Glass antenna and vehicle
By setting a conductive film and a suppression layer on the vehicle-mounted glass antenna, combined with a reflector and a feeding structure, the problem of gain reduction caused by glass surface waves was solved, thereby improving antenna performance and communication quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGZHOU FUYAO GLASS GRP
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle-mounted glass antennas generate surface waves due to the influence of electric fields on the glass, resulting in reduced gain. In particular, the surface waves of large-area glass are stronger, which affects communication quality.
A glass antenna is designed by setting a conductive film and a suppression layer on the glass component. The conductive film acts as a lateral choke for the antenna radiator boundary, while the suppression layer and metal frame act as a vertical choke. Combined with a reflector and a feeding structure, a reflecting cavity is formed to optimize the antenna's radiation performance.
It effectively suppressed surface waves on the glass, improved the antenna gain and the non-circularity of the radiation pattern, and enhanced the positioning accuracy and signal reception capability of the communication system.
Smart Images

Figure CN2026071537_16072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Glass antennas and vehicles
[0001] Related applications
[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on January 10, 2025, with application number 202510039522.0 and entitled "Glass Antenna and Vehicle", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a glass antenna and a vehicle. Background Technology
[0004] As one of the core radiating components for wireless communication in intelligent connected vehicles, the performance of the vehicle's antenna directly affects the communication quality of the vehicle's communication system. Currently, the mainstream vehicle antenna is the vehicle glass antenna, which integrates antenna functionality with glass manufacturing processes.
[0005] However, glass generates surface waves when subjected to an electric field, and these surface waves reduce the gain of glass antennas, especially for larger glass panels where the surface wave intensity is greater. Therefore, the performance of current automotive glass antennas still needs further improvement. Summary of the Invention
[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a glass antenna and a carrier to address the aforementioned technical problems.
[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a glass antenna, which includes a glass component, an antenna radiator, and a conductive film, wherein the antenna radiator and the conductive film are both disposed on the glass component; the conductive film includes a first hollow region, such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator on the conductive film is located within the first hollow region; the conductive film is used as the boundary of the antenna radiator to laterally choke the antenna radiator.
[0008] In one embodiment, the glass element includes a first glass element and a second glass element. The first glass element includes a first surface and a second surface, and the second glass element includes a third surface and a fourth surface. The first surface is away from the third surface, the second surface is close to the third surface, the third surface is close to the second surface, and the fourth surface is away from the second surface. The first radiator in the antenna radiator is disposed between the first glass element and the second glass element, and the second radiator in the antenna radiator is disposed on any one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface. The conductive film is disposed on any one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface; or, the first conductive film in the conductive film is disposed between the first glass element and the second glass element, and the second conductive film in the conductive film is disposed on the first surface or the fourth surface.
[0009] In one embodiment, the glass antenna further includes a suppression layer, a metal frame, a reflector, and a feeding structure; the suppression layer, the metal frame, and the reflector are disposed on a first surface, and the glass element, the metal frame, and the reflector form a reflecting cavity, and the feeding structure is disposed within the reflecting cavity to couple and feed the antenna radiator; the suppression layer includes a second hollow region, such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator on the suppression layer is located within the second hollow region; the suppression layer, the metal frame, and the reflector are used to vertically choke the antenna radiator.
[0010] In one embodiment, the suppression layer and the metal frame are electrically connected.
[0011] In one embodiment, the orthogonal projection of the suppression layer onto the conductive film is located within the first hollow region, or the orthogonal projection of the suppression layer onto the conductive film covers at least a portion of the conductive film.
[0012] In one embodiment, there are multiple metal frames, which are nested together, with a gap between each pair of adjacent metal frames to form a metal cavity.
[0013] In one embodiment, the antenna radiator includes a first radiator, a second radiator, and a connecting branch with a stepped structure; the second radiator is disposed around the outside of the first radiator, and an isolation gap is provided between the first radiator and the second radiator; a channel is provided on the isolation gap to form the connecting branch, which is used to connect the first radiator and the second radiator.
[0014] In one embodiment, the glass antenna further includes a metal cover plate and a metal ground plate; the metal cover plate is located at the end of the metal frame away from the glass component and is fixed to the metal frame to form a shielding cavity for accommodating the feed structure and the reflector; the metal ground plate is disposed on the metal cover plate.
[0015] In one embodiment, the feeding structure includes at least one first feeding element, each of which is fed with a first feeding signal, so that the first radiator and the second radiator in the antenna radiator generate a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency, respectively.
