

[0088] As such, a meander radiation pattern (220) according to one aspect of the present invention can be configured to occupy a relatively small area within the vehicle glass while having a length capable of radiating a signal in a target frequency band, such as 600 to 700 MHz, by having additional pattern elements in addition to the meander line. In addition, radiation characteristics and performance for a signal in a target frequency band can be achieved even in cases with special environmental conditions, such as double-bonded glass.

[0089]

[0090] Meanwhile, according to one aspect of the present invention, the length of the first transverse pole pattern (221) may be 0.5 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern (211), the length of the first longitudinal pole pattern (223) may be 2 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern (211), the length of the second longitudinal pole pattern (230) may be 3 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern (211), and the length of the second transverse pole pattern (250) may be 4 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern (211). Accordingly, for example, the ratio of the lengths of the first transverse branch pattern (211), the first monopole antenna pattern (210), the first transverse pole pattern (221), the first longitudinal pole pattern (223), the second longitudinal pole pattern (230), and the second transverse pole pattern (250) may be 1:3:0.5:2:3:4. Additionally, according to one aspect of the present invention, the width of the second transverse pole pattern (250) may be formed wider than the width of the remaining pattern elements, such as the second longitudinal pole pattern (240), for example.

[0091] An antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention enables the achievement of a target radiation pattern and radiation efficiency and impedance matching even when embedded in a vehicle glass by controlling the ratio of the lengths of detailed pattern elements and / or the width of specific pattern elements in this way.

[0092] More specifically, but not limitingly, an antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention may have a plurality of current flow paths by including at least one point of sharp bending as illustrated in FIG. 6 in branching elements comprising a first monopole antenna pattern (210) and / or a meander radiation pattern (220). When a point of sharp bending exists on a pole through which current can flow as illustrated in FIG. 6, a portion of the current flowing along the pole may not flow along the point of bending but may return to the path from which it flowed. By utilizing the characteristic that in the current flow, a portion of the current bends and proceeds along the point of sharp bending, while another portion of the current does not bend at the point of sharp bending and returns to the path from which it flowed, the antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention may form a much larger number of current flow paths (current paths) compared to the pattern elements provided and may generate resonance corresponding to various frequencies. Thus, it can be designed to radiate a target broadband or multiband signal while ensuring that the driver of the vehicle glass has high visibility to the outside. That is, in the case of a thin, long monopole antenna as illustrated in FIG. 6, it generally generates resonance in a single frequency band to transmit and receive narrowband signals, whereas the antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention can enable the transmission and reception of signals over broadband and / or multi-band frequency bands by forming various current flow paths based on a monopole. In other words, it is possible to implement a broadband or multi-band antenna while having a simple design that looks like a narrowband antenna.

[0093] Therefore, for example, an antenna pattern that is embedded in vehicle glass and transmits and receives signals according to a GNSS system can be provided.

[0094] In this regard, FIG. 7 illustrates the current flow path of the antenna pattern of FIG. 6. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the antenna pattern according to one aspect of the present invention may include a plurality of current flow paths, such as a first current flow path (710), a second current flow path (720), a third current flow path (730), and a fourth current flow path (740).

[0095] For example, the first current flow path (710) may be composed of a first monopole antenna pattern and a first transverse branch pattern. Such a first current flow path may be configured to radiate a first frequency band signal as described above. As a non-limiting example, the first frequency band may include, but is not limited to, a frequency of 1.5 GHz.

[0096] The second current flow path (720) may be composed of a first transverse pole pattern, a first longitudinal pole pattern, a meander line, at least a portion of the second longitudinal pole pattern, and a second transverse pole pattern. The second current flow path may be configured to radiate a second frequency band signal as described above. As a non-limiting example, the second frequency band may include, but is not limited to, a frequency of 600 to 700 MHz.

[0097] The third current flow path (730) may be composed of a second longitudinal pole pattern and a second transverse pole pattern. The third current flow path may be configured to radiate a signal in a frequency band higher than the first frequency band. As a non-limiting example, the third current flow path may be configured to radiate a signal in a frequency band slightly higher than 1.5 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] The fourth current flow path (740) may be configured as a second transverse pole pattern. Here, the fourth current flow path may be configured to radiate a signal in a frequency band higher than the frequency band of the signal according to the third current flow path. As a non-limiting example, the fourth current flow path may be configured to radiate a signal in a frequency band including a frequency band exceeding 2 GHz, more specifically a 2.4 GHz frequency band, but is not limited thereto.

[0099] By the configuration as illustrated, the antenna pattern of a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention can form an antenna for transmitting and receiving signals according to a GNSS system capable of transmitting and receiving signals in a first frequency band including a frequency of 1.5 GHz and a second frequency band including a frequency of 600 to 700 MHz. In this regard, FIG. 8 shows S parameters measured according to the antenna pattern of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 8, by examining the S11 parameter plot across the frequency domain according to the antenna pattern of a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna according to one embodiment of the present invention, it can be confirmed that signals are transmitted and received over a wide target frequency range even when 10 dB is set as the criterion for determining the radiable frequency band.

