Patent ID: 8798894

Claim:
A vehicle control unit comprising: an engine switch configured to be depressed to start and stop an engine; an idling stop controller configured to automatically stop and restart the engine according to driving conditions of a vehicle; and a power supply controller configured to switch a power supply mode of supplying electrical energy to electrical systems of the vehicle from a power supply in response to depression of the engine switch, wherein wherein, when the engine switch is depressed in a state where the engine is automatically stopped, the idling stop controller restarts the engine in a case where a relationship between an operating time during which the engine switch is depressed and a predetermined reference time satisfies a predetermined condition, and the power supply controller, maintains the power supply mode in an ON mode when the idling stop controller stops the engine, and switches the power supply mode from the ON mode to an accessory mode in a case where the relationship between the operating time and the reference time does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the ON mode being a mode in which electrical energy is supplied to all of the electrical systems, the accessory mode being a mode in which the supply of electrical energy to part of the electrical systems of the vehicle from the power supply is maintained while the supply of electrical energy to the remaining electrical systems from the power supply is stopped, and wherein the electrical systems to which the supply of electric energy from the power supply is maintained in the accessory mode are accessory equipment equipped in the vehicle.