[0016] In one embodiment, the feeding structure includes at least one second feeding element and at least one third feeding element, wherein the orthographic projection of the first radiator on the first surface covers the orthographic projection of each of the second feeding elements on the first surface; each of the second feeding elements is used to feed the first radiator to generate a first resonant frequency; the orthographic projection of the second radiator on the first surface covers the orthographic projection of each of the third feeding elements on the first surface; each of the third feeding elements is used to feed the second radiator to generate a second resonant frequency.
[0017] Secondly, this application also provides a vehicle comprising the glass antenna described in any one of the first aspects above.
[0018] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the disclosed drawings without creative effort.
[0020] Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of the glass antenna in one embodiment;
[0021] Figure 2 is a top view of the glass antenna in one embodiment;
[0022] Figure 3 is a side view of the glass antenna in one embodiment;
[0023] Figure 4 is a side view of the glass antenna in another embodiment;
[0024] Figure 5 is a side view of the glass antenna in yet another embodiment;
[0025] Figure 6 is a top view of the glass antenna in another embodiment;
[0026] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure connecting the branches in one embodiment;
[0027] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the frequency division feeding structure in one embodiment;
[0028] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the glass antenna in one embodiment;
[0029] Figure 10 shows the passive radiation pattern of the antenna when the operating frequency is 1.176 GHz in one embodiment;
[0030] Figure 11 shows the passive radiation pattern of the antenna in one embodiment when the operating frequency is 1.575 GHz;
[0031] Figure 12 is a graph showing the axial ratio of the antenna in one embodiment when the operating frequency is 1.176 GHz;
[0032] Figure 13 is a graph showing the axial ratio of the antenna in one embodiment when the operating frequency is 1.575 GHz;
[0033] Figure 14 shows the horizontal cross-sectional radiation pattern of a glass antenna without conductive film and suppression layer in one embodiment, at different theta angles at operating frequencies of 1.575 GHz and 1.176 GHz.
[0034] Figure 15 shows the horizontal cross-sectional radiation pattern of the glass antenna shown in Figure 3 at different theta angles in one embodiment, with operating frequencies of 1.575 GHz and 1.176 GHz.
[0035] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 101-Glass component, 1011-First glass component, 1012-Second glass component; 102-Antenna radiator, 1021-First radiator, 1022-Second radiator, 1023-Connecting stub, 102a-Feed slot, 102b-Sheet radiating element, 102c-Tuning stub, 102d-Isolation slot; 103-Conductive film, 103a-First hollow region; 201-Suppression layer, 201a-Second hollow region, 202-Metal frame, 203-Reflector, 204-Feed structure; 301-Metal cover plate, 302-Metal floor. Detailed Implementation
[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0037] As one of the core radiating components for wireless communication in intelligent connected vehicles, the performance of the vehicle's antenna directly affects the communication quality of the vehicle's communication system. Currently, the mainstream vehicle antenna is the vehicle glass antenna, which integrates antenna functionality with glass manufacturing processes.
[0038] However, with the continuous development and improvement of automotive glass technology, more and more functional automotive glasses are emerging, such as glass with silver coating, Low-e (Low Emissivity) film, copper film, etc. The presence of these types of films inevitably has a significant impact on antenna signal reception, especially for traditional navigation antennas. If the antenna is placed directly on the glass, it will lead to degraded antenna performance or even complete failure. Furthermore, the glass generates surface waves due to the influence of the electric field, and these surface waves reduce the gain of the glass antenna, especially for larger glass areas where the surface wave intensity is greater. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt effective technical means to improve the performance of automotive glass antennas. The following detailed description of the technical solution of this application and how it solves the above-mentioned technical problems is illustrated with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0039] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG1, an exploded view of a glass antenna is provided. The glass antenna includes a glass component 101, an antenna radiator 102, and a conductive film 103. The antenna radiator 102 and the conductive film 103 are both disposed on the glass component 101. The conductive film 103 includes a first hollow region 103a. The orthographic projection of the antenna radiator 102 on the conductive film 103 is located within the first hollow region 103a. The conductive film 103 is used as the boundary of the antenna radiator 102 to laterally choke the antenna radiator 102.
[0040] The glass component 101 can be a sunroof, windshield, rear windshield, or side window of a vehicle. In one possible embodiment, the glass component 101 includes a first glass component 1011 and a second glass component 1012. The first glass component 1011 includes a first surface and a second surface, and the second glass component 1012 includes a third surface and a fourth surface. The first surface is away from the third surface, the second surface is close to the third surface, the third surface is close to the second surface, and the fourth surface is away from the second surface. When the glass component 101 is installed on a vehicle, the view from inside the vehicle looking out of the window is the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface, respectively. In another possible implementation, the glass element 101 further includes an intermediate layer 1013 disposed between the first glass element 1011 and the second glass element 1012. The intermediate layer 1013 can be made of PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral), because PVB melts at high temperatures, allowing the first glass element 1011 and the second glass element 1012 to be bonded together using a lamination process to form a laminated glass. This effectively improves the strength and toughness of the glass element 101, as well as its impact resistance and safety performance. The thickness of the first glass element 1011 and the second glass element 1012 can both be designed to be approximately 2.1 mm or 1.8 mm, and the thickness of the intermediate layer 1013 can be designed to be approximately 0.76 mm, thus minimizing the impact of the glass element 101 on the antenna radiator 102. Furthermore, the target bottom surface of the aforementioned glass element 101 refers to the first, second, third, or fourth surface of the glass element 101.
