Patent ID: 7509772

Claim:
A vehicle door opening and closing apparatus comprising: a driving power source configured to generate a driving force relevant to an opening operation, and a closing operation, of a vehicle door; an opening-closing mechanism capable of implementing the opening operation, and the closing operation, of the vehicle door by the driving force of the driving power source; first operating means for continuously outputting a manual operation signal, confined to times when the first operating means is continuously being operated; second operating means for outputting an automatic operation signal irrespective of whether or not the second operating means is continuously operated, once the second operating means is put into operation; and controlling means for controlling, on the basis of the manual operation signal and the automatic operation signal, a driving of the driving power source, the controlling means being capable of switching control for driving the driving power source in such a manner that an automatic operation mode is selected at a time that the automatic operation signal is inputted to the controlling means, the automatic operation mode in which the driving power source is driven to output a predetermined first driving output value, and a manual operation mode is selected at a time that the manual operation signal is inputted to the controlling means, the manual operation mode in which the driving power source is driven to output a second driving output value which is higher than the first driving output value; detecting means for outputting a signal representing an operating state of the vehicle door, wherein the controlling means computes, on the basis of the signal from the detecting means, an opening speed, and a closing speed, of the vehicle door, the controlling means implements a discontinuation control during the automatic operation mode, the discontinuation control by which the driving of the driving power source is discontinued at an event that the opening speed, or the closing speed, of the vehicle door is decelerated beyond a predetermined speed value, and the controlling means prohibits the discontinuation control for the duration of the manual operation mode; and wherein the controlling means implements a normal driving control by which driving of the driving power source is controlled in such a manner that the driving power source outputs a third driving output value during the manual operation mode prior to implementing the discontinuation control, and implements an urgent driving control by which driving of the driving power source is controlled in such a manner that the driving power source outputs a fourth driving output value, which is higher than the third driving output value, during the manual operation mode after implementing the discontinuation control.