Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for detecting whether an antenna mast is coupled to an antenna. In one embodiment, a method of monitoring an antenna having a removable detection mechanism is provided. The method includes: monitoring voltage standing wave radio (VSWR) measurement data of the antenna; and selectively determining whether at least one of the detection mechanism and an antenna mast is installed based on the VSWR measurement data.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/693,094, filed Aug. 24, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The technical field generally relates to vehicle antennas, and more particularly relates to methods and systems for detecting the installation of an antenna mast on the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some vehicle antennas are installed by a dealer after production and prior to delivering the vehicle to a customer. These antennas include antenna masts that couple to an antenna receiver of the vehicle. The antenna mast is typically loose shipped with the vehicle. A removable shipping cap is placed on the loose shipped antenna mast to protect antenna threads that couple to the receiver. 
     In some cases, the dealer can forget to install the antenna mast before delivering the vehicle to the customer. In other cases, the assembly plant does not include the antenna mast with the vehicle as received at the dealership, therefore the dealer does not install the antenna mast. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for detecting the installation of the antenna mast. In addition, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for detecting whether the installation of the antenna mast was correct. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, methods and systems are provided for monitoring an antenna having a removable detection mechanism. In one embodiment, a method includes: monitoring voltage standing wave radio (VSWR) measurement data of the antenna; and selectively determining whether at least one of the detection mechanism and an antenna mast is installed based on the VSWR measurement data. 
     In another embodiment, a system includes a first module and a second module. The first module monitors voltage standing wave radio (VSWR) measurement data of the antenna. The second module selectively determines whether at least one of the detection mechanism and an antenna mast is installed based on the VSWR measurement data. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a vehicle including an antenna monitoring system in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an antenna of the antenna system having a removable detection mechanism in accordance with various embodiments; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an antenna of the antenna system having an antenna mast installed in place of the removable detection mechanism in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  is a dataflow diagram illustrating an antenna mast monitoring module in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an antenna mast monitoring method in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description, it should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. As used herein, the term module refers to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic, and/or processor device, individually or in any combination, including without limitation: application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a vehicle  10  is shown having an antenna monitoring system shown generally at  12  in accordance with various embodiments. Although the figures shown herein depict an example with certain arrangements of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an actual embodiments. It should also be understood that  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative and may not be drawn to scale. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the vehicle monitoring system  10  is shown to include an antenna. shown generally at  14  communicatively coupled to an infotainment system  16 . The antenna  14 , when completely installed to the vehicle  10 , includes an antenna base  18  and an antenna mast  20 . As can be appreciated, the antenna  14  can be any antenna type including, but not limited to, cellphone antennas, and AM FM antennas, or multiband antennas. For exemplary purposes, the disclosure will be discussed in the context of a hexband antenna  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , prior to complete installation into the vehicle  10 , a shipping cap  22  is removably coupled to the antenna base  18 . When completing the installation of the antenna  14  to the vehicle  10 , the shipping cap  22  is removed from the antenna base  18 , and is replaced with the antenna mast  20  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the antenna  14  includes a detection mechanism shown generally at  24  for assisting in the detection of the installation of the antenna mast  20  ( FIG. 3 ). The detection mechanism  24  is shown to be integrated with the shipping cap  22 . As can be appreciated, in various other embodiments (not shown), the detection mechanism is implemented separate from the shipping cap  22  and/or installed in place of the shipping cap  22 . 
     In various embodiments, the detection mechanism  24  can further include a shunt element  34  that movably couples to and extends from a body  28  of the shipping cap  22 . When the shipping cap is installed to the antenna base  18 , the shunt element  34  couples to a ground element (e.g., of the vehicle chassis) through the antenna base  18  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). When a contact is made between the shunt element  34  and the ground element, a no signal condition is created. In contrast, when no contact is made between the shunt element  34  and the ground element, a signal enable condition is created. 
