Patent ID: 7414328

Claim:
A light control apparatus for a vehicle which, when an ignition switch is turned off with the setting of vehicle lights left in an ON position and with said lights kept ON, keeps said lights ON until a vehicle door is opened and/or closed, comprising: an automatic light ON/OFF means for automatically switching ON/OFF headlights and sidemarker lights depending on the ambient light level; a light control section having an operation identifying means for identifying whether ON/OFF operation of an ignition switch is an operation performed by a key or an operation performed by a remote control unit; and an engine control section which, upon receipt of a signal from said remote control unit, transmits an engine start signal, an engine stop signal, and a light control signal to said light control section; wherein said light control apparatus turns on only said sidemarker lights when said ignition switch is turned on under the condition that the ambient light level is low, said automatic light ON/OFF means is set in operation, and said operation identifying means identifies that the ON operation of said ignition switch is performed by said remote control unit; and wherein said light control apparatus turns off the turned on lights regardless of whether said vehicle door has been opened and/or closed when said ignition switch is turned off under the condition that said operation identifying means identifies that the OFF operation of said ignition switch is performed by said remote control unit.