Annual tax return - Tax declaration obligations in Germany: At the end of a calendar year, an annual tax return must be submitted to the tax office. The deadline is 31 May of the following year.
Tip: With tax consultants, the deadline extends to 31.12. In exceptional cases, a later deadline can be agreed with the tax office.
The tax declarations and attachments you have to file depend on your income.
If you have worked as an expat in Germany during the last years, you are (most likely) entitled to an income tax return and a tax refund. Do you know the average taxI refund is approx. 1,000 Euro? How much tax you are charged depends on whether Germany has a tax agreement with your home country.
Are you receiving a tax refund?
1) Necessary additional expenses incurred by an employee for a professional double-budgeting.
2) A double financial management exists only if the employee maintains his own household outside the place of his first place of employment and also lives in the place of the first place of employment.
3) Having a household of your own requires the ownership of a dwelling as well as a financial contribution to the cost of living.
4) Accommodation costs for double housekeeping may be set at the actual domestic cost of using the property, at most € 1,000 per month .
5) Expenses for the ways from the place of the first place of work to the place of the own house state and back (family home travel) can be deducted only for a family home travel weekly.
6) To cover the expenses for a family home trip, a distance charge of 0.30 euros for every full kilometer of the distance between the place of one's own household and the place of the first place of work is to be set.
7) Number 4 sentences 3 to 5 shall be applied accordingly.
8) Expenses for family home travel with a motor vehicle left to the taxpayer in the context of a type of income are not taken into account.
double housekeeping: Anyone who works outside of the place where he or she owns a family household and takes a second home on the job for work can deduct the resulting travel expenses and second home costs up to a monthly maximum of 1000 euros as income-related expenses. Additional expenses for meals can only be set at the level of the applicable lump sums and only for the first three months of double budgeting. This limit applies to all employees. If the employee already went to the new place of employment immediately prior to the start of the double financial management, the duration of this mission is counted towards the three-month period. The travel costs for the first outward journey and the last return journey are to be stated in the actual amount. For cars without a proof each 0.30 euros per kilometer driven recognized. For the expenses for a family homestead weekly, however, applies the means of transport independent distance flat rate, which is to be calculated uniformly for each full distance kilometer of the shortest road connection between the place of their own household and the place of employment with 0.30 €. Here, too, distances covered by plane and routes with collective transport by the employer are disregarded; the expenses for the flight may possibly be claimed in addition to the distance charge for the routes to the airport in actual amount. The limitation of the distance flat rate to 4,500 euros does not apply to family home trips. The second home costs may be deducted in their actual amount incurred but only up to a maximum monthly amount of 1000 euros, as far as usual and not excessive. For non-household workers, no double budgetary management is recognized. According to § 3 no. 13 or 16 EStG tax-free benefits of the employer for a double budgetary management reduce the deductible income.
certain life insurance policies starting before 1 January 2005.
Payments to divorced or permanently separated spouses up to 13,805 euros per year if requested by the donor with the consent of the beneficiary. The consent is basically effective until canceled. A revocation is only effective for future calendar years. The recipient must tax the Alimony payments as income.
Donations and certain membership fees to promote tax-privileged purposes (§§ 52 to 54 AO) to tax-privileged corporations or legal entities under public law and Donations and membership fees to political parties up to the amount of 1,650 euros (for joint assessment 3,300 euros), as far as a tax reduction according to § 34g EStG has not already been granted.
for the Alimony and any professional training of persons who are legally entitled to the taxpayer or his spouse and for whom no one is entitled to an allowance for children or child benefit, up to a maximum of € 8,004 per year. A person is treated as a person who has the legal right to Alimony if certain domestic public funds for their Alimony have been reduced or have been reduced if the taxpayer has paid Alimony. To the amount of 8,004 euros own income and own payments of the maintained person are to be taken into account, if they sum together 624 euro, as well as certain subsidies (§ 33a exp. 1 EStG). This provision also covers Alimony of the divorced or permanently separated spouse, if a deduction is not effectively applied for as special expenditure within the framework of the so-called real splitting.
to cover the special needs of a full-time child, who is in vocational training, and who is entitled to an allowance according to § 32 Abs. 6 EStG or child allowance, amounting to up to 924 Euro per year.costs for illness etc.
Household employment, services and craftsmanship: In the case of household-related employment relationships, which are minor jobs (so-called mini-jobs), income tax is reduced on application in accordance with § 35a (1) EStG by 20% of the expenses, maximum 510 euros. For other household-related employment relationships (eg employment subject to social insurance contributions) or for the use of household-related services (eg service providers) that are not craftsmen's services, the income tax is reduced on application in accordance with § 35a (2) EStG 20% of the expenses, maximum 4,000 euros a year. In accordance with § 35a (3) EStG, income tax is reduced on application for the use of craftsman services for renovation, Alimony and modernization measures, with the exception of the measures subsidized under the CO2 Building Rehabilitation Program of KfW Förderbank 20% of the expenses paid, maximum 1,200 euros per year. An employment relationship is close to the household if it involves a household-related activity. The household activities include u. a. the preparation of meals in the household, the cleaning of the taxpayer's home, the care of the garden, and the care, care and support of children, sick, elderly and dependent persons. Domestic services include all activities that are sufficiently close or related to financial management. Domestic services must therefore be activities that are usually carried out by members of the household and for which a service agency or a self-employed service provider is used, eg. B. the activity of a self-employed window cleaner, the care of relatives by using a nursing service or gardening work (mow lawn, cut hedge) by a nursery.
The craftsmanship includes all manual activities for renovation, Alimony and modernization work such. Painting and wallpapering, laying tiles, renewing the flooring, replacing windows and doors, as well as garden and road works. The tax reduction can only be claimed if the employment, the service or the craftsman's service is carried out or provided in a household of the taxpayer or, in the case of long-term care and assistance, of the well-groomed and cared for person in the European Union or the European Economic Area. Another condition is that the taxpayer has received an invoice for the household-related service or the craftsman service and the payment has been made to the account of the provider of the service. A tax reduction is only considered for expenses that are not business expenses, income-related expenses or special expenses and have not been taken into account as exceptional charges.
How and when will children be considered?
Children under the age of 18 will be considered for the allowances in each case; for child benefit, if you are a resident or habitual resident of Austria or in an EU / EEA Member State.
Over 18, but not yet 21 years old, children will be considered if they are not in employment and registered as jobseekers at an employment agency in Germany.
Over 18, but not yet 25 years old children will be considered if they are in vocational training (this also means school education) etc.
or who have exercised a liberating activity as a development worker in the legal defense or civil service.
In addition, consideration of children over the age of 18 requires that they do not engage in any harmful gainful employment after completing initial vocational training or undergraduate studies.
Tax rates: A basic personal allowance of the taxable income is not subject to taxation. For single taxpayers, it is € 8,130 and € 16,260 for married taxpayers. For each child of the taxpayer, a tax-free child allowance as well as an allowance for care, educational or professional training requirements of the child may be deducted from the income, if deduction of the allowances is more favourable than the entitlement to child benefit, quod vide Family assistance. The base tax rate is 14 %, rising progressively to 42 % for a taxable income of € 52,882/€ 105,764 (single/married taxpayers). From a taxable income of € 250,731/€ 501,462 (single/married taxpayers), the tax rate is 45 %. These are the so-called limit tax rates, i.e. the average tax burden is significantly lower.
Special tax rate for income from capital asset: Income from capital assets is taxed at a standard tax rate of 25 % (plus solidarity surcharge).
For non-self-employed foreign income, you must submit the N-AUS attachment. For each foreign country, a separate annex N-AUS must be submitted. For more information see instructions Appendix N-AUS. Frontier workers continue to use the specific N-GRE national forms instead of the N-AUS plant. Eg Switzerland.
