Motor vehicle having a lamp in an antenna device for signaling the operating condition of a security system

Abstract

A motor vehicle having a security system includes a first lamp for indicating the operating state of the security system, and an antenna device which is supported by the body of the motor vehicle and is arranged outside the vehicle body. The first lamp is integrated into the antenna device.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising: a security system of the motor vehicle, the security system being a vehicle immobilizer and having two operating states, an alarm state and a standby state; a first lamp configured to indicate an operating state of the security system of the motor vehicle; and an antenna supported by a body of the motor vehicle, the antenna being arranged on an exterior of the body, wherein the first lamp for indicating the operating state of the security system is integrated into the antenna arranged on the exterior of the body of the motor vehicle, the first lamp is alternately switched to an active state and to a passive state while the security system is in the standby state, and the standby state of the security system is indicated when an engine of the motor vehicle is stationary.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is arranged on a motor vehicle roof.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a mobile radio antenna.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a fin-shape.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp comprises a light-emitting diode and a light guide, wherein light from the light-emitting diode is coupled into the light guide.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a top and/or a rear edge of the antenna is formed substantially by the light guide.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the light guide is visible to an observer standing in front of the motor vehicle, to an observer standing behind the motor vehicle, and to an observer standing to the side of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a second lamp for indicating the operating state of the security system, wherein the second lamp is arranged in an interior of the motor vehicle and is coupled to the first lamp.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein light intensity which is generated by the first lamp is less than 0.5 candela.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein light intensity which is generated by the first lamp is less than 0.1 candela.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein light intensity which is generated by the first lamp is greater than 0.01 candela.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a duration of the active state is in each case less than 0.1 second, and a duration of the passive state is between one second and two seconds.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the first lamp is alternately switched to the active state and the passive state while the security system is in the alarm state, and a duration of the active state is in each case between 0.1 second and one second, and a duration of the passive state is in each case between 0.1 second and one second.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp is configured such that light of a different color is emittable by the first lamp depending on an actuation of the first lamp.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a charging device with an associated charging controller, wherein the first lamp is actuated depending on an operating state of the charging device such that a color of the light which is emitted by the first lamp depends on the operating state of the charging device.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the operating state of the charging device and the operating state of the security system are indicated in parallel by the first lamp, and a light color for indicating the operating state of the security system is generated and/or emitted by the first lamp with priority.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the operating state of the security system is indicated to the charging controller, and the first lamp is actuated by the charging controller.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein light of a first color is generated by the first lamp in order to indicate the operating state of the security system, and light of at least one other color is generated in order to indicate the operating state of the charging device.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp is actuated depending on an operating state of the security system such that a color of the light which is emitted by the first lamp and/or a duration of the active state and/or of the passive state of the first lamp depends on the operating state of the security system.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a charging device with an associated charging controller, wherein the first lamp is actuated depending on the operating state of the charging device such that a duration of the active state and/or of the passive state of the first lamp depends on the operating state of the charging device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic sectional illustration of an exemplary embodiments of an antenna device;

(2) FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic sectional illustration of an exemplary embodiments of an antenna device;

(3) FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of one design variant of the invention; and

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates graphically various signal profiles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration of an antenna device ANT along the plane of symmetry of the antenna device ANT. The antenna device ANT is preferably arranged on a motor vehicle in such a way that the plane of symmetry of the antenna device ANT is identical to the plane of symmetry of the motor vehicle.

(6) The top edge of the antenna device ANT is characterized by a light guide LL, which is arranged on the antenna device ANT or is held by the housing of the antenna device. Light from a light-emitting diode LED is coupled into the light guide LL in order to implement the indication operations according to the invention. The light-emitting diode LED is preferably an RGB light-emitting diode which is able to generate and emit light of different colors depending on the actuation of said light-emitting diode. The light-emitting diode LED is arranged, for example, next to the light guide LL or in a recess in the light guide LL. A first lamp is realized by the light-emitting diode LED and the light guide LL. A second lamp (not illustrated) can be realized, for example, by a lamp which is arranged in the motor vehicle.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of an alternative antenna device ANT along the plane of symmetry of the antenna device ANT. The antenna device ANT is again preferably arranged on a motor vehicle in such a way that the plane of symmetry of the antenna device ANT is identical to the plane of symmetry of the motor vehicle.

