Patent ID: 7526370

Claim:
An alternative input control method comprising: outputting to a controlled object a control signal that on-off controls the controlled object from an electronic control unit; determining whether the controlled object is turned on or not, based on an input voltage that is fed back into the electronic control unit from the controlled object; and repeatedly determining whether or not a battery supply voltage is equal to or higher than a defined voltage, wherein: the alternative input control method includes one of the following operations, if the battery supply voltage is equal to or higher than the defined voltage, as normal input processing: setting an input value at one of (1) an ON value that indicates the controlled object is turned on, when the input voltage is equal to or higher than a first ON determination threshold voltage, and (1) the OFF value that indicates the controlled object is turned off, when the input voltage is equal to or lower than a first OFF determination threshold voltage lower than the first ON determination threshold voltage; and setting the input value at one of (2) an OFF value that indicates the controlled object is turned off, when the input voltage is equal to or higher than a second OFF determination threshold voltage, and (2) the ON value that indicates the controlled object is turned on, when the input voltage is equal to or lower than a second ON determination threshold voltage lower than the second OFF determination threshold voltage; and the alternative input control method includes the following operation if the battery supply voltage is lower than the defined voltage, as alternative input processing: changing the input value in accordance with change of an output of the control signal, which is outputted from the electronic control unit.