According to Section 90 (2) of the AO, the taxpayer has an obligation to cooperate in foreign matters: documents such as: For example, certificates issued by the employer regarding employment abroad and taxation of wages abroad must therefore be included in full. The taxpayer must provide proof of the amount of foreign income and on the determination and payment of foreign taxes by appropriate documents (eg tax assessment, self-assessment in foreign countries (eg USA, Italy), payment receipt), if necessary in German translation (§ 68b EStDV). If the tax is registered abroad by an employer, an entrepreneur or a bank, proof from the declarant of the amount of the tax deducted (H 212a (Determination of foreign taxes) EStH) is sufficient proof.


This past Monday was a busy day for the Supreme Court. It handed down two unanimous decisions, each overturning lower Federal Circuit Court rulings. In Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc., the Court dealt with the esoteric question of patent claim construction and scope in view of the standard for definiteness (in layman’s terms, whether the patent claim is clearly written and defined in the patent disclosure). In Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Tech. Inc., the Court dealt with the more straightforward question of whether a party, who only carries out some of the steps of a method patent, is liable for infringement if it encourages others to carry out the remaining steps – even if there would otherwise be no direct infringement. I discuss the Limelight case in this article. The Nautilus case will be discussed in a future article.
As background, the plaintiff, Akamai, exclusively licensed US Patent No. 6,108,703 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The patent relates to a method of delivering electronic data using a content delivery network or “CDN”. A CDN is simply a group of servers spread out across multiple data centers to enable content, i.e. data, to be more efficiently served to individual internet users. Under the ‘703 patent, Akamai developed technology for increasing the speed with which internet users can access the content of Akamai customer websites. The defendant, Limelight, who operates a competing CDN, had designed their system to require its website customers to designate (i.e. “tag”) the data components to be stored on the Limelight servers. This direct tagging by Limelight’s customers allowed Limelight to avoid having to perform the tagging step under the ‘703 patent.
Akamai sued Limelight for patent infringement in the Massachusetts District Court, where the jury found for Akamai, awarding $40 million in damages. The victory, however, was short-lived, because the Federal Circuit soon rendered a decision in another method case, Muniauction, Inc. v Thomson Corp. Limelight moved for reconsideration of the District Court decision in view of Muniauction and obtained a reversal. This reversal was upheld on appeal by a three judge Federal Circuit panel. Akamai then obtained en banc review before the full Federal Circuit panel, which vacated and reversed. The Federal Circuit reasoned that the evidence could support a judgment in favor of Akamai based on the §271(b) inducement statute, because Limelight had carried out some steps of the claimed method and encouraged others to carry out the remaining step, even though no party was liable for direct infringement under the other §271(a) infringement statute. Limelight then appealed this reversal to the Supreme Court, which granted review.
In a rather short, almost sarcastically terse opinion, Justice Samuel Alito stated that “[t]he Federal Circuit’s analysis fundamentally misunderstands what it means to infringe a method patent.” It was explained that a method patent cannot be infringed unless all the steps are carried out, and that where there has been no direct infringement, there can be no inducement of infringement. Furthermore, the Court refused to apply a rule where conduct that would be infringing in altered circumstances could then form the basis for infringement in the present case. The Court stated that “Limelight cannot be liable for inducing infringement that never came to pass”.
The Court, however, did acknowledge the concern that its interpretation could be viewed as permitting a would-be infringer to evade liability by dividing performance of a method patent’s steps with another whom the defendant neither directs nor controls. But the Court dismissed this concern by pointing out that the Federal Circuit had created this very problem in their previous Muniauction decision, and that it was now up to the Federal Circuit to choose whether to deal with this issue when the case is back before it on remand.
It is my view the Supreme Court had to issue the decision it did based on the specific question before it: “Whether the Federal Circuit erred in holding that a defendant may be held liable for inducing patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. §271(b) even though no one [party] has committed direct infringement under §271(a)”. Because there was no direct infringement by Limelight, the decision was clear – the Supreme Court could not hold Limelight liable for inducement. Furthermore, the Supreme Court said it was not going to establish two parallel bodies of infringement law: one for liability for direct infringement, and one for liability for inducement. There was no way the Supreme Court would have answered the more challenging question of infringement split amongst multiple parties, whether direct or indirect. This question could only have been addressed, if the Federal Circuit had reasoned the lower decision differently, if the direct infringement question had been briefed for the Court, and if the actual question of split infringement had been directly raised. However, the last line of the decision leaves the door open by inviting the Federal Circuit to revisit the direct infringement question.
Once the Federal Circuit has had a chance to lick its wounds from this stinging Supreme Court blow, it will be interesting to see how it will now re-decide Limelight.


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Byodo Naturkost GmbH, hereinafter referred to as “we” for simplicity’s sake, has the utmost respect for your privacy. As such, we take the protection of your personal data, for example your name, date of birth, address, e-mail address, telephone no., etc., very seriously. This data protection notice regulates the collection, processing and use of your personal data, if and insofar as they are required for the use of our website. When handling these data, we adhere strictly to the pertinent statutory data protection regulations as well as the following principles.
By confirming your agreement with the data protection principles when using our websites, especially with regard to the placing of orders, subscription to our newsletter and filling in of our contact forms, you expressly consent to the use of your personal data and instruct us to do so in the manner prescribed by said data protection principles. The following data protection principles and the public directory (only available in German) describe in detail how we collect and use this information.
We only save personal data to the extent necessary to provide a functional website as well as our content and services. Our users’ personal data are only processed for the performance of the offered services (for example for the provision of quotes and advice, execution of contracts, establishing contact and asking of follow-up questions) insofar as such processing is necessary. No personal data are collected automatically.
Our users’ personal data are only processed regularly with the user’s consent. An exception applies in such cases where it is not possible to obtain consent beforehand for reasons of fact and where statutory provisions permit data processing.
To the extent that we obtain the consent of the data subjects for personal data processing operations, the legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Where the processing of personal data is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, the legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b of the GDPR. This also applies to processing operations required to take steps prior to entering into a contract.
To the extent that the processing of personal data is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which our company is subject, the legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c of the GDPR.
The personal data of the contracting partner are generally collected in the scope of conclusion of a contract for the services offered in our online shop. Insofar as the processing of the data is required for conclusion of the contract, the permissive rule for the data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b of the GDPR. If the processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests of our company or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interest or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject, the legal basis for processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR.
As a matter of principle, the data are deleted as soon as the purpose for which they were collected no longer applies. To the extent necessary, we process your personal data for the entire duration of the business relationship (from initiation to conclusion and execution of a contract) and additionally in accordance with the legally prescribed storage and documentation requirements as per, for example, the German Fiscal Code (AO) and other statutory provisions.
This information is all documented without any personal association or IP addresses and is used for statistical evaluation purposes only. The data are utilised to make our websites more user-friendly and improve the offering accordingly. The legal basis for the temporary storage of the data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR.
The collection of the data for provision of the website and the storage of said data in log files is absolutely essential for proper operation of the website. Therefore, there is no opt-out option available to the user.
The personal data you make available are secured by technical and organisational security measures to ensure that they cannot be accessed by unauthorised third parties.
If you send us an e-mail, your e-mail address is employed exclusively for the subsequent correspondence with you. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that information sent unencrypted via e-mail can theoretically be viewed without authorisation. For this reason, we cannot provide a guarantee for the confidentiality of this data transfer. If you are sending particularly sensitive data or information, it is thus recommendable to do so by post.
If you wish to send us an e-mail with content requiring protection, e.g., a job application, we urgently recommend encrypting the attachments (CV, certificates, etc.) in order to prevent unauthorised attention and falsification occurring during the transfer. To this end, please contact the individual named in the respective job description.
