In-vehicle apparatus, cellular phone device, and method for controlling communication therebetween

A cellular phone device configured to communicate with an in-vehicle apparatus having a handsfree function simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer,

• wherein the cellular phone device is selectively in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where voice inputted via a voice input unit of the in-vehicle apparatus is transmitted as outgoing voice to a counterpart, and voice transmitted from a counterpart is outputted as incoming voice via a voice output unit of the in-vehicle apparatus by opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus in a condition where communicating using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where voice inputted via a voice input unit of the cellular phone device is transmitted as outgoing voice to a counterpart, and voice transmitted from a counterpart is outputted as incoming voice via a voice output unit of the cellular phone device by closing the voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus,
• wherein the cellular phone device performs data transfer to the in-vehicle apparatus in a condition where:
• i) the cellular phone device communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus simultaneously using the handsfree communication protocol and the data transfer protocol;
• ii) the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• iii) the cellular phone device makes a data transfer request to the in-vehicle apparatus, and
• the cellular phone device do not perform data transfer to the in-vehicle apparatus in a condition where:
• the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state;
• and
• the cellular phone device makes a data transfer request to the in-vehicle apparatus.

An 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 and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path;
• a condition determination unit configured to determine whether the cellular phone device is in one of the handsfree communication state and the handset communication state;
• and
• a control unit configured to:
• i) permit a data transfer request transmitted from the cellular phone device using the data transfer protocol in response to determination of the condition determination unit that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• ii) refuse the data transfer request from the cellular phone device in response to determination of the condition determination unit that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.

A cellular phone device configured to communicate with an in-vehicle apparatus simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer,

• wherein the cellular phone device is selectively in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path,
• the cellular phone device is configured to:
• i) perform data transfer to the in-vehicle apparatus when being in the handset communication state and communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus simultaneously using the handsfree communication protocol and the data transfer protocol;
• and
• ii) prohibit data transfer to the in-vehicle apparatus when being in the handsfree communication state.

A method for controlling communication between an in-vehicle apparatus and a cellular phone device, the method comprising:

• communicating the in-vehicle apparatus with the cellular phone device simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer;
• determining whether the cellular phone device is in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus and communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path;
• determining whether the cellular phone device makes a data transfer request using the data transfer protocol;
• permitting the data transfer request in response to determination that the cellular phone device makes the data transfer request using the data transfer protocol and determination that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• refusing the data transfer request in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.

A method for controlling communication between a cellular phone device and an in-vehicle apparatus, the method comprising:

• communicating the cellular phone device with the in-vehicle apparatus simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer;
• determining whether the cellular phone device is in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus and communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path;
• performing data transfer from the cellular phone device to the in-vehicle apparatus using the data transfer protocol in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• prohibiting data transfer from the cellular phone device to the in-vehicle apparatus using the data transfer protocol in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.

A program product comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a method for controlling communication between an in-vehicle apparatus and a cellular phone device, the method comprising:

• communicating the in-vehicle apparatus with the cellular phone device simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer;
• determining whether the cellular phone device is in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus and communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path;
• determining whether the cellular phone device makes a data transfer request using the data transfer protocol;
• permitting the data transfer request in response to determination that the cellular phone device makes the data transfer request using the data transfer protocol and determination that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• refusing the data transfer request in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.

A program product comprising instructions being executed by a computer;

• the instructions including a method for controlling communication between a cellular phone device and an in-vehicle apparatus, the method comprising:
• communicating the cellular phone device with the in-vehicle apparatus simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a data transfer protocol for data transfer;
• determining whether the cellular phone device is in one of:
• i) a handsfree communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus and communicating with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol;
• and
• ii) a handset communication state where outgoing and incoming voice is transmitted via input and output units of the cellular phone device when closing the voice path;
• performing data transfer from the cellular phone device to the in-vehicle apparatus using the data transfer protocol in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state;
• and
• prohibiting data transfer from the cellular phone device to the in-vehicle apparatus using the data transfer protocol in response to determination that the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.