Vehicle door lock apparatus

• US 20030057773A1
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Yoshihiro, Yoshimura, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/48 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/65 Central control

Abstract

A vehicle door lock apparatus receives a signal from a portable transmitter and at least locks a door based on the received signal. When a door lock request is received from the transmitter and the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed, signals detected by door courtesy switches are monitored. When all doors of the vehicle are closed, a door lock actuator is controlled for locking all doors by a lock unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle door lock apparatus for at least locking a door based on a signal transmitted from a portable transmitter, comprising:

a reception unit for receiving the signal from the portable transmitter;

a door open/closed state detection unit for detecting open/closed state of each of doors;

a first determination unit for determining as to whether or not a door on a driver'"'"'s seat side is closed when a door lock request is received from the transmitter, based on the signal received by the reception unit and a detection signal outputted from the door open/closed state detection unit; and

a lock unit for conducting door locking after all doors, are closed based on the signal outputted by the door open/closed state detection unit, when the door lock request is received and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed.

2. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first determination unit determines as to whether or not the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another doors is open when the door lock request is received;

and

wherein the lock unit conducts door locking after all doors are closed when the door lock request is received and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open.

3. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock unit does not conduct door locking when the door lock request is not received by the time a predetermined time has elapsed since the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed.

4. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock unit does not conduct door locking when all doors are not closed by the time a predetermined time has elapsed since the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed upon reception of the door lock request.

5. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first notification unit for giving a predetermined notification to user when the door lock request is received and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open.

6. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second notification unit for notifying user that all doors are locked when the lock unit locks all doors of a vehicle.

7. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third notification unit for giving a predetermined notification to user until a predetermined time period has elapsed when the door lock request is received and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another'"'"'door is open.

8. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 7, wherein termination of the predetermined time period is time when all doors of the vehicle is closed.

9. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the door lock request is received and the first determination unit determines that all doors are closed, the third notification unit does not give the predetermined notification.

10. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the lock unit has a second determination unit for determining as to whether or not a predetermined operation is performed after the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed when the door lock request is received;

wherein when the second determination unit determines that the predetermined operation is performed, the lock unit does not perform door locking.

11. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined operation is to open the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side.

12. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined operation is the door unlock request from the transmitter.