[0041] The antenna radiator 102 includes a first radiator 1021 and a second radiator 1022. The first radiator 1021 is disposed between the first glass element 1011 and the second glass element 1012, that is, the first radiator 1021 can be disposed on the second or third surface of the glass element 101; the second radiator 1022 is disposed on any one of the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces. Preferably, the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 are coplanar and disposed between the first glass element 1011 and the second glass element 1012. This can prevent the antenna radiator 102 from being exposed to the outside for a long time and being subject to oxidation and corrosion, which would affect the performance of the antenna.
[0042] A feed slot 102a is provided on the first radiator 1021. The feed slot 102a and the orthographic projection of the feed structure in the glass antenna on the first radiator 1021 overlap at least partially. Specifically, the feed slot 102a and the orthographic projection of the feed structure on the first radiator 1021 can completely overlap (in which case the size of the feed slot 102a is greater than or equal to the size of the orthographic projection of the feed structure on the first radiator 1021), or they can partially overlap. This allows the feed structure to couple the feed signal transmitted by the feed line into the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022. Moreover, the feed slot 102a can also extend the bandwidth of the antenna.
[0043] The first radiator 1021 can be a single-stub structure or a multi-stub structure. Preferably, the first radiator 1021 adopts a multi-stub structure to extend the bandwidth of the antenna. In one possible implementation, the first radiator 1021 includes a sheet-like radiating element 102b and a plurality of tuning stubs 102c connected to the outside of the sheet-like radiating element, and a feed slot 102a is formed on the sheet-like radiating element 102b.
[0044] The shape of the sheet-like radiating element 102b can be circular, elliptical, or polygonal (such as rectangular). Preferably, the first radiator 102 is preferably a circular sheet-like radiating element 102b, which can improve the omnidirectional radiation performance of the antenna. Each tuning stub 102c includes a comb-shaped tuning stub with multiple racks. The width of each rack in the comb-shaped tuning stub can be the same or different, but the spacing between the racks needs to be different to further extend the bandwidth of the antenna. Preferably, the multiple tuning stubs 102c are centrally symmetrical with respect to the sheet-like radiating element 102b, as shown in Figure 1.
[0045] The second radiator 1022 surrounds the outside of the first radiator 1021 and forms an isolation through the isolation gap 102d. It should be noted that when the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 are not coplanar, the second radiator 1022 surrounding the outside of the first radiator 1021 means that the orthographic projection of the second radiator 1022 on the first surface of the glass piece 101 surrounds the outside of the orthographic projection of the first radiator 1021 on the first surface of the glass piece 101.
[0046] The second radiator 1022 is a ring radiator, and the shape of the ring radiator can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, or polygonal (such as rectangular). The second radiator 1022 can be a ring radiator composed of multiple branches or a ring radiator composed of no multiple branches. In Figure 1, the second radiator 1022 is an example of a ring.
[0047] The first radiator 1021 is a high-frequency radiator, and the second radiator 1022 is a low-frequency radiator. For example, the first radiator 1021 operates in the L1 band (1.559GHz-1.606GHz), and the second radiator 1022 operates in the L5 band (1.164GHz-1.189GHz) to support GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), GPS (Global Positioning System), BDS (Beidou Navigation Satellite System), Galileo navigation system, and GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System).
[0048] For the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 arranged on the same plane, there are several ways to prepare the antenna radiator 102. In one example, a metal layer is printed on the second or third surface of the glass component 101, and a preset pattern is etched into the metal layer to simultaneously form the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022. In another example, a preset pattern is etched onto a copper foil patch to simultaneously form the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022, and then the etched copper foil patch is pasted onto the second or third surface of the glass component 101.
[0049] For the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 that are not coplanar, one possible implementation of the above-mentioned antenna radiator 102 is to print a first metal layer on the second or third surface of the glass component 101 and etch a first preset pattern on the first metal layer to form the first radiator 1021; and to print a second metal layer on the first or fourth surface of the glass component 101 and etch a second preset pattern on the second metal layer to form the second radiator 1022.
