Patent ID: 8255116

Claim:
A vehicle control device including a slot provided in a vehicle where a portable unit is inserted and an initiation control unit which enables an initiation of a driving source provided in the vehicle when the portable unit is inserted in the slot, comprising: a drive permission unit which is provided in the vehicle and is configured to select between a drive-permitted state in which the drive of the vehicle is permitted and a drive-prohibited state in which the drive of the vehicle is prohibited according to a given condition; a drive state detection unit which is configured to sequentially detect which one of the drive-permitted state and the drive-prohibited state has been selected by the drive permission unit; a portable-unit restraining unit which is configured to irremovably restrain the portable unit inserted in the slot; and a portable-unit restraining control unit which is configured to irremovably lock the portable unit in the slot through the portable-unit restraining unit if the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-permitted state, and to release the portable unit locked in the slot by the portable-unit restraining unit to allow the portable unit to be removed from the slot if the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-prohibited state.