     With reference back to  FIG. 1 , the infotainment system  16  includes an antenna monitoring module  40 , In various other embodiments (not shown), the antenna monitoring module  40  communicates with (e.g., through a vehicle communication bus (not shown)) but is not part of the infotainment system  16 . The antenna. monitoring module  40  communicates with the antenna  14  to determine if the antenna mast  20  has been installed and/or whether the antenna mast  20  has been damaged. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  and with continued reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a dataflow diagram illustrates various embodiments of the antenna monitoring module  40  of the antenna monitoring system  12 . Various embodiments of antenna monitoring modules  40  according to the present disclosure may include any number of sub-modules. As can be appreciated, the sub-modules shown in  FIG. 4  may be combined and/or further partitioned to similarly monitor the antenna  14 . Inputs to the antenna monitoring module  40  may be received from sensors, may be received from other modules that process sensed data, and or may be received from other control modules within the vehicle  10 . In various embodiments, the antenna monitoring module  40  includes a mast detection module  42 , and a mast health monitoring module  44 . 
     The mast detection module  42  monitors various antenna data  46  to detect whether the antenna mast  20  has been installed. The mast detection module  42  generates warning signals  48  based on the monitoring, The warning signals  48  may be used to set a fault code of the vehicle  10 , to illuminate a warning lamp of the vehicle  10 , to generate an audible warning within the vehicle  10 , and/or to display a warning message in the infotainment system  16  or other display system of the vehicle  10 . In various embodiments, the monitoring methods performed by the mast detection module  42  may be performed as a scheduled test prior to delivery of the vehicle  10 . 
     The mast health monitoring module  44  monitors various antenna data  50  to detect the health of the antenna including the antenna mast  20 , cable, and cable connections. The mast health monitoring module  44  generates warning signals  52  based on the monitoring. The warning signals  52  may be used to set a fault code of the vehicle  10 , to illuminate a warning lamp of the vehicle  10 , to generate an audible warning within the vehicle  10 , and/or to display a warning message in the infotainment system  16  or other display system of the vehicle  10 . In various embodiments, the monitoring methods performed by the mast health monitoring module  44  may be performed as a scheduled test prior to delivery of the vehicle  10  and/or as a periodic test during operation of the vehicle  10  to detect a damaged antenna mast, or to detect whether the mast has been removed. 
     In various embodiments, the antenna data  50  includes voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) measurement data and the mast health monitoring module  44  monitors the VSWR measurement data to determine a missing or damaged antenna mast  20 . The VSWR data can be measured form a forward direction and/or a reverse direction (reflected) based on a test signal generated either by a transmitter of the antenna (e.g., in the case of a cellphone/radio antenna system), or a signal source other than the antenna (e.g., when the antenna is not equipped with a transmitter) such as a radio module or other vehicle module. The mast health monitoring module  44  monitors the VSWR measurement data based on a monitoring method as shown in  FIG. 5  (as will be discussed in more detail below). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , and with continued reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , a flowchart illustrates a monitoring method  300  that can be performed by the mast health monitoring module  44  in accordance with various embodiments. As can be appreciated in light of the disclosure, the order of operation within the method is not limited to the sequential execution as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , but may be performed in one or more varying orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure. As can further be appreciated, one or more steps of the method may be added or deleted without altering the spirit of the method. 
     The monitoring method  300  of  FIG. 3  monitors the VSWR measurement data to determine whether the detection mechanism  24  has been removed and the antenna mast  20  has been installed. 
     In one example, the method begins at  302 . The VSWR data is monitored at  304  and evaluated at  306  and  312 . If the VSWR data indicates that the power is within a range at  306 , the antenna mast  20  is determined to be installed at  308 . Thereafter, the method may end at  310 . 
     If, however, the VSWR data indicates that the power is outside of the range at  306  and the power is greater than a top threshold of the range at  312 , the detection mechanism  24  is determined to be installed at  314  and the warning signal  52  is generated indicating such at  316 . Thereafter, the method may end at  310 . 
     If, however, the VSWR data indicates that the power is outside of the range at  306  and the power is not greater than a top threshold of the range at  312  (i.e., it is less than a bottom threshold of the range), the detection mechanism  24  is determined to not be installed at  318  and the antenna mast  20  is determined to be damaged or not installed at  320 . The warning signal  52  is generated indicating such at  322 . Thereafter, the method may end at  310 . 
     While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.