[0050] In this embodiment, the glass antenna includes a first radiator 1021 and a second radiator 1022, enabling the antenna to meet the requirements of dual-band coverage. Compared to a single-band antenna, dual-band antennas can utilize different carrier phases to remove the influence of the ionosphere and support collaborative positioning by multiple navigation systems, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the entire navigation system. Furthermore, the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 can be arranged coplanarly or non-coplanarly, increasing the flexibility of the glass antenna design.
[0051] The conductive film 103 can be, for example, a Low-e film, a silver-plated film, or a copper film. The first hollow region 103a in the conductive film 103 can be formed by creating a window on the conductive film 103 through processes such as laser etching. The shape of the first hollow region 103a can be circular, elliptical, polygonal (such as rectangular), or other irregular shapes. Specifically, the shape of the first hollow region 103a and the distance from the boundary of the first hollow region to the antenna radiator 102 can be determined according to the shape and size of the antenna radiator 102 and the surface wave of the glass.
[0052] A conductive film 103 is disposed on the glass element 102. In one example, the conductive film 103 on the glass element 102 is a single layer, disposed on any one of the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces of the glass element 102. In another example, the conductive film 103 on the glass element 102 has multiple layers, such as a first conductive film and a second conductive film, wherein the first conductive film is disposed between the first and second glass elements, and the second conductive film is disposed on the first or fourth surface. It should be noted that for the multi-layered conductive film 103, a window needs to be opened on each layer of the conductive film 103 to form a first hollow region 103a.
[0053] When the glass element 101 is a large area (e.g., 600mm×1200mm, or 1200mm×1800mm) such as a sunroof, windshield, or rear windshield, when the antenna radiator 102 is fed, the feeding current will cause the glass element 101 to generate higher-order modes, thereby generating surface waves. When the orthogonal projection of the antenna radiator 102 on the conductive film 103 is located within the first hollow region 103a, the conductive film 103 can serve as the boundary of the antenna radiator 102, suppressing the surface waves generated on the glass due to the feeding current, that is, laterally choking the antenna radiator 102.
[0054] Furthermore, the conductive film 103, as the boundary of the antenna radiator 102, also affects the gain of the antenna radiator 102 (specifically, the gain of the main lobe of the antenna radiator 102) and the non-circularity of the radiation pattern of the antenna radiator 102. For example, the distance between the boundary of the first hollow region and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator 102 on the conductive film 103 is the first distance. When the first distance is less than or equal to 5 mm, the gain increment of the antenna radiator 102 is approximately 0.2 dB to 0.3 dB. As the first distance increases (the first distance is greater than 5 mm but less than 30 mm), the conductive film 103 affects the resonant frequency of the antenna radiator 102 (the resonant frequency of the antenna radiator 102 includes the first resonant frequency of the first radiator 1021 and the second resonant frequency of the second radiator 1022), causing the resonant frequency of the antenna radiator 102 to... While the gain of the antenna radiator 102 decreases over time, the conductive film 103 significantly increases the gain of the antenna radiator 102, with a gain increment of approximately 0.5 dB to 1 dB or more. It also improves the low elevation angle non-circularity of the antenna radiator 102. As the initial distance increases to 30 mm, the conductive film 103 no longer affects the resonant frequency of the antenna radiator 102, but it does affect the gain of the antenna radiator 102, with a gain increment of approximately 0.7 dB to 1 dB. This significantly improves the non-circularity of the radiation pattern of the antenna radiator 102 and effectively suppresses surface waves in the glass. In summary, setting the conductive film 103 as the boundary of the antenna radiator 102 can improve the performance of the glass antenna.
[0055] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a top view and a side view of a glass antenna are provided, respectively. The glass antenna further includes a suppression layer 201, a metal frame 202, a reflector 203, and a feeding structure 204. The suppression layer 201, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 are disposed on the first surface of the glass element 101, and the glass element 101, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 form a reflecting cavity. The feeding structure 204 is disposed within the reflecting cavity 203 to couple and feed the antenna radiator 102. The suppression layer 201 includes a second hollow region 201a, such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator 102 on the suppression layer 201 is located within the second hollow region 201a. The suppression layer 201, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 are used to vertically choke the antenna radiator 102.
[0056] The material of the suppression layer 201 can be a metallic material such as silver, copper, aluminum, or alloy. The difference between the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 is that the conductivity of the suppression layer 201 is greater than that of the conductive film 103. The shape of the suppression layer 201 can be a regular ring (such as a circular ring, elliptical ring, or polygonal ring), or a combination of multiple shapes. For example, the outer boundary of the suppression layer 201 is rectangular, and the inner boundary of the suppression layer 201 is flower-shaped, that is, the shape of the second hollow region 201a is flower-shaped. In this way, setting the second hollow region 201 to a flower shape, compared with the second hollow region 201a with regular shapes (such as rectangles or circles), has an edge that is farther away from the antenna radiator 102 to ensure the performance of the glass antenna, and a closer distance to the antenna radiator 102, which enables the suppression layer 201 to achieve a miniaturized design.
