Vehicle door lock apparatus

• US 7,068,146 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Yoshihiro, Yoshimura, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESCHERE, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US10/246,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.2, 340/5.72, 340/5.28, 340/528, 340/5.64, 702/64
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• 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 received wirelessly, comprising:

a reception unit for receiving the signal wirelessly;

a door open/closed state detection unit that detects open/closed state of each door;

a first determination unit that detects whether a door on a driver'"'"'s seat side is closed when the reception unit receives a door lock request wirelessly, based on the signal received by the reception unit and a detection signal output from the door open/closed state detection unit; and

a lock unit that conducts door locking after all doors are closed based on the signal outputted by the door open/closed state detection unit, when the reception unit has received the door lock request wirelessly 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 whether the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 are 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 whether 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.

13. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit receives the signal wirelessly from a portable transmitter.

14. A vehicle door lock apparatus for locking a door based on receiving a wireless signal, the apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive a wireless signal;

a door open/closed state detection unit that detects open/closed state of each door; and

a lock unit that waits until a predetermined condition is met before the lock unit conducts a door locking action, wherein the predetermined condition includes;

a condition that all doors are closed; and

a condition that the reception unit has received the wireless signal indicating a door lock request, wherein the lock unit does not conduct the door locking action when the reception unit has not received the wireless signal indicating the door lock request by the time a predetermined time has elapsed since the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed.

19. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a second notification unit that notifies a user that all doors are locked when the lock unit conducts the door locking action.

15. A vehicle door lock apparatus for locking a door based on receiving a wireless signal, the apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive a wireless signal;

a door open/closed state detection unit that detects open/closed state of each door;

a lock unit that waits until a predetermined condition is met before the lock unit conducts a door locking action, wherein the predetermined condition includes;

a condition that all doors are closed; and

a condition that the reception unit has received the wireless signal indicating a door lock request; and

a first determination unit that determines whether a door on a driver'"'"'s seat side is closed when the reception unit receives the wireless signal indicating the door lock request based on a detection signal output from the door open/closed state detection unit.

16. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first determination unit determines whether the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open when the reception unit receives the wireless signal indicating the door lock request;

and

wherein the predetermined condition further includes a condition that the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open.

17. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the lock unit does not conduct the door locking action when all the doors have not been 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.

18. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a first notification unit that gives a predetermined notification to a user when the reception unit receives the wireless signal indicating the door lock request and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open.

20. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a third notification unit that gives a predetermined notification to a user until a predetermined time period has elapsed when the reception unit receives the wireless signal indicating the door lock request and the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed and another door is open.

21. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the lock unit has a second determination unit that determines whether a predetermined operation is performed after the first determination unit determines that the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side is closed when the reception unit receives the wireless signal indicating the door lock request;

and when the second determination unit determines that the predetermined operation is performed, the lock unit does not conduct the door locking action.