Door lock control device

• US 8,242,886 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Hiroko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/358,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.31, 180/273, 180/279, 180/287
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

A door lock control device that performs locking and/or unlocking of a door of a vehicle subject to a condition that a result of communication with a portable device has authenticated the portable device. The door lock control device has: an operation reception unit that is provided in the vehicle and receives an input for instructing the locking and/or unlocking of the door; a vehicle power source determination unit that determines whether a power source of the vehicle is ON; an occupant determination unit that determines whether an occupant is present in a cabin of the vehicle; and a power supply control unit that stops power supply to the operation reception unit when determination is made that the power source of the vehicle is ON and an occupant is present inside the vehicle cabin.

Claims

1. A door lock control device that performs at least one of locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle subject to a condition that a result of communication with a portable device has authenticated the portable device, comprising:

an operation reception unit is a touch sensor for performing door locking and a touch sensor for performing door unlocking, the operation reception unit is provided on an outer side of the vehicle door, and receives an input for instructing at least one of the locking and unlocking of the door;

a vehicle power source determination unit that determines whether a power source of the vehicle is ON;

an occupant determination unit that determines whether an occupant is present in a cabin of the vehicle; and

a power supply control unit that stops power supply to the operation reception unit when determination is made that the power source of the vehicle is ON and an occupant is present inside the vehicle cabin.

2. The door lock control device according to claim 1, wherein

the occupant determination unit determines whether an occupant is present in the vehicle cabin on the basis of whether the portable device is present inside the cabin.

3. The door lock control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera that is installed in the vehicle and picks up an image inside the cabin, wherein

the occupant determination unit determines whether an occupant is present in the vehicle cabin on the basis of whether an image of the occupant is present in the image picked up by the camera.

4. The door lock control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seating sensor that is installed in the vehicle and detects that an occupant seats in a seat, wherein

the occupant determination unit determines whether an occupant is present in the vehicle cabin on the basis of whether a seating occupant is detected by the seating sensor.

5. The door lock control device according to claim 1, wherein

the power supply control unit performs power supply to the operation reception unit when the power source is OFF or when determination is made that an occupant is not present in the vehicle cabin.

6. The door lock control device according to claim 5, wherein

the power supply control unit performs power supply to the lock sensor or the unlock sensor of the operation reception unit correspondingly to a locked state of the door when the power source of the vehicle is OFF or when it is determined that an occupant is not present in the vehicle cabin.

7. The door lock control device according to claim 6, wherein the power supply control unit supplies power to the unlock sensor in a locked state of the door and supplies power to the lock sensor in an unlocked state of the door.

8. The door lock control device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit does not perform power supply to the operation reception unit after a case in which a predetermined door of the vehicle is not opened and closed in a state in which power supply to the operation reception unit is stopped.

9. The door lock control device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation reception unit has a plurality of input units each corresponding to seats in the vehicle, the occupant determination unit determines whether an occupant is present in a predetermined seat of the vehicle, and the power supply control unit stops power supply to the input unit corresponding to a seat in which an occupant is determined to be present when the power source of the vehicle is ON.

10. The door lock control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm unit that produces an alarm when the power source of the vehicle is ON and the vehicle door is locked in a state in which power supply is performed to the operation reception unit.

11. The door lock control device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit performs power supply to the operation reception unit after an occupant is determined to be present inside the vehicle cabin after the predetermined door has been opened or closed in a state in which power supply to the operation reception unit has been stopped.

13. The door lock control device according to claim 1, the power supply control unit performs power supply to the lock sensor or the unlock sensor of the operation reception unit based on a locked state of the door, and

wherein the power supply control unit supplies power to the unlock sensor and stops supply of power to the lock sensor in a locked state of the door, and supplies power to the lock sensor and stops supply of power to the unlock sensor in an unlocked state of the door.

12. A door lock control device that performs at least one of locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle subject to a condition that a result of communication with a portable device has authenticated the portable device, comprising:

an operation reception unit is a touch sensor for performing door locking and a touch sensor for performing door unlocking, the operation reception unit is provided on an outer side of the vehicle door, and receives an input for instructing at least one of the locking and unlocking of the door when the portable device has been authenticated;

a vehicle power source determination unit that determines whether a power source of the vehicle is ON;

an occupant determination unit that determines whether an occupant is present in a cabin of the vehicle; and

a power supply control unit that stops power supply to the operation reception unit while the determinations are made that the power source of the vehicle is ON and an occupant is present inside the vehicle cabin.

14. The door lock control device according to claim 12, wherein the power supply control unit performs power supply to the lock sensor or the unlock sensor of the operation reception unit based on a locked state of the door, and

wherein the power supply control unit supplies power to the unlock sensor and stops supply of power to the lock sensor in a locked state of the door, and supplies power to the lock sensor and stops supply of power to the unlock sensor in an unlocked state of the door.