[0057] The suppression layer 201 can be a thin film printed or pasted on the glass component 101, or it can be a metal plate. When the suppression layer 201 is a thin film, there are several ways to prepare it on the glass component 101. In one example, a metal layer is printed on the first surface of the glass component 101, and a preset pattern is etched into the metal layer to form the suppression layer 201. In another example, a preset pattern is etched into a copper foil patch to form the suppression layer 201, and then the etched copper foil patch is pasted onto the first surface of the glass component 101. When the suppression layer 201 is a metal plate, it can be prepared on the glass component 101 by pasting the metal plate onto the glass component 101 and creating a second hollow region 201a by laser cutting or other processes to obtain the suppression layer 201.
[0058] The feeding structure 204 is used to couple and feed the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022. In one possible implementation, the feeding structure 204 includes a plurality of feeding plates and feeding pins connected to the plurality of feeding plates one-to-one. The plurality of feeding plates are disposed on a first surface near the first glass element 1011 and connected to the reflector 203. The plurality of feeding plates can be disposed within the orthographic projection area of the first radiator 1021 on the reflector 203. The plurality of feeding plates can be the same or different in size, and the plurality of feeding plates can be arranged in a ring or in a line. The size and arrangement of the feeding plates are not limited here.
[0059] The metal frame 202 can be polygonal (e.g., rectangular), circular, or elliptical. The metal frame 202 is disposed on the first surface of the first glass element 1011. The reflector 203 is fixed within the area enclosed by the metal frame 202, forming a reflective cavity with the metal frame 202 and the first glass element 1011. The power supply structure 204 is disposed within the reflective cavity. The reflector 203 is a circuit board, with the side of the reflector 203 without circuitry facing the first surface of the first glass element 1011. The reflector 203 has metallized vias through which it feeds a power supply signal to the power supply structure 204. The side of the metal frame 202 is stepped, and the reflector 203 is connected to the side of the metal frame 202, achieving good grounding of the reflector 203, thereby improving circuit stability and providing a certain degree of anti-interference characteristics. To secure the reflector 203, it can be fixed to the metal frame 202 using metal clips or a combination of metal clips and screws, or it can be fixed to the metal frame 202 using adhesive. Furthermore, the dimensions of the metal frame 202 can be determined based on the dimensions of the antenna radiator 102. The dimensions of the metal frame 202 can affect the resonant frequency of the second radiator 1022 and the miniaturization of the antenna; therefore, the dimensions of the metal frame 202 need to be carefully selected.
[0060] The positional relationship between the suppression layer 201 and the metal frame 202 can be varied. In one example, the suppression layer 201 is disposed within the reflecting cavity; in another example, the orthographic projection of the metal frame 202 onto the suppression layer 201 is located within the second hollow region 201a, as shown in Figure 3; in yet another example, the suppression layer 201 is disposed between the metal frame 202 and the first glass element 1011, which is equivalent to the metal frame 202 being disposed on the suppression layer 201, as shown in Figure 4. The suppression layer 201 can be electrically connected to the metal frame 202 or not. Preferably, the suppression layer 201 can be electrically connected to the metal frame 202, thus grounding the suppression layer 201.
[0061] The positional relationship between the suppression layer 201 and the antenna radiator 102 is such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator 102 onto the suppression layer 201 lies within the second hollow region 201a. For example, the distance between the boundary of the second hollow region 201a and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator 102 onto the suppression layer 201 is 0.02-0.5 times the first reference wavelength, where the first reference wavelength is the operating wavelength corresponding to the center operating frequency of the first radiator 1021.
[0062] The positional relationship between the conductive film 103 and the metal frame 202 is such that the orthographic projection of the metal frame 202 onto the conductive film 103 lies within the first hollow region 103a. For example, the distance between the boundary of the first hollow region 103a and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the metal frame 202 onto the conductive film 103 is greater than or equal to 0.025-0.25 first reference wavelengths. It should be noted that the distances between the boundary of the first hollow region 103a and the metal frame 202 in different directions may be consistent or inconsistent. Preferably, a combination of having the boundary in some directions consistent with the distance to the metal frame 202 and having the boundary in other directions inconsistent with the distance to the metal frame 202 is used to optimize the radiation pattern of the antenna radiator 102.
