The invention provides a system for monitoring a vehicle that includes a wireless appliance in electrical contact with an in-vehicle computer. The wireless appliance features: 1) a data-collection component that supports communication software that collects diagnostic data from the computer; and 2) a data-transmission component, in electrical communication with the data-collection electronics, configured to transmit an outgoing data packet comprising the diagnostic data over a network and receive over the same network an incoming data packet that modifies the communication software. The wireless appliance communicates with a host computer system that is configured to: 1) receive the outgoing data packet from the network; 2) process the outgoing data packet to generate a set of vehicle diagnostic data; 3) host a web site on the Internet that displays the vehicle diagnostic data; and 4) send out the incoming data packet over the same network to modify the communication software.

Internet-based vehicle-diagnostic system

A system and method of deploying a plurality of aesthetically unobtrusive radio frequency (RF) antenna systems or complying with zoning ordinances and other restrictive covenants, and for providing an array configuration which is intelligently controlled to overcome many of the limitations of conventional RF antenna systems. Antennas and communications systems components including filter-preamplifier, frequency-converter, and beam-selection/manipulation subsystems are concealed by packaging and integrating them within common pole-like objects and panel-like structures. The pole-like objects include utility poles, street lamps, flagpoles, signs, church steeples, columns, railings, and roof balconies. Panel-like structures include advertising billboards and road signs, and building panels. The concealed antennas and related components are then integrated into larger scale antenna subsystems. The antenna subsystems are connected to an intelligent controller to provide enhanced performance, functionality, and service in communications systems.

System and method of integrating and concealing antennas, antenna subsystems and communications subsystems

A phased array antenna includes a plurality of radiating elements, a feed line assembly, a ground plane positioned between the plurality of radiating elements and the feed line assembly, with the ground plane having a plurality of openings positioned between the plurality of radiating elements and the feed line assembly, and a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric phase shifters coupled to the feed line assembly.

Serially-fed phased array antennas with dielectric phase shifters

The invention provides a method for monitoring a vehicle that features the steps of: 1) generating a data packet including vehicle data retrieved from the vehicle using a wireless appliance; 2) transmitting the data packet over an airlink with the wireless appliance so that the data packet passes through a network and to a host computer system; 3) processing the data packet with the host computer system to generate a set of data; and 4) displaying the set of data on a web page hosted on the internet.

Internet-based system for monitoring vehicles

Embodiments of the present invention provide a wireless appliance for monitoring a vehicle. The wireless appliance includes a microprocessor configured to select a vehicle-communication protocol of a host vehicle, and then communicate with the host vehicle through the vehicle-communication protocol. The appliance also includes a vehicle-communication circuit, in electrical communication with the microprocessor, which collects diagnostic data from the host vehicle using the vehicle-communication protocol. A GPS module, also in electrical communication with the microprocessor, generates location-based data. For transmitting these data, the appliance includes a first wireless transmitter operating on a terrestrial network and a second wireless transmitter operating on a satellite network. The microprocessor selects the first or second wireless transmitter for transmitting the diagnostic and location-based data.

Wireless vehicle-monitoring system operating on both terrestrial and satellite networks

A laminar patch antenna comprises a ground plane element with a cross shaped aperture sandwiched between two dielectric layers with a patch radiator on one dielectric layer and a transmission line circuit on the other dielectric layer. The transmission line circuit has linear conductors overlying respective sectors between slots of the aperture, the conductors providing a feedline and stub projection with lines of similar type overlying opposite sectors of the cross and conductors of different type overlying adjacent sectors of the cross.

Stephen Roland Day

Papers

Patch antenna assembly