We do not provide data to third parties without your consent unless this is also explicitly permitted by law or subject to a judicial or official ruling. In the scope of contract conclusions (online business), personal data are provided to service providers (e.g., delivery companies, logistics companies) for the proper execution of the contract.
In the scope of our business, you are required to make the personal data available which are required for the initiation and performance of said business and that we are legally required to collect. If you do not make these data available, we shall generally be forced to refuse conclusion or execution of the contract or may not be able to continue to execute an existing contract and have to terminate it accordingly.
However, you are not obliged to grant your consent to data processing concerning data which are not relevant and/or required by law or other regulations for the execution of the contract.
These data protection principles may be revised over the course of time if we include additional service offerings and new functions or new legal requirements come into force. We reserve the right to change these data protection principles at any time and publish the revised version on our website. The revised function shall become valid at the time of its publishing on the site.
Some of the Internet sites use ‘cookies’. Cookies do not damage your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies help make our offering more user-friendly, efficient and safe. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.
The majority of the cookies we use are so-called ‘session cookies’. These are deleted automatically when you leave our website. Other cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them. These cookies allow us to recognise your browser again if you visit in the future.
You can adjust the settings of your browser so that you are informed about the storage of cookies and cookies are only permitted in certain cases, cookies are excluded under specific conditions or entirely or all cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser window. Disabling cookies can restrict the proper functioning of this website.
Cookies required for electronic communication and the provision of certain functions you wish to use (e.g., shopping basket function) are stored in accordance with the provisions of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the storage of cookies for the technically unimpaired and optimised provision of its services. Insofar as other cookies (e.g., cookies for the analysis of your surfing habits) are stored, they are treated specially in this data protection policy.
This website employs the functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google Analytics uses ‘cookies’. Cookies are text files which are stored on your computer and facilitate analysis of your use of the website. The information that the cookie generates in relation to your use of this website is generally sent to a Google Inc. server in the USA and stored there.
Google Analytics cookies are stored on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the analysis of user behaviour for the purpose of optimising both its online offering and advertising.
We have enabled the IP anonymization function on this website. Consequently, Google truncates your IP address within the Member States of the European Union and in other states which have signed the agreement concerning the European Economic Area before transferring it to the USA. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website provider with other services connected with website use and Internet use. The IP address sent by your browser for Google Analytics purposes will not be combined with other Google data.
You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your browser software settings. However, please note that, if you do so, some parts of the website may not function fully. You can also opt out of storage of the data on your site activity by the cookie (incl. your IP address) as well as the processing of these data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available from the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.
You can prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics by clicking the following link. This saves an opt-out cookie on your system, which prevents the collection of your data during future visits to this website: opt out of Google Analytics.
Use of the Google Maps functions requires saving of your IP address. This information is generally sent to a Google server in the USA and saved there. The provider of this site has no influence on this data transmission. The use of maps is included in the interest of the appealing display of our online offering and making it easier to find the locations we refer to on the website. This constitutes a legitimate interest as defined by Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR.
We have concluded an agreement with Google governing commissioned data processing and enforce the strictest requirements of the German data protection authorities with regard to the use of Google Analytics in their entirety.
Our pages integrate plug-ins from the social network Facebook, provided by Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. The Facebook plug-ins can be identified by the Facebook logo or the “Like” button on our page. An overview of the Facebook plug-ins can be found here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.
If you do not want Facebook to associate the visit to our site with your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook account.
The functions of the networking service Instagram are integrated in our sites. These functions are offered by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
If you are logged in to your Instagram account, you can link the contents of our pages to your Instagram profile by clicking the Instagram button. This permits Instagram to associate the visit to our site with your user account. Please note that we as the provider of the pages have no knowledge of the contents of the data communicated and how they are used by Instagram.
You can change your data protection settings for Twitter in your account settings at https://twitter.com/account/settings.
This page uses ‘web fonts’ provided by Adobe Typekit for the standardised display of fonts. When you open a page, your browser loads the required fonts in your browser cache so as to be able to display the texts and fonts correctly.
For this purpose, the browser you use needs to connect to Adobe Typekit’s servers. This provides Adobe Typekit with the information that you have visited our website using your IP address. The Adobe Typekit fonts are employed in the interest of making the presentation of our online offers standardised and appealing. This constitutes a legitimate interest as defined by Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR.
You have the right to request information on the personal data we store concerning you personally free of charge. In addition, you also have the right to verify incorrect data, block specific data and demand the erasure of data in the legally prescribed cases. Furthermore, you have the right to object to the further use of your personal data at any time. We draw your attention to the fact that your right to erasure of your data may be restricted by statutory storage obligations that we are obliged to obey.
You may direct complaints to the Bavarian Data Protection Authority (BayLDA), Promenade 27 (Schloss), 91522 Ansbach, Germany.
External links always open in a new window. Links allow us to provide an access for the use of this content (Art. 8 of the German Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz)). We are not responsible for the content visited via the links as we have not initiated the information transfer, selected the recipient of the information or selected or changed the transferred information. The opening and linking methods selected by the operator (Hosting, GRZ IT Center Linz GmbH GmbH) of our websites do not temporarily cache this information automatically, so they also do not result in any responsibility or data protection obligations for us with regard to the third-party content. Nevertheless, we thoroughly check all third-party content the first time the links to such Internet offerings are included on our site so as to determine whether they might lead to possible civil or criminal law liability.
Certain areas of the website (online shop) are only available to registered users. The data entered there fall under the data responsibility of Lavano GmbH, Lußhardtstraße 1, 76689 Karlsdorf-Neuthard, Germany, and are also stored there.
Our website contains an option to subscribe to a newsletter free of charge. When signing up to the newsletter, the data in the input screen are sent to us.
Your data will not be passed on to third parties as part of data processing for sending you the newsletter. The data are used solely for sending out the newsletter.
The legal basis for data processing after the user signs up to a newsletter, provide the user has granted their consent, is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a of the GDPR.
The legal basis for the sending of the newsletter following the purchase of goods or service is Art. 7 para. 3 of the German Act Against Unfair Competition (UWG).
The data are erased as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected. The user’s e-mail address will therefore be stored for as long as the newsletter subscription remains active.
The data subject may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. A corresponding link is included in every letter for exactly this purpose.
Our Internet site includes a contact form which can be used for electronic contact as well as personal contact via post or telephone. If the user opts to do so, the data entered in the input screen will be sent to us and stored.
This information is necessary for processing of queries and the input thus mandatory.
The following information is optional, but required if we are to send you the requested documents, contact you by telephone to answer questions or they simply appear pertinent to the clarification of the query.
If you send us a file attachment, please ensure that you also possess the corresponding rights to the information contained.
Your data will not be passed on to third parties in this context. The data are used solely for processing the enquiry.
The data are erased as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected. For the personal data in the input screen of the contact form and those sent via e-mail, this is the case when the respective conversation with the user is over. The conversation is over when it can be inferred from the circumstances that the enquiry concerned has been closed.

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For company ARTURE Art & Nature s.r.o.
These business conditions (hereinafter referred to as “business conditions”) for company ARTURE Art & Nature s.r.o. with place of business in U Piskovny 376, 34401 Domazlice, ID number 26366282, registered in Business Register at KS Plzen, section C, insert 15616 (hereinafter referred to as “seller”) adjust in accordance with the regulation of § 1751 paragraph 1 of Act No. 89/2012 Coll., the Civil Code (hereinafter referred to as “the Civil Code”) mutual rights and obligations of the parties in connection with or arising under a purchase contract (hereinafter referred to as “purchase contract”) concluded between a seller and another natural person (hereinafter referred to as “buyer”) through the online store of the seller. Online Store is operated by the seller on the website at the internet address www.a-n.cz (hereinafter referred to as the "Website"), and via the interface website (hereinafter referred to as the "Business web interface").