[0063] The positional relationship between the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 can be varied. In one example, the orthographic projection of the suppression layer 201 onto the conductive film 103 lies within the first hollow region 103a; in other words, the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 do not overlap. In another example, the orthographic projection of the suppression layer 201 onto the conductive film 103 covers at least a portion of the conductive film 103; in other words, the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 overlap. Preferably, the orthographic projection of the suppression layer 201 onto the conductive film 103 lies within the first hollow region 103a. In this way, after the surface waves of the glass are largely isolated by the metal frame 202, a small portion will be further isolated by the suppression layer 201. Figures 2 and 3 show an example where the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 overlap, while Figure 4 shows an example where the suppression layer 201 and the conductive film 103 do not overlap.
[0064] In this embodiment, the suppression layer 201 can concentrate the lateral energy of the antenna radiator 102, thereby narrowing the main lobe and improving the gain of the main lobe. The suppression layer 201 can also extend the axial ratio angle of the antenna radiator 102 at low elevation angles, optimize the circular polarization characteristics at low elevation angles, especially the axial ratio angle at low frequencies, where the 3dB axial ratio angle can reach ±100°.
[0065] Furthermore, since the suppression layer 201, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 are at a certain height from the first surface of the first glass element 1011, the suppression layer 201, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 can also partially offset the adverse effects of the conductive film 103 on the antenna radiator 102. That is, the suppression layer 201, the metal frame 202, and the reflector 203 can vertically choke the antenna radiator 102, further reducing the influence of surface waves.
[0066] By adjusting the height of the suppression layer 201 in the thickness direction of the glass component 101, the size of the metal frame 202, and the distance between the reflector 203 and the glass component 101, it is possible to suppress the rearward radiation of the antenna radiator 102 (when the glass component 101 is a car window, rearward refers to the direction towards the inside of the car) and suppress the multipath effect of the antenna radiator 102, which is beneficial to improving the navigation and positioning accuracy of the antenna.
[0067] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a side view and a top view of another glass antenna are provided, respectively. There are multiple metal frames 202, which are nested together, with a gap between each pair of adjacent metal frames 202 to form a metal cavity.
[0068] The nested arrangement of multiple metal frames 202 refers to multiple metal frames 202 of different sizes, with a larger metal frame 202 nesting a smaller metal frame 202. For example, the multiple metal frames include a first metal frame, a second metal frame, and a third metal frame, with the area enclosed by the second metal frame surrounding the area enclosed by the first metal frame, and the area enclosed by the third metal frame surrounding the area enclosed by the second metal frame.
[0069] When there are multiple metal frames 202, a multi-cavity structure can be formed, which can further choke the antenna radiator 102 vertically to further improve the performance of the glass antenna.
[0070] It should be noted that when there are multiple metal frames 202, the reflector 203 can be connected only to the innermost metal frame 202 among the multiple metal frames 202, or it can span all metal frames 202 and be connected to the sides of each metal frame 202.
[0071] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 3-5, the glass antenna further includes a metal cover plate 301 and a metal ground plate 302; the metal cover plate 301 is located at the end of the metal frame 202 away from the glass component 101 and is fixed to the metal frame 202 to form a shielding cavity for accommodating the feed structure 204 and the reflector 203; the metal ground plate 302 is disposed on the metal cover plate 301.
[0072] There is a space between the metal cover plate 301 and the reflector plate 203, which is used to accommodate the circuit components on the reflector plate 203. In addition, the reflector plate 203 can also be connected to the metal cover plate 301, so that the reflector plate 203 is fixed not only to the metal frame 202, but also to the metal cover plate 301.
[0073] The metal ground plane 302 can be disposed on the side of the metal cover plate 301 away from the glass component 101, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Alternatively, the metal ground plane 302 can be disposed on the side of the metal cover plate 301 closer to the glass component 101, as shown in Figure 4. The size of the metal ground plane 302 can be larger than the size of the metal cover plate 301, but the size of the metal ground plane 302 should not be too large, in order to accommodate the miniaturization design of the antenna.
[0074] In this embodiment, the metal cover 301 can prevent electromagnetic interference from the vehicle from interfering with the circuitry, acting as a shielding cover. The metal frame 202 and the metal cover 301 can be integrated, simplifying the manufacturing process and improving antenna production efficiency. Providing a metal floor 302 on the metal cover 301 can further increase the gain of the antenna radiator 202 and allow for better connection between the glass antenna and the sheet metal of the vehicle.
[0075] In one embodiment, continuing to refer to Figures 1, 2, and 6, when the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 are coplanar, the second radiator 1022 is arranged around the outside of the first radiator 1021, and an isolation gap 102d is provided between the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022; a channel is provided on the isolation gap 102d to form a connecting branch 1023, which is used to connect the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022.
[0076] The connecting stub 203 can be a rectangular structure, as shown in Figure 1; or it can be a stepped structure, as shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7. There can be multiple connecting stubs 1023, which are symmetrically distributed relative to the first radiator 1021. It should be noted that the connecting stubs 1023 are relatively small and can be referred to as microstrip lines.
