2010-09-17

Hirschmann Car Communication expands product portfolio by introducing embedded antennas.

Neckartenzlingen, September 17, 2010. The integrated antenna
solutions known as embedded antennas permit concealed installation
in the vehicle. Hirschmann, one of the leading suppliers of
transmission and receiving systems for automobile communication,
has designed a GSM antenna with a unique miniature design for global
company Continental AG. It is fitted in an on-board unit and is used in
Slovakia for recording tolls.

Thanks to comprehensive technical expertise particularly in the field of
computer-based antenna simulation, Hirschmann is one of the leading partners in the development and production of customized integrated antenna solutions. These embedded antennas are just some of the company’s latest technical
achievements: The solution for Continental sees the GPS and GSM antennas required for the application move to the telematic box. This is made possible by the use of the new generation of GPS chipsets: An optimum line of sight to the satellites is no longer required in order to receive a measurable GPS signal.
Consequently, installation in the telematic box no longer poses any obstacle.

In addition, the integrated antennas for telematic applications (GPS/GSM) offer significant benefits, for example, in the area of stolen vehicle tracking. The current development status permits concealed installation of the antennas in the vehicle so that they cannot easily be removed. The antennas can be used to locate stolen vehicles, which offers an indispensable aid in the tracking process.

Successful partnership with Continental
By using a stacked or sandwich design, Hirschmann Car Communication has
developed a GSM antenna for Continental that operates in the 900 to 1800 MHz
frequency range and features a unique miniature design of 34 x 38 x 8 mm
unheard of in the area of GSM. This antenna is installed inside an on-board unit (OBU) at Continental. OBUs are installed in trucks to enable automatic billing in conjunction with an automatic fee or toll collection system. In this case, the OBU is used to record truck tolls in Slovakia. A fully automated toll collection system for commercial vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons, similar to that operated in
Germany by Toll Collect, was introduced on all motorways and highways there
in 2010. The partnership with Continental has been in place since truck tolls were introduced in Germany in 2005, when Continental supplied the OBUs for the German toll and Hirschmann the associated external GPS/GSM combined
roof antennas.