Automotive Industry Says 76-77 GHz Rule Change Critical to Auto Safety
Toyota urged the FCC to change the limits for radiated emissions in the 76-77 GHz band to allow more use of “stop and go” adaptive cruise control (ACC) and rear pre-collision (RPCS) systems in the cars it manufactures for sale in the U.S. (http://xrl.us/bk2qij). In a May 25 rulemaking notice, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment on whether the commission should modify its rules for the band with an eye on improved collision avoidance and driver safety (http://xrl.us/bk2qje).
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
"These limits were developed over fifteen years ago based on concerns regarding human exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy,” the company said in a filing. Toyota “believes that these limits are too conservative and are preventing the introduction of new technologies that utilize frequencies in this band.” Toyota said both systems would improve driver safety. “ACC assists drivers by controlling acceleration and braking to provide control in driving environments, from high speed cruising to driving in congested traffic,” the automaker said. “RPCS is designed to help occupants in certain lower-speed rear-end collisions by incorporating a rear-end collision alert signal for the driver of the following vehicle, and a pre-collision ‘intelligent’ head restraint to mitigate against whiplash injuries."
The Strategic Automotive Radar Frequency Allocation Group, whose members design and install vehicle-based radar systems, said ACC systems have been is use since 1998 and autonomous emergency braking will be mandatory in Europe for trucks starting in 2013 (http://xrl.us/bk2qjx). The changes sought by Toyota would harmonize the U.S. with the rest of the world, the group said. “There has been significant growth in the use of automobile radar systems, and it is anticipated that these systems will become relatively commonplace within a few years,” the group said. “These systems increase vehicular comfort and safety, and in the past the Commission has noted that vehicular radar will soon become “as essential to passenger safety as airbags in motor vehicles.'"
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers supported the Toyota proposal, but raised concerns about a proposal in the notice to allow fixed radar installations operating in the 76-77 GHz band, regardless of location (http://xrl.us/bk2qks). “The Alliance respectfully urges the Commission to separate these distinct proposals,” the group said. “We urge the Commissioners to finalize the proposed changes regarding enhanced vehicular radars, but to defer action on whether to allow unlicensed fixed systems in this frequency band for a future rulemaking, after further research is completed."
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory said any changes in the rules must make sure automotive use of the band doesn’t interfere with the 12 radio astronomy stations NRAO operates in rural and remote regions of the U.S. Research at all the stations will “be affected to varying degrees” if the FCC changes its rules, the group said (http://xrl.us/bk2qme). “Interference is inevitable, and destruction of radio astronomy receivers is a serious possibility, if these high-powered vehicular radars operate in sufficient proximity to radio astronomy sites,” NRAO said. NRAO did not define “sufficient proximity” in its filing. NRAO chided the FCC for referring to it as “The National Radio Astronomy Observatory Association” in the NPRM: “No such Association exists nor has NRAO ever characterized itself in that way.”