(8) The top edge of the antenna device ANT of FIG. 2 is characterized by a light guide LL which is arranged on the antenna device ANT or is held by the housing of the antenna device in this variant too. In this case, light from two light-emitting diodes LED is coupled into the light guide LL in order to realize the first lamp in order to implement the indication operations according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of a system comprising a security system, in particular an antitheft warning system, a charging device and an antenna device ANT, wherein the security system is represented by a security system controller DSTE and the charging device is represented by a charging controller LSTE in FIG. 3.

(10) The operating state (alarm state or standby state) of the security system, in particular of the security system controller DSTE, is transmitted to the charging controller LSTE by way of a data connection, such as a data bus for example.

(11) The antenna device ANT, in particular the first lamp which is integrated into the antenna device ANT, is then actuated by the charging controller LSTE, for example, by way of four connecting lines.

(12) The first lamp is actuated depending on the operating state of the charging device (readiness for charging, charging, fully charged, fault, . . . ) and the operating state (alarm state or standby state) of the security system, in particular in such a way that the color, duration and/or intensity of the light which is generated by the first lamp and is coupled into the light guide depend/depends on the operating state of the charging device and the operating state of the security system.

(13) One example of an operation for indicating the operating states of the charging device and the security system will be explained below using FIG. 4.

(14) FIG. 4 illustrates five alternative indicating profiles for five different operating states of the charging device, said indicating profiles being generated by corresponding actuation of the first lamp by the charging controller LSTE. Time is illustrated on the abscissa and the intensity of a selected light color is indicated on the ordinate.

(15) The first indicating profile relates to the color orange and is generated in the validation operating state VAL in which the charging device is checked.

(16) The second indicating profile relates to the color blue and is generated in the standby operating state BER of the charging device.

(17) The third indicating profile relates to the color blue and is generated in the charging operating state LAD of the charging device.

(18) The fourth indicating profile relates to the color green and is generated in the fully charged operating state VOL of the charging device.

(19) The fifth indicating profile relates to the color red and is generated in the fault operating state ERR of the charging device.

(20) The various colors and indicating profiles are created by corresponding actuation of the first lamp, in particular the RGB light-emitting diode. It goes without saying that the colors red, blue and orange can be replaced by other colors within the scope of the invention.

(21) In addition to the operating state of the charging device, the operating state of the security system is also indicated by the first lamp. The operating state of the security system is indicated, for example, by the color red.

(22) The indicating profile for indicating the standby state of the security system is, for example, characterized by alternating switching over between an active state (lighted state or state of maximum light intensity generation) and a passive state (off state or state of minimum light intensity generation), wherein the duration of the active state is in each case less than 0.1 second and the duration of the passive state is between one second and two seconds.

(23) The indicating profile for indicating the alarm state of the security system is, for example, likewise characterized by alternating switching over between the active state and a passive state, wherein the duration of the active state is in each case between 0.1 second and one second and the duration of the passive state is also in each case between 0.1 second and one second.

(24) Since the operating state of the charging device and the operating state of the security system are implemented with the same first lamp, in particular the same RGB light-emitting diode, provision is made for the indicating profile which relates to the security system to have priority during times at which both the indicating profile which relates to the security system and the indicating profile which relates to the charging device provide an active state of the first lamp, in particular the RGB light-emitting diode. During these times, the indicating profile which relates to the charging device is accordingly interrupted or suppressed until the indicating profile which relates to the security system again provides a passive state of the first lamp, in particular the RGB light-emitting diode.

(25) A preferred design variant makes provision for the security system to include, in addition or as an alternative to the antitheft warning system, an immobilizer, wherein the standby mode of the immobilizer is indicated by the first lamp by the generation of blue light, and the manipulation state of the immobilizer is indicated by the first lamp by the generation of red light.

(26) Provision is preferably again made for the indicating profile which relates to the security system to have priority during times at which both the indicating profile which relates to the security system and the indicating profile which relates to the charging device provide an active state of the first lamp, in particular the RGB light-emitting diode, in this design variant too.

(27) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.