Patent ID: 7265457

Claim:
A power control apparatus for controlling electric power supplied from a power source to at least one electronic control unit that detects pieces of operation information on plural switches including a first switch and at least one second switch, comprising: power on-off means connected to the power source through a first power wire and to the at least one electronic control unit through a second power wire, and operable to electrically connect and disconnect the first power wire and the second power wire; and a control section changed into an operative state when the first switch is closed so that electric power is supplied from the power source to the control section, and serving, in the operative state, to control connecting/disconnecting operations of the power on-off means when the at least one second switch is operated in a predetermined operation pattern; wherein said power on-off means is a latch relay; wherein said latch relay includes a first stationary contact connected to the power source, a second stationary contact connected to the at least one electronic control unit, a movable contact, a set coil for electrically connecting the first and second stationary contacts through the movable contact, and a reset coil for releasing the electrical connection between the first and second stationary contacts; wherein said control section includes a set-coil drive terminal connected to the set coil, a reset-coil drive terminal connected to the reset coil, a power input terminal connected to the power source through the first switch, and a control input terminal connected to the at least one second switch; and wherein said control section supplies a drive current from the reset-coil drive terminal to the reset coil when determining that the at least one second switch is operated in a first operation pattern, and supplies a drive current from the set-coil drive terminal to the set coil when determining that the at least one second switch is operated in a second operation pattern, based on operation information on the at least one second switch that is input to the control input terminal.