Multiband television/communications antenna

Claim 2

A unitary multiband antenna for a vehicle having plural antennas operating at different frequencies and polarities comprising: a housing adapted for mounting to said vehicle; a television receiving antenna carried within said housing generally in a horizontal plane operating within a band of television frequencies, and said television antenna having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern; a 2-way communications antenna for transmitting and receiving communication signals carried in a vertical plane by said housing having a vertically polarized radiation pattern; and said television antenna including a generally J-shaped configuration having a first element radiating on a high band of VHF frequencies, a second antenna element radiating in a band of UHF frequencies, and said first and second elements operating together as a third radiating element to produce radiation in a low band of VHF frequencies.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications antenna comprises: a first vertically polarized, elongated, radiating element carried within said housing; a second vertically polarized, elongated, radiating element carried by said housing extending from the exterior thereof; and a phasing coil connected between said first and second radiation elements for placing said first and second radiating elements in phase.

Claim 4

The antenna of claim 2 wherein said first radiating element produces a quarter wave signal and said second radiating element produces a half wave signal.

Claim 5

The antenna of claim 3 wherein said phasing coil produces a half wave signal out of phase with said first and second signals so that said communications antenna produces a net three-quarter wave length signal.

Claim 6

The antenna of claim 2 including a null current point created on said communications antenna by said phasing coil, and said television and communications antennas are carried by said housing with said television antenna in a horizontal plane that intersects said null current point of said communications antenna to minimize cross-coupling and interference between said antennas unitarily carried within said housing to provide a unitary multiband multi-element antenna.

Claim 7

The antenna of claim 1 wherein said television and communications antennas are carried by said housing with said television antenna in a horizontal plane that intersects a null current point in said vertical plane of said communications antenna to minimize cross-coupling and interference between said antennas unitarily carried within said housing to provide a unitary multiband multi-element antenna.

Claim 8

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna for receiving television signals and for receiving and transmitting communications signals in a composite antenna structure comprising: a 2-way communication antenna for transmitting and receiving communications signals having a vertically polarized radiation pattern; a television antenna for receiving television signals having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern; a vehicle ground plane defined by a body of said vehicle; mounting means for mounting said two way communication antenna and television antennas in reference to said vehicle ground plane in a manner that current flow occurs at the base of said communications antenna and said vehicle body acts as part of the antenna; said communications antenna being carried in an upward configuration by said mounting means and said television antenna being carried in a horizontal plane by said mounting means; a current null point created at a point along the length of said communications antenna; and said horizontal plane of said television antenna intersecting said current null point of said communications antenna in said vertically polarized radiation pattern as mounted by said mounting means.

Claim 9

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna for receiving television signals and for receiving and transmitting communications signals in a composite antenna structure comprising: a 2-way communication antenna for transmitting and receiving communications signals having a vertically polarized radiation pattern; a television antenna for receiving television signals having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern; a vehicle ground plane defined by a body of said vehicle; mounting means for mounting said two way communication antenna and television antennas in reference to said vehicle ground plane in a manner that current flow occurs at the base of said communications antenna and said vehicle body acts as part of the antenna; said communications antenna being carried in an upward configuration by said mounting means and said television antenna being carried in a horizontal plane by said mounting means; a current null point created at a point along the length of said communications antenna; and said horizontal plane of said television antenna intersecting said current null point of said communications antenna in said vertically polarized radiation pattern as mounted by said mounting means.

Claim 10

The antenna of claim 7 wherein said communications antenna comprises a first vertically polarized radiating element extending upwardly from said vehicular ground plane; a second vertically polarized radiating element spaced from said first radiating element; and a phasing coil carried between said first and second radiating elements for placing said radiating elements in phase with each other.

Claim 11

The antenna of claim 8 wherein said first radiating element is a quarter wave element and said second radiating element is a half wave element and said phasing coil effectively connecting said first and second communications radiating elements to create a communications antenna having an effective three quarter wave length.

