Vehicular control system with pedestrian avoidance

Abstract

A vehicular control system includes a camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and viewing forward through the windshield. With the equipped vehicle moving in a forward direction, a control, via image processing at an image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines presence of a pedestrian ahead of the vehicle and in the field of view of the camera. The control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines if the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle is moving across a path of travel of the equipped vehicle. The control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to allow the pedestrian to move out of the path of travel of the forward moving equipped vehicle.

1 . A vehicular control system, the vehicular control system comprising:
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular control system, the camera viewing through the windshield and forward of the equipped vehicle;   a control comprising an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;   wherein, with the equipped vehicle moving in a forward direction along a road, the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines presence of a pedestrian ahead of the vehicle and in the field of view of the camera;   wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines if the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle is moving across a path of travel of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to allow the pedestrian to move out of the path of travel of the forward moving equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicular control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to less than or equal to 2 m/s. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicular control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, determines a predicted path of the pedestrian and maneuvers the equipped vehicle to avoid collision with the pedestrian. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicular control system of  claim 3 , wherein the control autonomously maneuvers the equipped vehicle to avoid collision with the pedestrian. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicular control system of  claim 4 , wherein the control autonomously maneuvers the equipped vehicle by controlling a steering system of the equipped vehicle, a braking system of the equipped vehicle and an accelerator of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicular control system of  claim 4 , wherein the control provides autonomous maneuvering of the equipped vehicle when the forward speed of the equipped vehicle is less than 25 kph. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicular control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines if the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle and in the field of view of the camera is outside of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle and moving toward the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the control, responsive to determination that the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle and in the field of view of the camera is outside of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle and moving toward the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to allow the pedestrian to move into and across the path of travel of the forward moving equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicular control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system determines a traffic condition that the equipped vehicle is traveling in, and wherein, responsive to determination of the traffic condition, the control system is operable to control a steering system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicular control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines lane markings on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicular control system of  claim 9 , wherein the control determines a leading vehicle ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the control controls a steering system of the equipped vehicle to follow the determined leading vehicle irrespective of the determined lane markings on the road being traveled. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicular control system of  claim 10 , wherein the control system, at least in part responsive to detection of another vehicle indicating an intent to change lanes into the occupied lane ahead of the equipped vehicle, controls a braking system of the equipped vehicle to decelerate the equipped vehicle to allow for the lane change by the other vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicular control system, the vehicular control system comprising:
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular control system, the camera viewing through the windshield and forward of the equipped vehicle;   a control comprising an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;   wherein, with the equipped vehicle moving in a forward direction along a road, the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines presence of a pedestrian ahead of the vehicle and in the field of view of the camera;   wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines if the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle is stationary in the path of travel of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is stationary in the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, stops the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the control, responsive to determining that the pedestrian has moved out of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, resumes forward travel.   
     
     
         13 . The vehicular control system of  claim 12 , wherein the control system determines a traffic condition that the equipped vehicle is traveling in, and wherein, responsive to determination of the traffic condition, the control system is operable to control a steering system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicular control system of  claim 12 , wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines lane markings on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicular control system of  claim 14 , wherein the control determines a leading vehicle ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the control controls a steering system of the equipped vehicle to follow the determined leading vehicle irrespective of the determined lane markings on the road being traveled. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular control system of  claim 15 , wherein the control system, at least in part responsive to detection of another vehicle indicating an intent to change lanes into the occupied lane ahead of the equipped vehicle, controls a braking system of the equipped vehicle to decelerate the equipped vehicle to allow for the lane change by the other vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . A vehicular control system, the vehicular control system comprising:
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular control system, the camera viewing through the windshield and forward of the equipped vehicle;   a control comprising an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;   wherein, with the equipped vehicle moving in a forward direction along a road, the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines presence of a pedestrian ahead of the vehicle and in the field of view of the camera;   wherein the control, via image processing at the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines if the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle (i) is stationary in the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, (ii) is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle or (iii) is outside of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle and moving toward the path of travel of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is stationary in the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, stops the equipped vehicle;   wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to allow the pedestrian to move out of the path of travel of the forward moving equipped vehicle; and   wherein the control, responsive to determination that the pedestrian present ahead of the equipped vehicle is outside of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle and moving toward the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to allow the pedestrian to move into and across the path of travel of the forward moving equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The vehicular control system of  claim 17 , wherein the control, after the control has stopped the equipped vehicle responsive to determination that the pedestrian is stationary in the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, and responsive to determining that the pedestrian has moved out of the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, resumes forward travel. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicular control system of  claim 17 , wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, reduces forward speed of the equipped vehicle to less than or equal to 2 m/s. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicular control system of  claim 17 , wherein the control, at least in part responsive to determination that the pedestrian is moving across the path of travel of the equipped vehicle, determines a predicted path of the pedestrian and maneuvers the equipped vehicle to avoid collision with the pedestrian.