Patent ID: 8560022

Claim:
An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus comprising: a communication unit configured to establish a communication link with either a cellular phone compliant with a communication protocol or a cellular phone noncompliant with the communication protocol, the communication protocol specifying automatic transmission of phone book data; a first storing unit configured to store phone book data transmitted from a cellular phone; a second storing unit configured to store phone book data transmitted from a cellular phone; and a control unit configured to retrieve phone book data which are stored in the first storing unit in cases that a request for using phone book data occurs, wherein: the control unit executes a determination as to whether a certain cellular phone, with which the communication unit establishes the communication link, is compliant with the communication protocol; in cases that the control unit makes a first determination that the certain cellular phone is compliant, the control unit stores and arranges, in the first storing unit, phone book data, which are transmitted automatically from the certain cellular phone based on the communication protocol specifying automatic transmission of the phone book data; and in cases that the control unit makes a second determination that the certain cellular phone is not compliant and determines that the second storing unit stores phone book data at a time when the second determination is made, the control unit stores and arranges, in the first storing unit, the phone book data, which are stored in the second storing unit at the time when the second determination is made.