Patent ID: 8717142

Claim:
A door lock control apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a lock switch adapted to be located on an exterior of the vehicle, the lock switch being configured to be manually operable to input a door lock command; a door lock control device configured to perform a vehicle-outside key check in response to the door lock command, the vehicle-outside key check transmitting a wireless signal outside around the vehicle and determining whether an electronic key specific to the vehicle is located outside around the vehicle based on a response signal from the electronic key; a vehicle-interior check device configured to perform a vehicle-interior key check when the electronic key was previously put into a situation in which the electronic key may have been moved from inside to outside an occupant compartment of the vehicle, the vehicle-interior key check transmitting the wireless signal inside the occupant compartment and determining whether the electronic key is currently located inside the occupant compartment based on the response signal from the electronic key, the vehicle-interior check device storing a result of the vehicle-interior key check as a vehicle-interior check record; and a trunk-interior check device congifured to perform a trunk-interior key check when a trunk of the vehicle has been closed, the trunk-interior key check transmitting the wireless signal inside the trunk and determining whether the electronic key is located inside the trunk based on the response signal from the electronic key, the trunk-interior check device storing a result of the trunk-interior key check as a trunk-interior check record, wherein the door lock control device determines, based on the previously stored vehicle-interior check record, whether the electronic key is located inside the occupant compartment in response to the door lock command, and the door lock control device locks the door of the vehicle upon determination that the electronic key is not located inside the occupant compartment, and that the electronic key is located outside around the vehicle, the door lock control device determines, based on the previously stored vehicle-interior check record and the previously stored trunk-interior check record, whether the electronic key is located inside either the occupant compartment or the trunk, the door lock control device locks the door upon determination that the electronic key is not located inside either the occupant compartment or the trunk, and that the electronic key is located outside around the vehicle, and when the trunk is in an opened state, the door lock control device determines whether to lock the door based on the previously stored vehicle-interior check record and a result of the vehicle-outside key check without using the previously stored trunk-interior check record.