Voxx is partnering with Emergency Safety Solutions (ESS) to make the Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol (H.E.L.P.) available to 280 million passenger and commercial vehicles on the road via aftermarket kits, the companies said Tuesday. The agreement broadens availability of H.E.L.P. technology, including the manufacture and distribution of solutions to automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, aftermarket, trucking, and powersports markets to help prevent collisions with vulnerable vehicles on the road, they said. H.E.L.P. digital alerts send notifications to oncoming drivers through in-vehicle displays and GPS navigation apps to give advance warning as they approach a disabled vehicle, they said. Lighting alerts are tuned hazard flash patterns that signal urgency to oncoming drivers, prompting them to slow down and move over. H.E.L.P. auto deploys when conditions indicate a safety need, such as a collision, tire blowout, driveline failure or inattentive driver takeover in an autonomous driving application, they said; drivers can also activate H.E.L.P. manually when the hazard signal is engaged and the vehicle is in park. Under the agreement, Voxx Automotive will design and manufacture H.E.L.P. OEM accessory and aftermarket kits for sale across Voxx Automotive and ESS sales channels. The scope of the agreement also includes H.E.L.P. DeliverSAFE, a specialized version of H.E.L.P. tailored to heavy-duty, long-haul, and commercial delivery vehicles. The partnership will “significantly accelerate the broader adoption of H.E.L.P. to save lives on the road by modernizing the 71-year-old hazard warning system” used on current passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, said ESS President David Tucker.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., ranking member Sam Graves, R-Mo., Highways Subcommittee Chair Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and ranking member Rodney Davis, R-Ill., urged the FCC Monday to issue waivers requested by proponents of cellular-vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band asking to be able to deploy as fast as possible (see 2112140070). "We are writing to express our support for transportation stakeholders to have authority to operate" C-V2X technology in the 5.9 GHz band, the House Transportation leaders said in a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "An increasing number of public and private transportation stakeholders are seeking waivers to operate this technology, and we ask that you act expeditiously to grant their requests. Investment in and deployment of C-V2X within the 5.9 GHz band is critical to improving transportation safety and will clearly advance the public interest." A recent spike in deaths from motor vehicle crashes means "it is imperative that regulators use every tool at their disposal to reduce the growing death toll on our roadways," the lawmakers said. "C-V2X technology has the potential to save lives -- but only if regulators allow it to do so."

Early commenters asked the FCC to act quickly to approve a December waiver request by proponents of cellular-vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band asking to be able to deploy as quickly as possible (see 2112140070). “Intelligent transportation system technologies hold the potential to help improve roadway safety, while also advancing other societal goals such as improved mobility and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” said the National Electrical Manufacturers Association: “In light of these benefits, policymakers across the federal government have worked for decades to spur the widespread deployment of these technologies.” The California Department of Transportation agreed. “The petitioners that submitted waiver requests, including infrastructure owners and operators; automobile manufacturers; and the technology developers, have significant experience in the development, use and application of the C-V2X technologies,” the agency said: “These organizations intend to fully deploy C-V2X technologies quickly and safely, and the largest barrier is the available spectrum.” Comments are due Thursday in docket 19-138.

Spoke Safety sought a waiver Friday of the FCC’s 5.9 GHz rules for a cellular vehicle-to-everything safety device that can be installed on bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, motorcycles and similar light vehicles to “enable real time proximity or location-based alerts to help prevent collisions and other accidents.” The company said in docket 19-138 it can’t market or sell the device “absent a waiver that permits such deployment.”

Comments are due July 28, replies Aug. 29, on a December waiver request by proponents of cellular-vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band asking to be able to deploy as soon as possible (see 2112140070), in docket 19-138. The FCC faced pressure to act on the waiver request (see 2206020050) filed by Audi of America, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, the Transportation departments in Utah and Virginia, Aaeon Technology, Harman International Industries, Panasonic North America and other companies. The deadlines came in Tuesday's Federal Register.

Sony launched two car AV receivers with wireless smartphone conversion, allowing drivers to use voice control for navigation or playing music from a smartphone. Voice control works via Wi-Fi connection from the user’s smartphone to the supplied GPS antenna, the company said Friday. The receivers are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible. The vehicle’s onboard computer connects with car audio via iDatalink Maestro4, enabling the Sony receiver to be the customized display for the car's factory-equipped functions and features, including vehicle information, air conditioning and performance and safety features, Sony said. The XAV-AX6000 ($699, September) has a 6.95-inch bezel-less flush surface display with capacitive touch screen; the XAV-AX4000 ($499, August) has a 6.95-inch anti-glare touch screen. Sony’s LDAC decoding can stream audio at 24-bit/96 kHz over Bluetooth from compatible devices; FLAC files are playable at up to 24-bit/384 kHz, it said.

LGE tapped DSP Concepts as its AI Sound technology partner for automotive electronics, it said Tuesday. DSP Concepts’ Audio Weaver platform gives automotive OEMs a hardware-independent audio framework that’s said to streamline integration of advanced processing algorithms, making it easy to enhance the audio experience for drivers and passengers, said Jeonghyu Yang, LG senior research engineer. LG used DSP Concepts’ technology for its OLED TV lineup in 2019, it said.

Buyers of Genesis Motor's GV60 electric vehicle, launched in the U.S. last week, will be able to unlock and lock their vehicle using facial recognition or ultra-wideband digital key technology available on Apple iPhones and Watch and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The luxury SUV has sensors positioned around the vehicle that allows drivers to automatically unlock the vehicle as they approach via Apple Wallet and Samsung Pass, said Genesis. The GV60 recognizes the driver and authenticates her, while also loading her customized vehicle preferences for driver’s seat, steering wheel, side mirrors and multimedia settings, said the Hyundai division. Apple drivers can share their key with another iPhone user via iMessage and revoke access to the vehicle “with the click of a button,” said the company. The Face Connect feature unlocks a door by recognizing a driver’s face after the person touches the door handle. A near infrared camera is said to provide accurate facial recognition under “virtually any” circumstances, including in the dark. A fingerprint authentication system allows drivers to start and drive the car without the need to carry a key, it said. Galaxy owners can share their GV60’s digital key with three contacts, Samsung said.

Germany’s regional public service broadcasts are now integrated in DTS AutoStage, bringing imagery, station logos, song titles and artist and album information to vehicles’ infotainment displays, said Xperi and German broadcaster association ARD Monday. AutoStage enables continued station listening from local broadcast stations when the vehicle drives out of range. For broadcasters, AutoStage allows stations to manage their services, station information and streams in one place. DTS AutoStage is ISO 9001-certified; its content is sourced from more than 80,000 radio stations and 100,000 broadcasts, and it has over 40 million tracks, 4 million albums and a million artist bios that are aggregated, curated and personalized, they said. DTS AutoStage also has content partnerships with BBC, Bauer, Cumulus, Global Radio, NPO, Audacy, Beasley, Cox Media, radiko, Radio Maria, FM World and others.

Google representatives urged adoption of revised rules for short-range field disturbance sensor radars in the 60 GHz band, speaking with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The company had a similar call with Office of Engineering and Technology staff earlier in the week (see 2204260074). “Coexistence is possible across the multitude of technologies, including the several varieties of low-power radars, that can operate in the 60 GHz band,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 21-264.