Terms and conditions do not apply to cases where a person who intends to buy goods from the seller is the legal person or a person who is ordering goods in the course of their business or in their occupation.
Provisions divergent from the business conditions can be agreed upon in the purchase contract. Different arrangements in the purchase contract shall prevail over the terms of trade.
Provisions of business conditions are inseparable part of the purchase contract.
The seller may modify or extend the business conditions. This provision shall not prejudice the rights and obligations arising after the effective period of the previous version of business conditions.
On the basis of registration of the buyer on the website, buyers can access his user interface. From the user interface buyer can order goods (hereinafter referred to as "user account"). In the case that the web interface allows it, buyer can also order goods without registration directly from the web interface.
The buyer is obliged to provide correct and true information when he registers on the website and orders goods. The buyer is required to update any change of the data presented in the user account. The data stated in the buyer's user account and when ordering goods are considered as correct.
Access to the user account is secured by username and password. The buyer is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information necessary to access the user account.
The Buyer is not entitled to allow the use of a user account to the third parties.
Seller may cancel a user account, especially when the buyer your user account does not use for longer than, or if the buyer breaches its obligations under the purchase contract (including terms and conditions).
Buyer acknowledges that the user account may not be available at all times, especially with regard to the necessary maintenance of hardware and software of the seller or necessary maintenance of hardware and software of the third parties.
All product presentation in the web interface of trade is informative and the seller is not obliged to make a purchase contract regarding this product. The provisions of § 1732, paragraph 2 of the Civil Code shall not apply.
The web interface provides information about the goods, including the prices of individual goods. Product prices are inclusive of VAT and all related charges. Prices of goods remain in force as long as they are displayed in the business web interface. The possibility of the purchase contract formation for individually negotiated terms by the seller is not limited by this provision.
The business web interface also includes information about the costs of packaging and delivery. Information about the costs associated with packaging and delivery of the goods listed in the business web interface applies only in cases where the goods are delivered within the territory of the Czech Republic.
- information about the costs associated with the delivery of goods (hereinafter referred to as “order”).
Before sending the order to the buyer, the seller is allowed to check and modify the data inserted in the order by the buyer, also with regard for a buyer to detect and correct errors during data entry to order. The buyer sends the order to the seller by clicking on the “Checkout”. The data presented in the order are considered by the seller as correct. Seller immediately after receiving the order confirms the order to the buyer via e-mail referred in the user interface or in the order (hereinafter referred to as "e-mail address of the purchaser").
Seller is always entitled to, depending on the nature of the order (quantity of goods, the purchase price, estimated shipping costs) ask the buyer for additional confirmation (such as writing or by telephone).
The contractual relationship between the seller and the buyer arises by the order acceptance, which is sent to the buyer by e-mail to e-mail address of the purchaser.
Buyer agrees to use of means of distance communication in the conclusion of the purchase contract. Costs incurred to the buyer when using means of distance communication in connection with the closing of the purchase agreement (the costs of internet access, telephone costs) are paid by the buyer himself, these costs do not differ from the standard rate.
The buyer is also obliged to pay together with the purchase price the costs associated with packaging and delivery at an agreed rate. Unless stated otherwise, the purchase price is understood inclusive of the costs associated with the delivery of the goods.
Seller does not require a deposit or other similar payments from the buyer. This is without influencing of the provisions of article 4.6 of commercial conditions concerning the obligation to pay the purchase price of the goods in advance.
In case of payment in cash or in case of payment on delivery, the purchase price is due upon receipt of goods. In case of cashless payment is the purchase price due within 14 days after the conclusion of the purchase contract.
In case of cashless payment, the buyer is obliged to reimburse the purchase price of the goods with the variable symbol of payments. In case of cashless payment is the obligation to pay the purchase price by the payer met at the time of adding the correct amount to the account of the seller.
Seller is entitled, especially in case that the buyer does not provide an additional confirmation of the order (Article 3.6), to require payment of the full purchase price before sending the goods to the buyer. The provisions of § 2119, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code shall not apply.
Any discounts on the price of goods by the seller to the buyer can not be combined.
If it is usual in business relations or if it is determined by the generally binding legal regulations, the seller issues the tax document – invoice. The seller is the value added tax payer. The tax document – invoice is issued by the seller for the buyer after the payment in full and sent to the buyer.
Buyer acknowledges that under § 1837 of the Civil Code, among other things, he can not withdraw from the contract for the supply of goods which have been adapted to the wishes of the buyer or his person, the purchase agreement for the supply of goods which are subject to rapid deterioration, as well as goods that was after delivery irreversibly mixed with other goods, the purchase agreement for the supply of sealed goods that the consumer unsealed and it is not possible to return for hygienic reasons, the purchase contract for the supply of audio or video recordings or computer program, if their original packaging is damaged.
If this is not the case referred to in Article 5.1 or the other if it is not possible to withdraw from the contract, the buyer has in accordance with the provisions of § 1829, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code, the right to withdraw from the contract within fourteen (14) days from receipt of the goods. In case the object of the contract are several types of goods or delivery of several parts, this period runs from the date of receipt of the last delivery of the goods. Withdrawal from the contract has to be sent by the seller within the period specified in the preceding sentence. Withdrawal from the contract may be sent by the buyer to the address of the seller or the seller's e-mail address arture@a-n.cz.
In case of withdrawal from the contract under Article 5.2 of the business conditions is the purchase contract canceled from the beginning. The goods must be returned to the Seller within fourteen (14) days since withdrawal from the contract by the buyer in the same way as the seller received them from the buyer. If the buyer withdraws from the contract, the buyer bears the cost of returning the goods to the seller, even in the case where the goods can not be returned to their character usual postal route.
Claim for damage caused to the goods is the seller entitled to unilaterally set against the buyer's claim for refund of the purchase price.
Till the receipt of the goods by the buyer, the seller is entitled to withdraw from the contract at any time. In this case the seller will return the purchase price to the buyer without any delay bank transfer to an account determined by the purchaser.
In cases where a buyer in accordance with § 1829 paragraph. 1 of the Civil Code has the right to withdraw from the contract, the seller is also entitled at any time withdraw from the contract until receipt of the goods by the buyer. In this case, the seller returns the purchase price without undue delay by a bank transfer to an account designated by the buyer.
If the gift is provided with the goods the agreement between the seller and the buyer is closed with a terminated condition that if the buyer withdraws from the contract, the donation agreement loses the effectiveness regarding such a gift and the buyer is obliged to return a provided gift together with the goods to the seller.
In case the way of transport is arranged on the basis of special request of the buyer, the buyer bears the risk and additional costs associated with this type of transport.
If the seller is according to the purchase contract obliged to deliver the goods to the place determined by the buyer in the purchase order, the buyer is obliged to accept the goods on delivery.
In case that the goods needs to be delivered repeatedly or some other way than stated in the order, the buyer is obliged to pay the costs associated with repeated delivery of goods, resp. costs associated with other delivery method.
When taking the goods from the carrier, the buyer is obliged to check the package and in case of any defects to notify immediately the carrier. In case of breach of the package indicative of intrusion into the consignment the buyer need not take shipment from the carrier.
Other rights and obligations of the parties in the transport of goods can be adjusted by special delivery conditions of the seller, if issued by the seller.
The rights and obligations of the parties regarding the rights of defective performance shall be governed by the relevant legislation (in particular § 1914-1925, § 2099-2117 and § 2161 to 2174 of the Civil Code and Act no. 634/1992 Coll., on consumer protection, as amended).
- the goods complies with the legal requirements.
The provisions stated in the Article 7.2 of the business conditions do not apply to goods sold at a lower price due to a defect for which the lower price was agreed, to worn out goods caused by the normal use, for used goods for defects caused by use or wear that had at the receipt of the goods by the buyer, or if it arises from the nature of the goods.
