Patent ID: 8294558

Claim:
A starting control apparatus that controls starting of an engine of a vehicle, the starting control apparatus comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a first signal indicative of an engine start request from a remote key via wireless communication while the remote key is outside the vehicle; a tuner connecting unit connectable to an external tuner that receives a second signal indicative of an engine start request from a remote controller via wireless communication, wherein the tuner connecting unit receives the second signal from the external tuner; and a starting control unit that starts the engine in each of the following conditions: (i) when the receiving unit receives the first signal while the external tuner is not connected to the tuner connecting unit so as to disable communication between the external tuner and the tuner connecting unit, (ii) when the receiving unit receives the first signal while the remote key is not inserted into a key cylinder and the external tuner is connected to the tuner connecting unit, and (iii) when the tuner connecting unit receives the second signal while the remote key is not inserted into the key cylinder and the external tuner is connected to the tuner connecting unit.