JP2001251136A - Antenna device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce cost by reducing the number of components for receiving signals from a digital audio broadcasting satellite, a global positioning system satellite and a ground wave radio broadcasting station. SOLUTION: An antenna element 2 for digital audio broadcasting, an antenna element 3 for global positioning system and a helical antenna element 5 are arranged on the same circuit board 5, and a signal received by each of the elements 2, 3 and 4 is outputted through a common cable 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an antenna apparatus for receiving a digital audio radio broadcast signal and a signal from a global positioning system satellite.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a global positioning system (hereinafter, referred to as GPS) that receives signals from a plurality of artificial satellites and obtains a current position based on the received signals. In recent years, car navigation devices that use the GPS to inform a driver of the current position of a vehicle or guide a route to a destination while the vehicle is running have become widespread. A car navigation device is usually mounted on a roof or a window of an automobile, and provided with an antenna unit for receiving a signal from a GPS satellite and a vicinity of a driver's seat in the vehicle, and based on a signal received by the antenna device. And a car navigation device main body for providing necessary information to the driver.

In recent years, digital audio broadcasting (hereinafter referred to as DAB) using artificial satellites has been started in addition to conventional radio broadcasting using terrestrial waves. In digital audio broadcasting, various audio information such as news, music, weather information, and the like are broadcast as in conventional radio broadcasting. World Space plans to launch a digital satellite radio broadcasting service using Africa's three geosynchronous satellites in a wide area such as Africa, East Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is expected that the number of DAB service users who use the service will further increase.

[0004]

When a DAB tuner is added to a car audio system to receive a DAB service, an antenna device for receiving a signal from a DAB satellite is required. Here, if the user is simultaneously using the car navigation device, the DAB
An antenna device for receiving a signal from a satellite, and a GPS
It is necessary to separately mount an antenna device for receiving a signal from a satellite on a part of the vehicle. In this case, at least two cables are required to connect each antenna device to the DAB tuner in the vehicle and the car navigation device main body, and wiring and the like become complicated. Also, many automobiles are equipped with an antenna device for receiving terrestrial radio broadcasting, and when a plurality of antenna devices are separately provided, a plurality of components having similar functions are required. This is not desirable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost.

Therefore, the present invention receives a signal from a DAB satellite, a signal from a GPS satellite, and a signal from a terrestrial radio broadcast station, and outputs each received signal via one cable. An object is to provide an antenna device. In addition, the present invention relates to a signal from a DAB satellite,
The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the number of components and the manufacturing cost by sharing necessary components in an antenna device that receives a signal from a PS satellite and a signal from a terrestrial radio broadcasting station. I do.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an antenna apparatus according to the present invention comprises a digital audio broadcasting antenna element for receiving a signal from a digital audio broadcasting satellite, and a digital terrestrial broadcasting station. A helical antenna element for receiving signals from a global positioning system, a global positioning system antenna element for receiving a signal from a satellite, the digital audio broadcasting antenna element, a helical antenna element, and a global positioning system antenna element. A circuit board provided with an amplification circuit for amplifying a signal received by the antenna element for digital audio broadcasting, the helical antenna element, and the antenna element for the global positioning system, and connected to the circuit board; And a cable for outputting a signal amplified by the width circuit.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the antenna device houses the digital audio broadcasting antenna element, a part of the helical antenna element, the global positioning system antenna element, and the circuit board. And a housing having mounting means for mounting to a part of the vehicle. Alternatively, the antenna device is incorporated in a portable information terminal.

In the antenna device according to the present invention, the digital audio broadcasting antenna element, the helical antenna element, and the global positioning system antenna element are formed on a common circuit board, and receive signals from the digital audio broadcasting satellite. , And a signal received from a global positioning system satellite are output via a common cable.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an antenna device 1 to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the antenna device 1 is a digital audio broadcast.
asting: Hereinafter, referred to as DAB. A) a planar DAB antenna element 2 for receiving signals from satellites, a planar GPS antenna element 3 for receiving signals from global positioning system (GPS) satellites, and a terrestrial radio Helical antenna element 4 for receiving a radio broadcast signal from a broadcast base station
And

The DAB antenna element 2, the GPS antenna element 3, and the helical antenna element 4 are provided on a common circuit board 5, and the circuit board 5 has the DAB antenna element 2, the GPS A low-noise amplifier circuit for amplifying weak signals received by the antenna element 3 and the helical antenna element 4 is provided. further,
A cable 6 for outputting a signal to an external device is connected to the circuit board 5.

