Transceiver antenna system for platooning

Abstract

A system with one or more transceiver antenna assemblies for installation in vehicle side-view mirrors to enable communication with nearby vehicles. Each transceiver antenna assembly may have one or two antenna arrays implemented on a single printed circuit board, protected by an antenna housing used to mount the transceiver antenna inside the mirror assembly. Each antenna array in a dual-channel transceiver antenna may transmit and receive data over one of two DSRC channels. One channel may be used to transmit and receive vehicle data only and the other channel may be used to transmit and receive both vehicle data and audio/video (A/V) data. Each antenna array is connected to a radio in the vehicle that processes received signals and prepares signals for transmission. Such a transceiver antenna system may be especially useful for communication in truck platooning.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rear view assembly for a cab which, when connected with a trailer to form a truck in a tractor-trailer configuration, articulates as the truck turns, each cab having two rear view assemblies, one rear view assembly being mounted on each side of the cab, the rear view assembly comprising:
 a casing mounted on a side of the cab so as to maintain, when the truck articulates, line-of-sight communication between the truck and either a leading truck in a leading tractor-trailer configuration, or a following truck in a following tractor-trailer configuration;   a camera attached to the casing and positioned to provide a rear-looking view along the side of the tractor-trailer configuration; and   at least one antenna assembly contained within the casing and comprising a first and a second antenna to transmit and receive radio frequencies.   
     
     
         2 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the casing is fabricated from a material   with an electrical conductivity less than 10 μS/m.   
     
     
         3 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the antenna assembly is not visible from the outside of the rear view assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first and second antennas are dual-channel antennas, the dual-channel antennas configured to transmit and receive data over both a first channel and a second, different channel.   
     
     
         5 . The rear view assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 both channels of each dual-channel antenna carry vehicle data.   
     
     
         6 . The rear view assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 a single channel of each dual-channel antenna is configured to carry audio/video data.   
     
     
         7 . The rear view assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 each dual-channel antenna is implemented on a single printed circuit board.   
     
     
         8 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a radio, connected to the first and second antennas, to manage transmission and reception of information transmitted and received via the first and second antennas.   
     
     
         9 . The rear view assembly of  claim 8 , wherein
 the radio operates in a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) band.   
     
     
         10 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first antenna and the second antenna are aligned in a collinear direction along a common axis of orientation.   
     
     
         11 . The rear view assembly of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first antenna and the second antenna are aligned in a collinear direction along a common axis of orientation.   
     
     
         12 . The rear view assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adjustable mount to attach the camera to the casing.