Patent ID: 7675471

Claim:
A vehicle windshield glass high-gain patch antenna system, comprising: a front windshield glass comprising at least three layers and a rear windshield glass comprising at least one layer; an antenna unit including a first radiating element electromagnetically coupled to an excitation element through at least one of said front windshield layers, wherein the first radiating element comprises a linearly polarized, substantially rectangular metallization coupled to the front windshield glass, wherein the excitation element comprises a substantially rectangular metal layer positioned on a passenger compartment interior surface of the front windshield glass, wherein the front windshield glass includes a layer of plastic film that is intermediately located between an outer glass layer and an inner glass layer, wherein the excitation element includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit, and wherein said radiating element metal layer defines a substantially off-centered rectangular slot excited by a microstrip line located adjacent the low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit; and a high-gain antenna unit including a 90-degree phase shift circuit coupled to at least two second radiating patch elements disposed adjacent a passenger compartment interior surface of the rear windshield glass, a second, bottom metal layer radiating element, a dielectric layer interconnection the first radiating patch elements and the second radiating element, wherein the phase difference between the second radiating elements is 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°, wherein the second radiating elements receive signals through the rear windshield glass, and wherein the antenna unit and the high-gain antenna unit function in a diversity antenna configuration.