Further, the antenna device 1 includes a DAB antenna element 2, a GPS antenna element 3, a part of the helical antenna element 4, and a case 7 for housing the circuit board 5.
It has. One end of the helical antenna element 4 protrudes outward from the case 7. A magnet or an adhesive member for attaching the antenna device 1 to a part of a vehicle, for example, a roof or the like, is provided on a bottom surface of the case 7.

The configuration and operation of the antenna device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 5 includes an amplifier 8 connected to the DAB antenna element 2 and the helical antenna element 4, a bandpass filter 9 connected to the amplifier 8, and an amplifier connected to the GPS antenna element 3. 10 and a bandpass filter 1 connected to the amplifier 10
1, a mixer circuit 12 connected to the bandpass filters 9 and 11, and an amplifier 13 connected to the mixer circuit 12.

The amplifier 8 amplifies the weak signal received by the DAB antenna element 2 and the helical antenna element 4 and supplies the signal to the bandpass filter 9. The bandpass filter 9 passes a necessary frequency band of the signal, and
To supply. On the other hand, the amplifier 10 amplifies the weak signal received by the GPS antenna element 3 and supplies the signal to the bandpass filter 11. The bandpass filter 11 passes a necessary frequency band of the signal and supplies the signal to the mixer circuit 12. The mixer circuit 12 includes the bandpass filter 9 and the bandpass filter 11.
, And supplies the mixed signal to the amplifier 13.

The amplifier 13 further amplifies the mixed signal based on the signals respectively received by the DAB antenna element 2, the helical antenna element 4, and the GPS antenna element 3, and outputs the mixed signal to the cable 6. This signal is
After being separated by a predetermined separator (not shown), they are supplied to a DAB tuner, a radio tuner, and a car navigation device body, respectively.

As described above, according to the present invention, since a GPS signal, a terrestrial radio broadcast signal, and a DAB signal are transmitted via a single cable, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of cables as in the prior art. In addition, wiring can be simplified. Further, the DAB antenna element 2, the GPS antenna element 3, and the helical antenna element 4 are arranged on a common circuit board 5, and the DAB antenna element 2, the GPS antenna element 3, the helical antenna element 4,
The circuit board 5 is housed in the common case 7, and the DAB signal and the G
Common cable 6 for PS signal and terrestrial radio broadcast signal
Thus, the number of necessary components can be greatly reduced, and the total manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, the antenna device to which the present invention is applied can be incorporated in a portable information terminal. As a result, in addition to the communication function and schedule management function of the conventional portable information terminal, the user can confirm the current position by GPS, enjoy the DAB service, and receive terrestrial radio broadcasting. be able to.

[0018]

According to the antenna apparatus of the present invention, a digital audio broadcasting antenna element, a global positioning system antenna element, and a terrestrial radio broadcasting helical antenna element are arranged on the same circuit board.
Since the signals received by each antenna element are output via a common cable, two cables conventionally required can be reduced to one, and wiring and the like can be simplified.
Also, by sharing parts such as circuit boards, cases, cables, etc., the number of required parts can be greatly reduced,
The total manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an antenna device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the antenna device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Antenna device 2 DAB antenna element 3 GPS antenna element 4 Helical antenna element 5 Circuit board 6 Cable 7 Case

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A digital audio broadcasting antenna element for receiving a signal from a digital audio broadcasting satellite, a helical antenna element for receiving a signal from a terrestrial radio broadcasting station, and a global positioning system for receiving a signal from a global positioning system satellite A positioning system antenna element, the digital audio broadcasting antenna element, a helical antenna element, and a global positioning system antenna element, wherein the digital audio broadcasting antenna element, a helical antenna element, and a global positioning system Device comprising: a circuit board provided with an amplifier circuit for amplifying a signal received by the antenna element for use; and a cable connected to the circuit board and outputting a signal amplified by the amplifier circuit. 2. A mounting for accommodating the antenna element for digital audio broadcasting, a part of the helical antenna element, the antenna element for the global positioning system, and the circuit board and mounting the antenna on a part of a vehicle. 2. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing having means. 3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device is incorporated in a portable information terminal.