[0100]

[0101] Although the invention has been described above with reference to the drawings and embodiments, this does not mean that the scope of protection of the present invention is limited by the drawings or embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

[0102] Although the present invention described above is explained based on a series of functional blocks, it is not limited by the aforementioned embodiments and attached drawings, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0103] The combination of the aforementioned embodiments is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and various forms of combinations in addition to the aforementioned embodiments may be provided as needed for implementation and / or as required.

[0104] In the aforementioned embodiments, methods are described based on flowcharts as a series of steps or blocks; however, the present invention is not limited to the order of the steps, and some steps may occur in a different order or simultaneously with other steps as described above. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the steps shown in the flowcharts are not exclusive, that other steps may be included, or that one or more steps of the flowcharts may be omitted without affecting the scope of the present invention.

[0105] The foregoing embodiments include examples of various aspects. While it is not possible to describe all possible combinations for representing various aspects, those skilled in the art will recognize that other combinations are possible. Accordingly, the present invention shall be deemed to include all other substitutions, modifications, and changes falling within the scope of the following claims.

[0106]

[0107] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0108] 100: 1st glass layer

[0109] 200: Metal thin film layer

[0110] 210: First monopole antenna pattern

[0111] 211: 1st transverse branch pattern

[0112] 220 : Meander Radiation Pattern

[0113] 221: 1st Transverse Pole Pattern

[0114] 223 : 1st Longitudinal Pole Pattern

[0115] 230: Second longitudinal pole pattern

[0116] 250 : 2nd Transverse Pole Pattern

[0117] 241: 1st CPW Patch

[0118] 243: 2nd CPW Patch

[0119] 300: Polymer bonding layer

[0120] 400: Second glass layer

[0121] 500 : Connector

[0122] 1000 : Automotive glass equipped with an antenna

Claims

1. As a vehicle glass equipped with an antenna, First glass layer; and A metal thin film layer disposed on top of the first glass layer and having an antenna pattern; comprising The above antenna pattern is, A first monopole antenna pattern extending longitudinally from a feed line and radiating a predetermined first frequency band signal; A first transverse branch pattern extending from the end portion of the first monopole antenna pattern to a first transverse side; A meander radiation pattern extending to a second lateral side in the transverse direction from a point between the feed line connection part and the end part of the first monopole antenna pattern, having a meander line, and radiating a second frequency band signal lower than the first frequency band; comprising Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above meander radiation pattern is, A first transverse pole pattern having a first end coupled to the first monopole antenna pattern; A first longitudinal pole pattern having a first end coupled to a second end of the first transverse pole pattern; A meander line having a first end coupled to a second end of the first longitudinal pole pattern, formed in a transverse direction away from the first monopole antenna pattern, wherein the first transverse pole pattern shape and the first longitudinal pole pattern shape are repeatedly arranged, and having an end portion of the first transverse pole pattern shape located at the upper end; A second longitudinal pole pattern coupled to the end portion of the above meander line, wherein the lower portion is positioned at the same longitudinal position as the lower portion of the above meander line, and the upper portion is positioned higher than the upper portion of the above meander line; A second transverse pole pattern extending transversely from the upper portion of the second longitudinal pole pattern toward the first monopole antenna pattern and positioned spaced apart from the first monopole antenna pattern by a predetermined distance; comprising Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

3. In Paragraph 2, The length of the first monopole antenna pattern above is, Three times the length of the first transverse branch pattern above, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

4. In Paragraph 3, The length of the first transverse pole pattern is 0.5 times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, and The length of the first longitudinal pole pattern is twice the length of the first transverse branch pattern, and The length of the second longitudinal pole pattern is three times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, and The length of the second transverse pole pattern is four times the length of the first transverse branch pattern, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

5. In Paragraph 2, The above antenna pattern is, A first current flow path composed of the first monopole antenna pattern and the first transverse branch pattern; A second current flow path composed of the above-mentioned first transverse pole pattern, first longitudinal pole pattern, meander line, second longitudinal pole pattern, and second transverse pole pattern; A third current flow path composed of the above-mentioned second longitudinal pole pattern and second transverse pole pattern; and A fourth current flow path composed of the above second transverse pole pattern; comprising, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

6. In Paragraph 5, The first current flow path radiates the first frequency band signal, and The second current flow path radiates the second frequency band signal, and The third current flow path radiates a signal in a frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and The above-mentioned fourth current flow path radiates a signal in a frequency band higher than the frequency band of the signal according to the above-mentioned third current flow path, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

7. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned first frequency band includes a frequency of 1.5 GHz, and The above second frequency band includes a frequency of 700 MHz, and The above antenna pattern is an antenna for transmitting and receiving GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned vehicle glass is, A polymer bonding layer disposed on top of the metal thin film layer; and A double-bonded glass further comprising: a second glass layer bonded to the first glass layer and the metal thin film layer by the polymer bonding layer; Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

9. In Paragraph 8, The second glass layer above is, A metal thin film layer is spaced apart from the first glass layer by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction to form an area in which at least a portion of the metal thin film layer is not covered by the second glass layer, and A connector for feeding power to the antenna pattern is connected to an area of ​​the metal thin film layer not covered by the second glass layer. Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above antenna pattern is, It includes at least one CPW feed patch for coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding, and The area of ​​the metal thin film layer not covered by the second glass layer is formed in at least a part of the CPW feed patch, Vehicle glass equipped with an antenna.

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