When any defect will show within six months after the takeover, it is assumed that the goods were defective at the time of takeover. The buyer is entitled to exercise the right of the defect, which occurs in consumer products during the twenty four months from the receipt.
The rights of defective performance are claimed by the buyer at the seller´s address of workshop or at his place of business. For a moment of a claim is considered to be the moment when the seller receives the claimed goods from the buyer.
Other rights and obligations of the parties relating to the liability of the seller for defects can be modified by the Complaints Code of the seller.
The buyer come into possession of the goods by paying the entire purchase price.
The seller is not connected to the buyer by any codes of conduct within the meaning of § 1826, paragraph 1, point. e) of the Civil Code.
Out of court settlement of complaints of consumers provides the seller through an e-mail address arture@a-n.cz, order@a-n.cz, info@a-n.cz. The seller sends the information about the disposition of the complaint to the buyer´s e-mail address.
The seller is entitled to sell the goods on the basis of the trade certification. Trade inspection is carried out by the Trade Office. Supervision of privacy is carried out by the Office for Personal Data Protection. Czech Trade Inspectorate carries out, inter alia, the supervision of observance of the Act No. 634/1992 Coll., Consumer Protection, as amended.
The Buyer takes the risk of a change on himself in circumstances within the meaning of § 1765, paragraph 2 of the Civil Code.
ARTURE Art & Nature s.r.o. perform processing of your personal data, for such processing is necessary for the performance of the service contract under which the service is provided to you. For more detailed information about processing your personal information, please see below.
- The administrator of your personal data is company ARTURE Art & Nature s.r.o., the main office U Pískovny 376, 34401 Domažlice, Reg. Nr.: 26366282, registered in the Commercial Register kept at the Regional Court in Plzeň, Section C, File 15616 (hereinafter referred to as "administrator”).
- The administrator did not appoint a Data Protection Representative.
- The contact details of the administrator are as follows: delivery address U Pískovny 376, 34401 Domažlice, e-mail address arture@a-n.cz, phone +420 379 794 621.
- the fulfillment of the legal obligations applicable to the administrator, within the meaning of Article 6 § 1 c) of the Regulation, in particular the fulfillment of the obligations imposed on the administrator by generally binding legal regulations, in particular Act No. 235/2004 Coll., on Value Added Tax, as amended, Act No. 586/1992 Coll., on Income Taxes, as amended, and Act No. 563/1991 Coll., on accounting, as amended.
- fulfillment of the contract between you and the administrator or for the execution of a measure by the administrator before the conclusion of such a contract within the meaning of Article 6 § 1 b) Regulation (EC) No. 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46 / EC (General Regulation on the protection of personal data) (hereinafter referred to as "Regulation").
- The recipients of your personal data for the fulfillment of statutory obligations may also be the financial authorities or other competent authorities, auditor, lawyer, in cases where they impose administrators generally binding legal regulations.
The administrator does not intend to pass your personal data to a third party (to a non-EU country) or an international organization.
Under the terms and conditions set forth in the Regulation, you have the right to request from the administrator access to your personal data, the right to repair or delete your personal data, or limit their processing, the right to object to the processing of your personal data, and the right to the portability of your personal data.
If you believe that the processing of your personal data has been violated or the regulation is violated, you have the right to file a complaint with the Supervisory Authority.
You are under no obligation to provide personal information. The provision of your personal data is a necessary requirement for the conclusion and performance of the contract and without providing your personal data, it is not possible to conclude the contract or to fulfill it by the administrator.
By submitting an order or by registering in the e-shop, the customer confirms that he / she agrees with the rules of the trade, the complaint rules and has become familiar with the provisions on the protection of personal data in accordance with the GDPR provision.
The buyer agrees to receive information related to goods, services or company of the seller to the buyer's e-mail address and agrees to receive commercial information from the seller to the buyer's e-mail address.
The buyer agrees with the storing of cookies on his computer. In case the purchase on the website can be made and perform the obligations of the seller under the purchase agreement without storing of cookies on the buyer´s computer, the buyer may remove the consent according to the previous sentence at any time.
The information may be delivered to the buyer to his e-mail address specified in his user account or specified in the order.
If the relationship of the purchase agreement includes an international (foreign) element, the parties agree that the relationship is governed by Czech law. This does not affect the rights of consumers resulting from the generally binding legal regulations.
If some provision of Business Conditions is invalid or ineffective or if it becomes like that, the new provision commences instead. The one, whose meaning is the most similar to the invalid one. The invalidity or ineffectiveness of one provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. Amendments and supplements of the purchase contract or business conditions require written form.
The purchase contract including business conditions is archived in electronic form by the seller and is not accessible.


text:
An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus establishes a handsfree profile connection with a first cellular phone and a second cellular phone simultaneously. It is assumed that while the first cellular phone is in a calling state, the second cellular phone receives an incoming call. When a user operates a response to the second cellular phone in the incoming call receiving state, a suspension request signal is transmitted to the first cellular phone in the calling state to thereby switch the call link of the first cellular phone to a suspending state. In contrast, an incoming call response request signal is transmitted to the second cellular phone to thereby switch the call link of the second cellular phone from the incoming call receiving state to a calling state. The connection partner of a call sound path is changed from the first cellular phone to the second cellular phone.
This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-65874 filed on Mar. 14, 2008.
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus capable of establishing a handsfree communication protocol connection with multiple cellular phones at the same time.
Patent document 1 describes an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus which establishes a handsfree profile connection with a cellular phone, which is brought into a passenger compartment of a vehicle.
Some users recently carry about together more than one cellular phone for private and business uses in recent years. Thus, the inventor assumes that an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus might be required to anticipate a case that multiple cellular phones are brought into a passenger compartment of the relevant vehicle. In other words, the inventor assumes that an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus might be required which has a function to establish a handsfree profile connection with each of the multiple cellular phones at the same time (referred to as a function for multi-profile connection) to thereby allow all the cellular phones to be in a handsfree standby state.
Further, even if an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus might be provided with such a function for multi-profile connection with multiple cellular phones as the inventor assumes, a situation might be assumed that while one of the cellular phones with which a handsfree profile connection is being simultaneously established is in a calling state, another cellular phone may receive an incoming call and responding to such an incoming call might be required. Herein, there is no technology to respond to such a situation.
The present invention is made in view of the above situation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus to switch a call link with respect to multiple cellular phones with which a handsfree profile connection is established at the same time to thereby enhance the user's usability.
To achieve the above object, according to an example of the present invention, an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus is provided as follows. A handsfree connection section is configured to establish a handsfree communication protocol connection with a cellular phone having a function to (i) switch a call link, which is in a calling state, to a suspending state when a suspension request signal is issued and (ii) switch a call link, which is in an incoming call receiving state, to a calling state when an incoming call response request signal is issued. A control section is configured to perform a notice of a different phone interruption incoming call, the notice of the different phone interruption incoming call being performed in case, of a plurality of cellular phones with which the handsfree connection section establishes a handsfree communication protocol connection simultaneously, a second cellular phone receives an incoming call when a first cellular phone is in a calling state. A different phone interruption incoming call response operation section is configured for a user to perform a response operation to the different phone interruption incoming call in response to the notice of the different phone interruption incoming call. Herein, the control section is further configured to, when the user performs the response operation to the difference phone interruption incoming call, (i) issue a suspension request signal to the first cellular phone in the calling state and an incoming call response request signal to the second cellular phone in the incoming call receiving state and (ii) switch a connection partner of a call sound path from the first cellular phone to the second cellular phone, the call sound path via which the handsfree connection section carries a transmission sound and a reception sound.
Under the above configuration, by the issuance or instruction of the suspension request, a call link under the calling state in the first cellular phone is switched to the suspending state, whereas by the issuance or instruction of an incoming call response request to the second cellular phone under the incoming call receiving state, a call link under the incoming call receiving state in the second cellular phone is switched to the calling state. This allows the switching of a call link with respect to each of the multiple cellular phones with which a handsfree profile connection is established at the same time. The user's usability can be thus improved.