Claim 12

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna comprising: a first antenna lying in a vertical plane having a vertically polarized radiation pattern; a second antenna lying in a horizontal plane having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern; means for creating a current null point on said first antenna as said first antenna extends through said horizontal plane of said second antenna; housing means in which said first and second antennas are carried; said vertical plane of said first antenna and said horizontal plane of said second antenna intersecting one another at said current null point within said housing; and said current null point providing intersection of said vertical and horizontal planes with minimized cross-coupling and interference between said antennas.

Claim 13

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna comprising: a first antenna lying in a vertical plane having a vertically polarized radiation pattern; a second antenna lying in a horizontal plane having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern; means for creating a current null point on said first antenna as said first antenna extends through said horizontal plane of said second antenna; housing means in which said first and second antennas are carried; said vertical plane of said first antenna and said horizontal plane of said second antenna intersecting one another at said current null point within said housing; and said current null point providing intersection of said vertical and horizontal planes with minimized cross-coupling and interference between said antennas.

Claim 14

The antenna of claim 10 including: said housing means for housing said first and second antennas includes a widened upper portion widened generally in a horizontal plane, and a narrow supporting base adapted for attachment to said vehicle over which said widened upper portion extends; said first antenna having a first radiating element extending upwardly through said narrow base and a second radiating element extending upwardly from the exterior of said housing at an angle within a range of about 0 to 30 degrees; and said second antenna being carried in said widened portion of said housing intersecting said current null point of said first antenna.

Claim 15

The antenna of claim 11 wherein said second antenna includes a folded generally J-shaped configuration having a first radiating element radiating in a high band of VHF frequencies, a second radiating antenna element radiating in a band of UHF frequencies, and said first and second radiating elements operating together as a third radiating element to produce radiation in a low band of VHF frequencies.

Claim 16

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna for operating over a variety of functional band frequencies from within a single compact housing, said antenna comprising: a first antenna having a vertically polarized radiation pattern operating over a first band of frequencies; a second antenna having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern operating over a second band of frequencies; a housing for said first and second antennas which includes a narrow upstanding base portion adapted for attachment to said vehicle; a widened upper portion of said housing widened with respect to said upstanding base portion generally in a horizontal plane and extending over said upstanding base portion; said first antenna having a first radiating element lying in a vertical plane extending upwardly through said upstanding base, and a second radiating element extending upwardly from the exterior of said housing at an angle of about 0 to 30 degrees with respect to the vertical; and said second antenna being carried in said widened portion of said housing generally in a horizontal plane, said vertical plane of said first antenna and said horizontal plane of said second antenna intersecting one another at an intersection point in said housing.

Claim 17

A unitary multiband vehicle antenna for operating over a variety of functional band frequencies from within a single compact housing, said antenna comprising: a first antenna having a vertically polarized radiation pattern operating over a first band of frequencies; a second antenna having a horizontally polarized radiation pattern operating over a second band of frequencies; a housing for said first and second antennas which includes a narrow upstanding base portion adapted for attachment to said vehicle; a widened upper portion of said housing widened with respect to said upstanding base portion generally in a horizontal plane and extending over said upstanding base portion; said first antenna having a first radiating element lying in a vertical plane extending upwardly through said upstanding base, and a second radiating element extending upwardly from the exterior of said housing at an angle of about 0 to 30 degrees with respect to the vertical; and said second antenna being carried in said widened portion of said housing generally in a horizontal plane, said vertical plane of said first antenna and said horizontal plane of said second antenna intersecting one another at an intersection point in said housing.

Claim 18

The antenna of claim 13, wherein said second antenna includes a folded generally J-shaped configuration having a first radiating element radiating at a first resonant frequency, a second radiating element radiating at a second resonant frequency, and said first and second radiating elements operating together as a third radiating element to produce radiation at a third resonant frequency.

Claim 19

The antenna of claim 14, wherein said widened upper portion of said housing includes a curved generally boomerang shaped portion in which said second antenna having said generally J-shaped configuration is carried.