Vehicle door lock control apparatus

• US 8,314,680 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichihara, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US12/281,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/990, 340/995, 340/825.57, 340/430, 340/5.2, 340/5.31, 340/5.28, 340/5.72, 701/1, 701/29, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 713/201
• US Class Current: 340/5.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0096 Mechanical aspects of locks whose actuation is dependent on geographical location, e.g. by means of a GPS system electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/48 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/54 Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A disclosed vehicle door lock control apparatus mounted in a vehicle for locking and unlocking the closed doors includes an automatic door locking unit locking the doors when no operation of opening a vehicle door is detected within a prescribed period of time-out time after the doors are unlocked by the user; and a time-out time determining unit determining the prescribed period of time-out time based on own vehicle position information. The time-out time determining unit, when the user requests to unlock the doors within a prescribed time after the doors are locked by the automatic door locking unit, learns that the prescribed period of time-out time with respect to an own vehicle position is to be extended.

Claims

1. A vehicle door lock control apparatus mounted in a vehicle for locking and unlocking the closed doors according to a user'"'"'s operation, comprising:

an automatic door locking unit locking the doors when no operation of opening the vehicle door is detected within a prescribed period of time-out time after the doors are unlocked by the user; and

a time-out time determining unit detecting own vehicle position and determining the prescribed period of time-out time based on own vehicle position information.

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

the time-out time determining unit checks the detected own vehicle position against map information so as to estimate a required security level at the position, and determines the prescribed period of time-out time based on the estimated security level.

3. The vehicle door lock control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the time-out time determining unit previously classifies the map information into plural area types depending on the differences of the security levels, assigns a different time period value to each of the plural area types, detects own vehicle position, specifies the area type with respect to the position by checking the detected own vehicle position against the map information, and determines the prescribed period of time-out time by reading the time period value assigned to the specified area type.

4. The vehicle door lock control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the time-out time determining unit, when the user unlocks the door within a prescribed period of time after the doors are locked by the automatic door locking unit, memorizes an own vehicle position at that time as a position whose prescribed time-out time is to be extended.

5. The vehicle door lock control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the time-out time determining unit sets the prescribed period of time-out time when it is determined that the own vehicle is positioned in a prescribed area including the position whose prescribed time-out time is to be extended based on the detected own vehicle position longer than the prescribed period of time-out time when it is determined that the own vehicle is in an area other than the prescribed area based on the own vehicle position.

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

the time-out time determining unit sets the prescribed period of time-out time when it is determined that the user unlocks the doors in daytime longer than the prescribed period of time-out time when it is determined that the user unlocks the doors in nighttime.

7. The vehicle door lock control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the user requests to lock or unlock the doors by a wireless key operation;

the automatic door locking unit locks the doors when no operation for opening the vehicle doors is detected within a prescribed period of time-out time after the doors are unlocked based on the request from the user; and

the time-out time determining unit detects the own vehicle position when the user requests to unlock the door and determines the prescribed period of time-out time based on the detected own vehicle position.

8. The vehicle door lock control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the time-out determining unit detects own vehicle position when the user unlocks the door and determines the prescribed period of time-out time based on the detected own vehicle position.