According to another example of the present invention, a method is provided for switching call links of a first cellular phone and a second cellular phone included in a plurality of cellular phones with which an in-vehicle handsfree apparatus simultaneously establishes a handsfree communication protocol connection. The method comprises: (a) performing a notice when a different phone interruption incoming call takes place in case the second cellular phone receives an incoming call when the first cellular phone is in a calling state; (b) receiving a response operation to the different phone interruption incoming call in response to the notice of the different phone interruption incoming call; (c) issuing, in response to the received response operation, (i) a suspension request signal to the first cellular phone to thereby switch a call link of the first cellular phone, which is in a calling state, to a suspending state, and (ii) an incoming call response request signal to the second cellular phone to thereby switch a call link of the second cellular phone, which is in an incoming call receiving state, to a calling state; and (d) switching, in response to the received response operation, from the first cellular phone to the second cellular phone a connection partner of a call sound path via which a transmission sound and a reception sound is carried in the calling state.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an identical phone interruption incoming call notice process.
An embodiment according to the present invention will be explained with reference to drawings. In addition, the following explains an example, in which each of multiple cellular phones has a Bluetooth (registered trademark, referred to as BT) communication function and the multiple cellular phones are brought in a passenger compartment of a vehicle.
An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted in a vehicle and includes a control section 2, a BT interface section 3, a call sound processing section 4, a storage section 5, a display management section 6, a touch operation input section 7, and a ring tone generation section 8. The BT interface section 3 may function as an example of a handsfree connection means or section.
The control section 2 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O bus, etc., and controls an overall operation of the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 such as a communication operation, a data control operation, etc. The BT interface section 3 supports (i.e., is compliant with) several profiles standardized by the communication standard of the BT such as a handsfree profile (HFP) for a handsfree telephone call and a phonebook access profile (PBAP) for transmission of telephone book data, historical outgoing call data, or historical incoming call data. The BT interface section 3 is further capable of multi-profile connection, which allows a handsfree profile to be simultaneously connected with each of two or more cellular phones compliant with the BT (referred to as a BT-compliant cellular phone). In other words, the BT interface section 3 can establish a handsfree profile connection with each of multiple BT-compliant cellular phones.
A first cellular phone 21 and a second cellular phone 22 have a BT communication function. Both cellular phones 21, 22 are brought in a passenger compartment of the vehicle at the same time. If the first cellular phone 21 and the second cellular phone 22 exist within the BT communication area covered by the BT interface section 3, the BT interface section 3 establishes a handsfree profile connection with the first cellular phone 21 and the second cellular phone 22 at the same time. Herein, the above profiles signify communication protocols defined for every function.
The call sound processing section 4 is connected with a microphone 9 and an audio amplifier 10. The microphone 9 is arranged at a position to easily collect user's utterance, for instance, at a vicinity of a steering wheel in the passenger compartment. The audio amplifier 10 is arranged outside of or separate from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1. When performing a handsfree telephone call using one of the first and second cellular phones 21, 22 brought in the passenger compartment, the call sound processing section 4 operates the following. When receiving a call sound which the user utters as a transmit sound via the microphone 9, the call sound processing section 4 operates a speech processing of the received transmit sound and outputs it to the BT interface section 3. When receiving a reception sound via the BT interface section 3, the call sound processing section 4 outputs the received reception sound to the audio amplifier 10. When the audio amplifier 10 receives the reception sound from the call sound processing section 4, the audio amplifier 10 amplifies the received reception sound and outputs the amplified sound via the speakers 11, 12.
The speaker 11 and the speaker 12 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the full length direction of the vehicle mounted with the present in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1. For example, the speaker 11 is arranged at the driver's seat door, while the speaker 12 is arranged at the front passenger's seat door. In addition, the audio amplifier 10 is also connected to a tuner deck 13. For instance, the tuner deck 13 receives a musical tune sound from a storage medium for music, or a radio program from a radio station and outputs them to the audio amplifier 10. The audio amplifier 10 amplifies the received musical tune sound and the radio program, and outputs the amplified sounds via the speakers 11, 12.
The storage section 5 can store various data such as: phonebook data indicating correspondence between phone numbers and registration names; historical outgoing call data indicating correspondence between outgoing call clock times and destination phone numbers with respect to outgoing call from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 or cellular phones 21, 22 with which a handsfree profile connection is established; and historical incoming call data indicating correspondence between incoming call clock times and source phone numbers with respect to incoming call to cellular phones 21, 22 with which the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 establishes a handsfree profile connection.
A display apparatus 14 includes (i) a display device 15 having a screen for displaying a display window and (ii) a touch operation input device 16, which is formed on the screen. Herein, the touch operation input device 16 may function as an example of a operation section or means for a different phone interruption incoming call response, an identical phone interruption incoming call response, or a call partner switching. The display management section 6 controls a display operation of the display device 15 based on a display command signal, which is received from the control section 2. The touch operation input section 7 receives an operation detection signal via the touch operation input device 16 according to the user having operated the touch switch currently formed on the display screen. The touch operation input section 7 outputs the received operation detection signal to the control section 2. The control section 2 analyzes and processes the received operation detection signal.
The ring tone generation section 8 generates a monotone sound having a predetermined frequency band as a ring tone. Here, the user can select one of multiple ring tones by operating the touch switch. The control section 2 generates the ring tone which the user selected by using the ring tone generation section 8.
The cellular phones 21, 22 have types of being compliant and not compliant with an in-band ring tone. The type being compliant signifies the type having a function to transmit a ring tone while the type being not compliant signifies the type having no function to transmit a ring tone. That is, if each of the cellular phone 21 and the cellular phone 22 is compliant with the in-band ring tone, the following takes place. The cellular phone 21, 22 receives an incoming call (i.e., an incoming call signal) from the cellular phone network 31 under the state in which the handsfree profile connection is established with the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1. The cellular phone 21, 22 then transmits identification information (for example, telephone number registered inside) and an incoming call notice signal to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, and, furthermore, transmits a ring tone registered inside, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1. In contrast, if each of the cellular phone 21 and the cellular phone 22 is not compliant with the in-bond ring tone, the following takes place. The cellular phone 21, 22 receives an incoming call signal from the cellular phone network 31 under the state in which the handsfree profile connection is established with the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1. Although the cellular phone 21, 22 then transmits identification information and an incoming call notice signal to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the cellular phone 21, 22 does not transmit a ring tone registered inside to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
When the control section 2 receives the ring tone along with the incoming call notice signal and identification information from the cellular phone 21, 22, the control section 2 outputs the received ring tone (ring tone registered in the cellular phone 21, 22) via the speakers 11, 12. It is thus reported that the cellular phone 21, 22 has received an incoming call (i.e., an incoming call signal). In contrast, when the control section 2 receives no ring tone along with the incoming call notice signal and identification information from the cellular phone 21, 22, the control section 2 generates a ring tone by using the ring tone generation section 8. The control section 2 outputs the generated ring tone via the speakers 11, 12 to thereby report that the cellular phone 21, 22 has received an incoming call.
An operation under the above configuration is explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIGS. 2, 3 illustrate flowcharts of processes executed by the control section 2 of the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
In the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the control section 2 starts an incoming call process. It is determined whether the BT interface section 3 has received an incoming call notice signal from either the cellular phone 21 or the cellular phone 22. It is thus determined whether either the cellular phone 21 or the cellular phone 22 has received an incoming call (i.e., an incoming call signal) at S1.
When the control section 2 determines that either has received an incoming call (S1: YES), it is determined whether any cellular phone being in the calling state exists presently at S2. When it is determined that a cellular phone in a calling state does not exist presently (S2: NO), the processing proceeds to an incoming call notice process at S4.
