Patent ID: 8126514

Claim:
An in-vehicle apparatus having a handsfree function, the in-vehicle apparatus comprising: a communication unit configured to communicate with a cellular phone device simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer, the cellular phone device being selectively in one of: i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing voice inputted via a voice input unit of the in-vehicle apparatus is transmitted to a counterpart and incoming voice transmitted from a counterpart is outputted via a voice output unit of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus and when communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus using a handsfree communication protocol; and ii) a handset communication state where outgoing voice inputted via a voice input unit of the cellular phone device is transmitted to a counterpart, and incoming voice transmitted from a counterpart is outputted via a voice output unit of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus; a request determination unit configured to determine whether the cellular phone device, which communicates with the communication unit using the data transfer protocol, makes a data transfer request; a condition determination unit configured to determine whether the cellular phone device, which communicates with the communication unit using the handsfree communication protocol, is in one of the handsfree communication state, the handset communication state, and a stand-by state where the cellular phone device waits incoming call; and a control unit configured to i) permit the data transfer request from the cellular phone device in a condition where: the request determination unit determines that the cellular phone device, which communicates with the communication unit using the data transfer protocol, makes a data transfer request; and the condition determination unit determines that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state, ii) refuse the data transfer request from the cellular phone device in a condition where: the condition determination unit determines that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state, and iii) permit the data transfer request from the cellular phone device in a condition where: the condition determination unit determines that the cellular phone device is changed from the handsfree communication state to the stand-by state, subsequent to a condition where: the request determination unit determines that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.