[0077] In this embodiment, the connecting stub 1023 has a stepped structure, which can achieve a smooth impedance transition and is beneficial to widening the antenna's operating bandwidth. The number of steps in the connecting stub 1023 is not limited; it can be a single step as shown in Figure 6, or multiple steps as shown in Figures 2 and 7. When the number of steps in the connecting stub 1023 is large, the connecting stub 1023 can be equivalent to a gradient line structure.
[0078] In one embodiment, this application designs several feeding structures as follows: First, the feeding structure 204 includes at least one first feeding element. The orthographic projection of the first radiator 1021 onto the first surface of the glass element 101 covers the orthographic projection of each first feeding element onto the first surface of the glass element 101. Each first feeding element is fed with a first feeding signal, so that the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 in the antenna radiator 102 generate a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency, respectively. In other words, all feeding elements in the feeding structure 204 are fed with the same feeding signal. By adjusting the shape and size of the first radiator 1021, the shape and size of the second radiator 1022, and the positional relationship between the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022, dual-frequency radiation of the antenna radiator 102 is achieved.
[0079] The second type: The feeding structure 204 includes at least one second feeding element and at least one third feeding element. The orthographic projection of the first radiator 1021 on the first surface of the glass element 101 covers the orthographic projection of each second feeding element on the first surface. Each second feeding element is used to feed the first radiator 1021 so that the first radiator 1021 generates a first resonant frequency. The orthographic projection of the second radiator 1022 on the first surface covers the orthographic projection of each third feeding element on the first surface. Each third feeding element is used to feed the second radiator 1022 so that the second radiator 1022 generates a second resonant frequency. In other words, the first radiator 1021 is fed through each second feeding element, and the second radiator 1022 is fed through each third feeding element. The second feeding elements and the third feeding elements do not feed the same feeding signal. For example, the second feeding element feeds a second feeding signal, and the third feeding element feeds a third feeding signal. That is, the dual-frequency radiation of the antenna radiator 102 is achieved by feeding the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022 respectively. This feeding structure can be called a dual-feed structure. As shown in Figure 8, the feeding structure 204 is exemplified by two second feed pieces 204a and two third feed pieces 204b. This structure, which separately feeds the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022, realizes the frequency division design of the antenna, reduces the shunt loss of the circuit section on the reflector 203, and helps to optimize the circuit noise figure, thereby improving the overall performance of the glass antenna. The dimensions of the second and third feed pieces can be determined based on the dimensions of the first radiator 1021 and the second radiator 1022, respectively. For example, when the ring size of the second radiator 1022 is small, the size of the third feed piece also needs to be adjusted accordingly. It should be noted that the first radiator 1021 in Figure 8 is shown in a simplified form.
[0080] Both of the above power supply structures are coupled power supply structures, which avoids the need for welding power supply required for direct power supply, reduces the welding process in production, and helps to improve production efficiency and reduce production-related costs to a certain extent.
[0081] It should be noted that the antenna radiator 102, the suppression layer 201 and the metal frame 202 are all located in the black border area of the glass component 101, and the distance between the black border boundary of the visible area of the glass component 101 and the metal frame 202 is approximately 0.02-0.2 times the first reference wavelength.
[0082] Figure 9 shows a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the glass antennas in Figures 2 and 3 above. The simulation results of the glass antenna in Figure 9 are shown in Figures 10-13. Figure 10 shows the passive radiation pattern of the antenna at an operating frequency of 1.176 GHz; Figure 11 shows the passive radiation pattern of the antenna at an operating frequency of 1.575 GHz; Figure 12 shows the axial ratio curve of the antenna at an operating frequency of 1.176 GHz; and Figure 13 shows the axial ratio curve of the antenna at an operating frequency of 1.575 GHz.
[0083] As shown in Figure 10, when the antenna operates at a frequency of 1.176 GHz, its -3 dB beamwidth can reach 88°. This wide beamwidth is beneficial for ensuring satellite acquisition at low elevation angles. As shown in Figure 12, when the antenna operates at 1.176 GHz, its axial ratio angle can reach ±100° at near 3 dB, exhibiting good circular polarization characteristics at low elevation angles. This is advantageous for tracking satellites at low elevation angles, ensuring that the antenna can still receive signals well when the vehicle is going uphill, thus guaranteeing accurate positioning even when the vehicle is climbing a slope.
[0084] As shown in Figure 11, when the antenna operates at a frequency of 1.575 GHz, its -3 dB beamwidth can reach 80°. As shown in Figure 13, when the antenna operates at a frequency of 1.575 GHz, its axial ratio angle can reach ±75° at a near 3 dB level.