In contrast, when it is determined that the cellular phone in the calling state exists presently (S2: YES), it is determined whether the cellular phone in the call state is the same as the cellular phone having received the incoming call at S3 based on whether the identification information which is received from the cellular phone in the calling state is the same as that which is received from the cellular phone having received the incoming call. The control section 2 determines that the identification information which is received from the cellular phone in the calling state is the same as that which is received from the cellular phone having received an incoming call to thereby determine that the cellular phone in the calling state is the same as that having received an incoming call (S3: YES). The processing proceeds to an identical phone incoming call interruption notice process at S5. In contrast, the control section 2 determines that the identification information which is received from the cellular phone in the calling state is not the same as that which is received from the cellular phone having received the incoming call to thereby determine that the cellular phone in the calling state is different from that having received the incoming call (S3: NO). The processing then proceeds to a different phone incoming call interruption notice process at S6.
That is, the identical phone incoming call interruption notice process signifies an interruption notice process executed at the following case. When the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 establishes a handsfree profile with cellular phones, a first cellular phone of the cellular phones is in a calling state, and the same first cellular phone receives an incoming call signal during the calling state. In contrast, the different phone incoming call interruption notice process signifies an interruption notice process executed at the following case. When the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 establishes a handsfree profile connection with cellular phones, a first cellular phone of the cellular phones is in a calling state, and a second cellular phone different from the first cellular phone receives an incoming call signal while the first cellular phone is under the calling state.
The different phone interruption incoming call notice process and the identical phone interruption incoming call notice process are explained one by one. First, the different phone interruption incoming call notice process is explained with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 4 illustrates a case that while a first cellular phone 21 is already in a calling state (i.e., under a telephone call), a second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call (also referred to as an incoming call signal). In such a case, regardless of whether the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 receives from the second cellular phone 22 an incoming call tone (i.e., a ring tone) registered in the second cellular phone 22, the ring tone generation section 8 generates a ring tone which is able to notify a user of the incoming call without a trouble in hearing reception sounds of the calling. The generated ring tone is outputted.
the control section 2 outputs a reception sound received from the first cellular phone 21, which is presently under the calling state, via the speakers 11, 12. Simultaneously, the control section 2 outputs the ring tone generated by the ring tone generation section 8 via the speakers 11, 12. The user is thus notified that the second cellular phone 22 has received an incoming call. Then the control section 2 determines at S11 whether the user operates an incoming call response (i.e., performs an incoming call response operation).
When the user operates an incoming call response via the switch aside of the steering wheel or the touch switch presently formed in the touch operation input device 16, the control section 2 determines that the user has operated the incoming call response (S11: YES). The control section 2 then transmits a suspension request signal (also referred to as a suspension request) to the first cellular phone 21 which is under the calling state via the BT interface section 3 at S12. When the first cellular phone 21 in the calling state receives the suspension request signal from the control section 2 or the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the first cellular phone 21 switches a call link, which is in the calling state, to the suspending state, and transmits a state notice signal, which indicates that the first cellular phone 21 itself is switched to the suspending state, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
By receiving the state notice signal via the BT interface section 3 from the first cellular phone 21 in the calling state, the control section 2 determines that the call link of the first cellular phone 21 is switched from the calling state to the suspending state (S13: YES) and transmits or issues an incoming call response request signal (also referred to as an incoming call response) to the second cellular phone 22 via the BT interface section 3 having received the incoming call at S14. When the second cellular phone 22 having received the incoming call (i.e., when the second cellular phone 22 is presently in the incoming call receiving state) receives the incoming call response request signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the second cellular phone 22 switches a call link, which is in the incoming call receiving state, to a calling state, and transmits a state notice signal, which indicates that the second cellular phone 22 itself is switched to the calling state, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
By receiving the state notice signal via the BT interface section 3 from the second cellular phone 22 having received the incoming call, the control section 2 determines that the call link of the second cellular phone 22 is switched from the incoming call receiving state to the calling state (S15: YES) and switches a connection partner of the call sound path, via which the BT interface section 3 carries a transmit sound and reception, from the first cellular phone 21 to the second cellular phone 22 at S16. In the above configuration, in case that the second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call when the first cellular phone 21 is already in the calling state, a user can operate an incoming call response to thereby switch the call link of the first cellular phone 21 from the calling state to the suspending state. Thus, the user can have a telephone call with a call partner, which has called to the second cellular phone 22 as a call destination.
Subsequently, the control section 2 determines at S17 whether the user operates a call partner switching (i.e., a user performs a call partner switching operation), and further determines at S18 whether the second cellular phone 22 ends the calling or telephone call. Before the telephone call of the second cellular phone 22 is completed, the user may operate a call partner switching via the switch aside of the steering wheel or the touch switch currently formed in the touch operation input device 16. In this case, the control section 2 determines that the user has operated the call partner switching (S17: YES), and transmits or issues a suspension request signal to the second cellular phone 22, which is in the calling state, via the BT interface section 3 at S19. When the second cellular phone 22 in the calling state receives the suspension request signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the second cellular phone 22 switches a call link, which is in the calling state, to the suspending state, and transmits a state notice signal, which indicates that the second cellular phone 22 itself is switched to the suspending state, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
By receiving the state notice signal via the BT interface section 3 from the second cellular phone 21 having been in the calling state, the control section 2 determines that the call link, which is in the calling state, of the second cellular phone 22 is completed (S20: YES), and then transmits or issues a suspension release request signal to the first cellular phone 21, which is in the suspending state, via the BT interface section 3 at S21. When the first cellular phone 21 in the suspending state receives the suspension release request signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the first cellular phone 21 switches a call link, which is in the suspending state, to the calling state, and transmits a state notice signal, which indicates that the first cellular phone 21 itself is switched to the calling state, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
By receiving the state notice signal via the BT interface section 3 from the first cellular phone 21, the control section 2 determines that the call link, which has been in the suspending state, of the first cellular phone 21 is switched to the calling state (S22: YES). The control section 2 then switches a connection partner of the call sound path from the second cellular phone 22 to the first cellular phone 21 at S23. The processing then returns to S17. Thus, by operating the call partner switching, the user can perform the switching of the call links, i.e., switches the second cellular phone 22 from the calling state to the suspending state while switching the first cellular phone 21 from the suspending state to the calling state. Thus, the user can have a telephone call again with a call partner, which called to the first cellular phone 21 as a call destination before the second cellular phone 22 received an incoming call.
In contrast, when the control section 2 determines that the calling state or telephone call of the second cellular phone 22 is completed before the user operates the call partner switching (S18: YES), it transmits or issues a suspension release request signal to the first cellular phone 21 which is in the suspending state at S24. When the first cellular phone 21 in the suspending state receives the suspension release request signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, it switches a call link, which is in the suspending state, to the calling state, and transmits a state notice signal, which indicates that the first cellular phone 21 is switched to the calling state, to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1.
By receiving the state notice signal via the BT interface section 3 from the first cellular phone 21, the control section 2 determines that the call link, which is in the suspending state, of the first cellular phone 21 is switched to the calling state (S25: YES). The control section 2 then switches a connection partner of the call sound path from the second cellular phone 22 to the first cellular phone 21 at S26. The processing then returns.
The above explains the case that when the first cellular phone 21 is in the calling state, the second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call signal. However, by contrast, another case can be explained that when the second cellular phone 22 is in the calling state, the first cellular phone 21 receives an incoming call signal.
Next, the identical phone interruption incoming call notice process is explained with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates a case that while a first cellular phone 21 is already in a calling state or under a telephone call, a second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call signal. Herein, the first cellular phone 21 contracts the incoming call interruption notice service which the cellular phone network 31 provides. Thus, in case that the second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call when the first cellular phone 21 is in the calling state, a ring tone, which is specified in the service and transmitted from the cellular phone network 31, is outputted via the speakers 11, 12.
