Patent ID: 8478358

Claim:
An in-vehicle apparatus having a handsfree function, comprising: a connection section that is connectable with a cellular phone by simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a mail forwarding protocol for mail forwarding, the cellular phone being operable in selectively one of a handset communication mode and a handsfree communication mode in a condition where the cellular phone is connected with the connection section by using the handsfree communication protocol, wherein, in the handset communication mode, a voice path between the cellular phone and the in-vehicle apparatus having the handsfree function is closed, and a voice inputted via a voice input part of the cellular phone is transmitted toward a communication counterpart as being an outgoing voice, and a voice received from the communication counterpart is outputted from a voice output part of the cellular phone as being an incoming voice, wherein, in the handsfree communication mode, the voice path between the cellular phone and the in-vehicle apparatus having the handsfree function is open, and a voice inputted via a voice input device of the in-vehicle apparatus having the handsfree function is transmitted toward the communication counterpart as being the outgoing voice, and the voice received from the communication counterpart is outputted from a voice output device of the in-vehicle apparatus having the handsfree function as being the incoming voice; a mail reception determination section that is configured to determine whether an incoming mail is received by the cellular phone, which is connected with the connection section by using the mail forwarding protocol; a mode determination section that is configured to determine which one of the handset communication mode and the handsfree communication mode is selected in the cellular phone, which is connected with the connection section by using the mail forwarding protocol; and a control section that is configured to control a mail reception notice regarding a notice that the incoming mail is received, such that: the control section issues the mail reception notice to a user when the mail reception determination section determines that the incoming mail is received by the cellular phone, which is connected with the connection section by using the mail forwarding protocol, and when the mode determination section determines that the handset communication mode is selected in the cellular phone, by which the incoming mail is received; and the control section prohibits the mail reception notice from being issued to the user when the mail reception determination section determines that the incoming mail is received by the cellular phone, which is connected with the connection section by using the mail forwarding protocol, and when the mode determination section determines that the handsfree communication mode is selected in the cellular phone, by which the incoming mail is received.