Denso Corporation

Kazuyoshi Azuma

Ichiro Yoshida

Toru Yamazaki

Kenji Miyake

Souichi Saitoh

Akira Inoue

Kiyoshi Tsuzuki

A hands-free apparatus in a vehicle has two cellular phones connected through simultaneous HFP connections, with one of the two cellular phones having a private call and the other of the two cellular phones receiving a voice call. The hands-free apparatus displays on a touch screen a call transfer switch for switching the private call to the hands-free call regarding the call of the first cellular phone and a response switch for responding to the voice call to the second cellular phone. In this manner, both of the private call and the voice call are appropriately handled by a user without any restriction even when the voice call is received by the second cellular phone during the hands-free call of the first cellular phone.

Hands-free apparatus

An in-vehicle apparatus having a handsfree function is disclosed. The in-vehicle apparatus is connectable with multiple cellular phones at a same time using a handsfree communication protocol. When a first cellular phone and a second cellular phone of the multiple cellular phones are respectively and simultaneously in a handset communicating state and in a calling state, the in-vehicle apparatus does not display a transfer switch for the first cellular phone and displays an answer switch for the second cellular phone, the transfer switch for the first cellular phone being user operable to switch the first cellular phone from the handset communicating state into a handsfree communicating state, the answer switch for the second cellular phone being user operable to switch the second cellular phone from the calling state into the handsfree communicating state.

In-vehicle apparatus having handsfree function

A communication unit communicates with a cellular phone device simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a mail transfer protocol for mail transfer. The cellular phone device is selectively in one of: i) a handsfree communication state where voice is transmitted via voice 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 voice is transmitted via voice units of the cellular phone when closing the voice path. The control unit notifies an incoming mail in a normal manner when the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state. Alternatively, the control unit notifies an incoming mail such that an occupant other than a user hardly notices an incoming mail when the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state.

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

A communication unit communicates 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 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. A control unit permits a data transfer request transmitted from the cellular phone device using the data transfer protocol when the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state and refuses the data transfer request when the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state.

A vehicle-to-vehicle communication device mounted in a subject vehicle includes (i) a transmitter-receiver for communication with other vehicle-to-vehicle communication devices mounted in other vehicles, (ii) a memory that stores communication wavelengths assigned to the other vehicles, and (iii) a communication control unit. When a certain vehicle is determined to be within a dangerous distance from the subject vehicle, the communication control unit refers to a communication wavelength assigned to the certain vehicle stored in the memory. When the communication wavelength assigned to the certain vehicle is identical to a communication wavelength assigned to the subject vehicle, the communication wavelength assigned to the subject vehicle is changed to another communication wavelength different from the communication wavelength assigned to the certain vehicle.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication system

When there is no continuity between a current position data acquired by the car navigation system and a previous position data acquired by the car navigation system, the car navigation system determines a current position of a vehicle based on position data transmitted from a personal digital assistant (PDA). In this way, the current position of the vehicle can be determined immediately.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Kazuyoshi Azuma