| CPC B60R 25/245 (2013.01) | 28 Claims |

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1. An access control system for a vehicle having at least one access system associated with a closure of the vehicle, the access system being capable of being activated into a plurality of lock states, wherein the access control system comprises one or more controllers and is configured to:
receive a first signal from an associated user device, the first signal being indicative that the user device is beyond a threshold distance from the vehicle;
receive a second signal indicative of a user request to change a lock mode of the access control system and in dependence on receipt of the second signal select a lock mode to operate in from a plurality of lock modes;
if no second signal is received, generate a control signal to operate the access control system in a first lock mode in which the controller generates the control signal to activate the at least one access system into a first lock state in response to the first signal indicating that a proximity of the user device to the vehicle exceeds the threshold distance, the first lock state being a state in which activation of a door latching mechanism by an external handle is inhibited whilst activation of the door latching mechanism by an internal handle is enabled; and
in dependence on the lock mode selected, either
(a) generate a control signal to activate the at least one access system into a locked state in response to the first signal indicating that the proximity of the user device to the vehicle exceeds the threshold distance, or
(b) maintain the at least one access system in its current lock state in response to the first signal indicating that the proximity of the user device to the vehicle exceeds the threshold distance.
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