[0085] To demonstrate the impact of the conductive film 103 and suppression layer 201 design on the antenna's non-circularity, this application simulated the horizontal cross-sectional radiation at different theta angles for a glass antenna without the conductive film 103 and suppression layer 201 operating at frequencies of 1.575 GHz and 1.176 GHz, resulting in Figure 14. Simulations were also performed on the horizontal cross-sectional radiation at different theta angles for the glass antenna in Figure 3 operating at frequencies of 1.575 GHz and 1.176 GHz, resulting in Figure 15. Figures 14 and 15 clearly show that the design of the conductive film 103 and suppression layer 201 in this application has a positive impact on the antenna's non-circularity.
[0086] In one exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a vehicle that includes the glass antenna described in any of the glass antenna embodiments above.
[0087] The means of transport can include road vehicles, water vehicles, air vehicles, industrial equipment, agricultural equipment, or recreational equipment. For example, a means of transport can be a vehicle, which is a vehicle in a broad sense, including transportation vehicles (such as commercial vehicles, passenger cars, motorcycles, flying cars, trains, etc.), industrial vehicles (such as forklifts, trailers, tractors, etc.), engineering vehicles (such as excavators, bulldozers, cranes, etc.), agricultural equipment (such as lawnmowers, harvesters, etc.), amusement equipment, toy vehicles, etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the type of vehicle. As another example, a means of transport can be an airplane or a ship.
[0088] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0089] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A glass antenna, said glass antenna comprising a glass element, an antenna radiator, and a conductive film, wherein, Both the antenna radiator and the conductive film are disposed on the glass component; The conductive film includes a first hollow region, such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator onto the conductive film lies within the first hollow region; The conductive film serves as the boundary of the antenna radiator, laterally choking the antenna radiator.
2. The glass antenna according to claim 1, wherein the glass component comprises a first glass component and a second glass component, the first glass component comprises a first surface and a second surface, the second glass component comprises a third surface and a fourth surface, the first surface is away from the third surface, the second surface is close to the third surface, the third surface is close to the second surface, and the fourth surface is away from the second surface; The first radiator in the antenna radiator is disposed between the first glass component and the second glass component, and the second radiator in the antenna radiator is disposed on any one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface; The conductive film is disposed on any one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface; or, the first conductive film of the conductive film is disposed between the first glass piece and the second glass piece, and the second conductive film of the conductive film is disposed on the first surface or the fourth surface.
3. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein the glass antenna further comprises a suppression layer, a metal frame, a reflector, and a feeding structure; The suppression layer, the metal frame, and the reflector are disposed on the first surface, and the glass, the metal frame, and the reflector form a reflective cavity. The feeding structure is disposed in the reflective cavity to couple and feed the antenna radiator. The suppression layer includes a second hollow region, such that the orthographic projection of the antenna radiator onto the suppression layer lies within the second hollow region; The suppression layer, the metal frame, and the reflector are used to vertically choke the antenna radiator.
4. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the suppression layer and the metal frame are electrically connected.
5. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the orthogonal projection of the suppression layer on the conductive film is located within the first hollow region, or the orthogonal projection of the suppression layer on the conductive film covers at least a portion of the conductive film.
6. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein there are multiple metal frames, the multiple metal frames are nested together, and there is a gap between each pair of adjacent metal frames to form a metal cavity.
7. The glass antenna according to claim 2, wherein the antenna radiator comprises the first radiator, the second radiator, and a connecting branch having a stepped structure; The second radiator is arranged around the outside of the first radiator, and an isolation gap is provided between the first radiator and the second radiator; The isolation gap is provided with a channel to form the connecting branch, which is used to connect the first radiator and the second radiator.
8. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the glass antenna further comprises a metal cover plate and a metal ground plate; The metal cover plate is located at the end of the metal frame away from the glass component and is fixed to the metal frame to form a shielding cavity that accommodates the power supply structure and the reflector. The metal floor is disposed on the metal cover plate.
9. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the feeding structure includes at least one first feeding element, each of the first feeding elements being fed with a first feeding signal, so that the first radiator and the second radiator in the antenna radiator respectively generate a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency.
10. The glass antenna according to claim 3, wherein the feeding structure comprises at least one second feeding element and at least one third feeding element; The orthographic projection of the first radiator on the first surface covers the orthographic projection of each of the second feed plates on the first surface; each of the second feed plates is used to feed the first radiator so that the first radiator generates a first resonant frequency. The orthographic projection of the second radiator on the first surface covers the orthographic projection of each of the third feed plates on the first surface; each of the third feed plates is used to feed the second radiator so that the second radiator generates a second resonant frequency.
11. A vehicle comprising the glass antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10.