As starting an identical phone incoming call interruption notice process, the control section 2 outputs a reception sound received from the first cellular phone 21 in the calling state via the speakers 11, 12, while outputting a ring tone, which is specified in the service and transmitted from the cellular phone network 31 via the speakers 11, 12. The user is thereby notified of the first cellular phone 21 having received an incoming call, and it is determined whether the user operates an incoming call response at S31.
When the user operates an incoming call response via the switch aside of the steering wheel or the touch switch currently formed in the touch operation input device 16, the control section 2 determines that the user has operated the incoming call response (S11: YES), and transmits or issues an interruption incoming call response request signal (referred to as an interruption incoming call response request) to the first cellular phone 21 via the BT interface section 3 at S32. When receiving the interruption incoming call response request signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the second cellular phone 22 switches the call link, which has been in the calling state, to the suspending state, while switching the call link, which has been in the suspending state, to the calling state.
Next, the control section 2 determines that the call link, which has been in the calling state, in the first cellular phone 21 is switched from the calling state to the suspending state (S33: YES) and determines that the call link, which has been in the incoming call receiving state, in the first cellular phone 21 is switched from the incoming call receiving state to the calling state (S34: YES). The control section 2 thus identifies that the call link state in the first cellular phone 21 has changed.
Subsequently, the control section 2 determines at S35 whether the user operates a call partner switching, and further determines whether the calling state or telephone call of the first cellular phone 21 is completed at S36. Herein, before the telephone call of the second cellular phone 21 is completed, the user may operate a call partner switching via the switch aside of the steering wheel or the touch switch currently formed in the touch operation input device 16. In this case, the control section 2 determines that the user has operated the call partner switching (S35: YES), and transmits or issues a call partner switching signal to the first cellular phone 21 via the BT interface section 3 at S37. When receiving the call partner switching signal from the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1, the first cellular phone 21 switches the call link, which has been in the calling state, to the suspending state, while switching the call link, which has been in the suspending state, to the calling state.
The control section 2 then determines that the call link of the first cellular phone 21 is switched from the calling state to the suspending state (S38: YES) and determines that the call link, which has been in the suspending state, of the first cellular phone 21 is switched to the calling state (S39: YES). The control section 2 thus identifies that the call link state in the first cellular phone 21 has changed. The processing then returns to S35.
In contrast, before the user operates a call partner switching via the switch aside of the steering wheel or the touch switch currently formed in the touch operation input device 16, the telephone call or the calling state of the first cellular phone 21 may be completed. In this case, the control section 2 determines that the telephone call of the first cellular phone 21 is completed (S36: YES), and determines that the call link, which has been in the suspending state, in the first cellular phone 21 is switched to the calling state (S40: YES). The processing then returns. That is, in the identical phone interruption incoming call notice process, unlike the above-mentioned different phone interruption incoming call notice process, the control section 2 does not switch a connection partner of the call sound path, via which the BT interface section 3 carries a transmit sound and reception sound, between cellular phones 21, 22.
Incidentally, under the above-mentioned configuration, in both the different phone interruption incoming call notice process and the identical phone interruption incoming call notice process, the ring tone is outputted simultaneously when the reception sound is outputted via the speakers 11, 12. It is thus more desirable that the ring tones are differentiated therebetween in the different phone interruption incoming call notice process and the identical phone interruption incoming call notice process. Such a configuration can achieve the user's recognition with respect to not only an incoming call, but also, whether an incoming call is arriving at a first cellular phone under telephone call or a second cellular phone different from the first cellular phone.
As explained above, the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 according to the embodiment operates as follows. A handsfree profile is connected at the same time with at least a first cellular phone 21 and a second cellular phone 22. Herein, assume the case that while the first cellular phone 21 is under telephone call (i.e., in the calling state), the second cellular phone 22 receives an incoming call (i.e., incoming call signal). In this case, if a user performs a response operation to the second cellular phone 22 receiving the incoming call, a suspension request signal is transmitted to the first cellular phone 21 under the telephone call (i.e., in the calling state). The call link state of the first cellular phone 21 is switched from the calling state to the suspending state. In contrast, an incoming call response request signal is transmitted to the second cellular phone 22 to thereby switch the call link of the second cellular phone 22 from the incoming call receiving state to the calling state. Further, a connection partner of the call sound path, via which the BT interface section 3 carries a transmit sound and reception sound to a cellular phone, is switched from the first cellular phone 21 to the second cellular phone 22. Thus, the call state can be changed in each of the first cellular phone 21 and the second cellular phone 22. The user's usability can be thus enhanced.
Furthermore, a handsfree profile is connected at the same time with at least a first cellular phone 21 and a second cellular phone 22. Herein, assume the case that while the second cellular phone 22 is under telephone call (i.e., in the calling state), the first cellular phone 21 is in the suspending state. In this case, if a user operates the call partner switching, a suspension request signal is transmitted to the second cellular phone 22 under the telephone call to thereby switch the call link of the second cellular phone 22 from the calling state to the suspending state. Furthermore, a suspension release request signal is transmitted to the first cellular phone 21 in the suspending state to thereby switch the call link of the first cellular phone 21 from the suspending state to the calling state. Further, a connection partner of the call sound path is switched from the second cellular phone 22 to the first cellular phone 21. Thus, even after responding to the incoming call, the call link state can be changed in each of the first cellular phone 21 and the second cellular phone 22.
The present invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified or extended as follows. The function of the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 may be included in another in-vehicle apparatus, such as an in-vehicle navigation apparatus. The ring tone transmitted to the in-vehicle handsfree apparatus 1 from the cellular phone 21, 22 may be a musical tune (so called “ringer melody”).
Each or any combination of processes, steps, or means explained in the above can be achieved as a software portion or unit (e.g., subroutine) and/or a hardware portion or unit (e.g., circuit or integrated circuit), including or not including a function of a related device; furthermore, the hardware portion or unit can be constructed inside of a microcomputer.
Furthermore, the software portion or unit or any combinations of multiple software portions or units can be included in a software program, which can be contained in a computer-readable storage media or can be downloaded and installed in a computer via a communications network.
(a) issue an interruption incoming call response request signal to the first cellular phone that is in the calling state.
(ii) switch the connection partner of the call sound path from the second cellular phone to the first cellular phone.
(i) an interruption incoming call response request signal to the first cellular phone to switch a call link of the first cellular phone, which is in the calling state, to a suspending state while switching a call link of the first cellular phone, which is in the incoming call receiving state, to a calling state.
(Second) Office Action dated Jul. 18, 2012 from SIPO in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 200910006452.X (with English translation).
Chinese Office Action dated Sep. 15, 2011 from SIPO in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 2009 1000 6452.X (with English translation).
Final Office Action dated Jan. 11, 2011, in corresponding Japanese Application No. 2008-262785, with English translation thereof.
Notice of Allowance dated Jun. 9, 2011 from the USPTO in the related U.S. Appl. No. 12/378,706.
Notice of Allowance dated Nov. 30, 2011 in corresponding US Application No. 2009/0209298.
Office Action dated Apr. 27, 2010 in Japanese Application No. 2008-133013 with English translation thereof.
Office Action dated Aug. 25, 2011 from the USPTO in the related U.S. Appl. No. 12/378,709.
Office Action dated Dec. 22, 2009 in Japanese Application No. 2008-037503 with English translation thereof.
Office action dated Jan. 5, 2010 in corresponding Japanese Application No. 2008-262785.
Office Action dated Jun. 8, 2011 in corresponding U.S. Appl. No. 12/378,708.

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Application No. 200910006452
Application No. 2009
Application No. 2008
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Application No. 2008
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Application No. 2008