CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0100580, filed on Aug. 11, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to an antenna device and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a communication apparatus capable of receiving a plurality of polarizations, a vehicle, and a control method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a vehicle refers to a means of transportation that travels on a road or track using fossil fuel, electricity, or the like as a power source.

In recent years, more than just transporting goods and personnel, vehicles generally include audio and video devices so that a driver may listen to music and watch videos while driving. Vehicles are also widely equipped with a navigation device that displays a route to a location where a driver desires to travel.

In recent years, the need for a vehicle to communicate with an external device (another vehicle, traffic infrastructure, or communication infrastructure) is increasing. For example, a vehicle may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V Communication) with other vehicles, communication with traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights (Vehicle to Infra, V2I Communication), or communication with a communication infrastructure such as a base station. In addition, the vehicle may perform communication for paying road usage fees at a toll booth or the like.

In this way, in a vehicle communicating with various external devices, a plurality of antennas are separately mounted according to a communication target and a communication purpose. As a result, the number of antennas increases, but it is difficult to mount many antennas in a limited space of a vehicle.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a communication apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of polarizations having the same or similar frequencies, a vehicle, and a control method thereof.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus mounted a vehicle includes: a first antenna; a first wireless transceiver electrically connected to the first antenna to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through at least one of a first feeding line and a second feeding line; and a controller. The controller is configured to control the first wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through the first feeding line in a first communication mode. The controller is also configured to control the first wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through both the first feeding line and the second feeding line in a second communication mode. The communication signal passing through the second feeding line has a phase delay of 90 degrees than the communication signal passing through the first feeding line.

The first antenna may be configured to emit a linearly polarized wave in response to being provided with a communication signal through the first feeding line. The first antenna may also be configured to emit a circularly polarized wave in response to being provided with a communication signal through both the first feeding line and the second feeding line.

The vehicle may further include a location identification device configured to identify a location of the vehicle. The controller may be configured to control the wireless transceiver so that the first antenna emits the linearly polarized wave in the first communication mode. The controller may also be configured to control the wireless transceiver so that the first antenna emits the circularly polarized wave in the second communication mode if it is identified that the vehicle is approaching a predetermined location based on the location of the vehicle.

The first wireless transceiver may include: a first communication processor configured to output a communication signal; a split circuit configured to separate the communication signal into two communication signals having the same power; a first switch configured to connect the first communication processor to any one of the split circuit and the first feeding line; a second switch configured to connect or block an output of the split circuit to the first feeding line; and a third switch configured to connect or block the output of the split circuit to the second feeding line.

The controller may be configured to control the wireless transceiver to connect the first communication processor to the first feeding line and block a connection between the output of the split circuit and the first and second feeding lines in the first communication mode. The controller may also be configured to control the wireless transceiver to connect the first communication processor to the split circuit and connect the output of the split circuit to the first and second feeding lines in the second communication mode.

The communication apparatus may further include a second antenna and a second wireless transceiver electrically connected to the second antenna. The controller may be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the second antenna.

The second wireless transceiver may include: a second communication processor configured to output a communication signal; an amplifier configured to amplify the communication signal; a fourth switch configured to connect the second communication processor to any one of the amplifier and the second antenna; and a fifth switch configured to connect the second antenna to any one of the amplifier and the second communication processor.

The controller may be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to directly connect the second communication processor with the second antenna in the first communication mode. The controller may also be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to connect the second communication processor to the second antenna through the amplifier in the second communication mode.

The controller may be configured to communicate using a spatial diversity by the first antenna and the second antenna in the first communication mode.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a location identification device configured to identify a location of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a first antenna including an antenna body, a first feeding line connected to the antenna body, and a second feeding line including a phase delay device connected to the antenna body. The vehicle also includes a first wireless transceiver electrically connected to the first antenna to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through at least one of the first feeding line and the second feeding line. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to control the first wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through the first feeding line in a first communication mode. The controller is also configured to control the first wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the first antenna through both the first feeding line and the second feeding line in a second communication mode. The controller is also configured to switch to the second communication mode if the vehicle approaches a toll booth while operating in the first communication mode.

The first antenna may be configured to emit a linearly polarized wave in response to being provided with a communication signal through the first feeding line. The first antenna may also be configured to emit a circularly polarized wave in response to being provided with a communication signal through both the first feeding line and the second feeding line.

The first wireless transceiver may include: a first communication processor configured to output a communication signal; a split circuit configured to separate the communication signal into two communication signals having the same power; a first switch configured to connect the first communication processor to any one of the split circuit and the first feeding line; a second switch configured to connect or block an output of the split circuit to the first feeding line; and a third switch configured to connect or block the output of the split circuit to the second feeding line.

The controller may be configured to control the wireless transceiver to connect the first communication processor to the first feeding line and block a connection between the output of the split circuit and the first and second feeding lines in the first communication mode. The controller may also be configured to control the wireless transceiver to connect the first communication processor to the split circuit and connect the output of the split circuit to the first and second feeding lines in the second communication mode.

The vehicle may further include a second antenna and a second wireless transceiver electrically connected to the second antenna. The controller may be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to provide a communication signal to the second antenna.

The second wireless transceiver may include: a second communication processor configured to output a communication signal; an amplifier configured to amplify the communication signal; a fourth switch configured to connect the second communication processor to any one of the amplifier and the second antenna; and a fifth switch configured to connect the second antenna to any one of the amplifier and the second communication processor.

The controller may be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to directly connect the second communication processor with the second antenna in the first communication mode. The controller may also be configured to control the second wireless transceiver to connect the second communication processor to the second antenna through the amplifier in the second communication mode.

The controller may be configured to communicate using a spatial diversity by the first antenna and the second antenna in the first communication mode.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method of a vehicle including a first antenna and a second antenna includes communicating with another vehicle by emitting a linearly polarized wave through the first antenna and the second antenna in a first communication mode. The control method also includes switching from the first communication mode to a second communication mode in response to the vehicle approaching a predetermined location. The control method also includes communicating with another device by emitting a circularly polarized wave through the first antenna and communicating with the another vehicle by emitting a linearly polarized wave through the second antenna in the second communication mode.

The emitting the linearly polarized wave through the first antenna in the first communication mode may include supplying a first communication signal to the first antenna. The emitting the circularly polarized wave through the first antenna in the second communication mode may include supplying the first communication signal and a second communication signal with a phase delay of 90 degrees from the first communication signal to the first antenna.

The emitting the linearly polarized wave through the second antenna in the first communication mode may include supplying a third communication signal to the second antenna. The emitting the linearly polarized wave through the second antenna in the second communication mode may include supplying a fourth communication signal acquired by amplifying the third communication signal to the second antenna.

