Camera based vehicle start-stop feature

A method of vehicular control, said method comprising:

• providing a camera at a vehicle equipped with an engine, a powertrain system, a steering system and a braking system, wherein providing the camera comprises mounting the camera at the vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior and forward of the vehicle;
• providing a control at the vehicle, the control comprising a data processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;
• maneuvering the vehicle along a road;
• capturing image data via the camera as the vehicle is maneuvered along the road;
• processing at the control image data captured by the camera;
• determining, via processing at the control of image data captured by the camera, presence of a stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle as the vehicle is maneuvered along the road;
• wherein determining the stopping area comprises determining presence of an intersection ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle;
• responsive to determination of presence of the stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle, and while the vehicle is moving toward the determined stopping area, reducing via the control operating capacity of the engine of the vehicle so that the engine operates at reduced capacity as the vehicle moves toward the determined stopping area;
• stopping the vehicle at the stopping area;
• after stopping the vehicle at the stopping area, determining via processing at the control of image data captured by the camera if a pedestrian is present in the field of view of the camera and at the road ahead of the vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that no pedestrian is present in the field of view of the camera and at the road ahead of the vehicle, controlling via the control the operating capacity of the engine to restore normal operating capacity of the engine.

A method of vehicular control, said method comprising:

• providing a camera at a vehicle equipped with an engine, a powertrain system, a steering system and a braking system, wherein providing the camera comprises mounting the camera at the vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior and forward of the vehicle;
• providing a control at the vehicle, the control comprising a data processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;
• maneuvering the vehicle along a road;
• capturing image data via the camera as the vehicle is maneuvered along the road;
• processing at the control image data captured by the camera;
• determining, via processing at the control of image data captured by the camera, presence of a stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle as the vehicle is maneuvered along the road;
• wherein determining the stopping area comprises determining presence of at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a stop sign ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle, (ii) a stopping line on the road ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle and (iii) a traffic light ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle;
• responsive to determination of presence of the stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle, and while the vehicle is moving toward the determined stopping area, reducing via the control operating capacity of the engine of the vehicle so that the engine operates at reduced capacity as the vehicle moves toward the determined stopping area;
• stopping the vehicle at the stopping area;
• after stopping the vehicle at the stopping area, determining via processing at the control of image data captured by the camera if a pedestrian is present in the field of view of the camera and at the road ahead of the vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that no pedestrian is present in the field of view of the camera and at the road ahead of the vehicle, controlling via the control the operating capacity of the engine to restore normal operating capacity of the engine.