JP2006226506A - Portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable information terminal easy to operate from a closed condition into a rotated condition. <P>SOLUTION: The portable information terminal comprises a first casing 1, a second casing 2, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the second casing 2 relative to the first casing 1. The rotating mechanism consists of a first rotating mechanism 3, a second rotating mechanism 4 and a third rotating mechanism 5. The first rotating mechanism is constructed to be transferred from one of a surface protecting condition and the rotating condition into the other with the rotating operation around a first virtual axis A1. The second rotating mechanism 4 is constructed to be transferred from one of the surface protecting condition and a transferred condition into the other with the rotating operation around a second virtual axis A2. The third rotating mechanism 5 is constructed to be transferred from one of the transferred condition and an opened condition into the other with the rotating operation around a third virtual axis A3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable information terminal, and more particularly to a portable information terminal capable of changing a display unit from a portrait display to a landscape display.

  In a conventional portable information terminal of this type, for example, a cellular phone, a technique for changing the display unit from portrait display to landscape display is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-319043 (Patent Document 1). FIG. 70 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the mobile phone disclosed in the above publication. Referring to FIG. 70, this mobile phone 510 has a lower unit 501, an upper unit 502 and a hinge portion 503. The lower unit 501 and the upper unit 502 are connected via a hinge portion 503 so as to be foldable. The lower unit 501 has an operation unit 511 including various keys. The upper unit 502 includes a display unit 502a having a display unit 521 and a support unit 502b that rotatably supports the display unit 502a.

The cellular phone 510 rotates the upper unit 502 relative to the lower unit 501 around the hinge portion 503 from a state where the lower unit 501 and the upper unit 502 are folded (closed) (not shown). By doing so, an open state (FIG. 70 (a)) is obtained. In this state, the display unit 521 is in a vertically long display. By rotating the display unit 502a with respect to the support unit 502b from this opened state (FIG. 70A), the display unit 521 can be displayed in a horizontally long display (rotated state) (FIG. 70B). To (d)).
JP 2003-319043 A

  In the mobile phone 510 disclosed in the above publication, in order to change the display unit 521 from the folded state (closed state) of the lower unit 501 and the upper unit 502 to the horizontally long display state (rotated state), Two rotations are required. That is, an operation of rotating the upper unit 502 with respect to the lower unit 501 and an operation of rotating the display unit 502a with respect to the support unit 502b are required. For this reason, there existed a problem that operation became complicated.

  The operator holds the lower unit 501 in the rotated state (FIG. 70A), whereas the display unit 502a is rotatably supported by the support unit 502b. For this reason, when the operator tries to rotate the display unit 502a with the hand holding the lower unit 501 so that the display unit 502a is displayed in landscape orientation, it is necessary to extend the gripping finger toward the support unit 502b. is there. At this time, since it is difficult to extend the finger to such an extent that the display unit 502a is rotated by 90 °, the operator cannot complete the transition operation to the landscape display by one operation. For this reason, there is also a problem that the operation for shifting to the landscape display cannot be performed with one hand and the operation is complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal capable of easily performing an operation from a closed state to a rotating state.

  A portable information terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a first casing, a second casing, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the second casing relative to the first casing. And. The rotating mechanism includes a surface exposed state in which the second housing covers the first housing such that the surface of the first housing and the back surface of the second housing face each other, and the first state from the surface exposed state. A rotation state in which the second casing exposes the surface of the first casing by rotating the second casing in a direction along the surface of the casing, and the surface of the first casing and the second casing The second casing can be held in a surface protection state covering the first casing so that the surface of the body faces the body.

  According to the portable information terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention, the second casing covers the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the rear surface of the second casing face each other. When the second casing rotates in the direction along the surface of the first casing from the exposed state, the second casing is in a rotating state in which the surface of the first casing is exposed. Accordingly, since it is possible to shift from one of the surface exposed state, which is a closed state, and the rotated state to the other state by one rotation operation, the transition to the rotated state is facilitated.

  Further, when the portable information terminal is not used, the second casing is in a surface protection state that covers the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the surface of the second casing face each other. By doing so, both the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing can be kept from being exposed to the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the surface from being scratched and to protect the owner's privacy.

  A portable information terminal according to the second aspect of the present invention includes an elongated first casing, an elongated second casing, and the second casing relative to the first casing. And a rotating mechanism for rotating. The rotation mechanism includes a surface exposed state in which the second casing covers the first casing such that the surface of the first casing and the rear surface of the second casing face each other, and the second casing The rotation state that intersects at right angles to the first casing so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center plane of the first casing, and the surface of the first casing and the surface of the second casing face each other. As described above, the second casing can be held in a surface protection state that covers the first casing.

  According to the portable information terminal according to the second aspect of the present invention, the second casing covers the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the back of the second casing face each other. The rotation mechanism can change from the exposed state to a rotation state that intersects at right angles to the first housing so that the second housing is symmetrical with respect to the center plane of the first housing. it can. Accordingly, since it is possible to shift from one state of the surface exposed state that is the closed state and the rotational state that is the rotating state to the other state by one rotation operation, the transition to the rotating state is facilitated.

  Further, when the portable information terminal is not used, the second casing is in a surface protection state that covers the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the surface of the second casing face each other. By doing so, both the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing can be kept from being exposed to the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the surface from being scratched and to protect the owner's privacy.

  The “elongated shape” means a substantially rectangular planar shape having two short sides and two long sides.

A portable information terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention includes an elongated first housing having an operation unit,
An elongated second housing having a display unit and a rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing are provided. The rotation mechanism includes a surface exposed state where the second casing covers the entire operation unit so that the display unit is exposed, a rotation state where the operation unit and the display unit are exposed in a T shape, and the operation unit and the display unit. The second housing can be held in a surface protection state that covers the operation unit so as to face each other.

  According to the portable information terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention, the operation unit and the display unit are exposed in a T shape from the surface exposed state where the second casing covers the entire operation unit so that the display unit is exposed. The rotation state can be changed by the rotation mechanism. Accordingly, since it is possible to shift from one of the surface exposed state, which is a closed state, and the rotated state to the other state by one rotation operation, the transition to the rotated state is facilitated.

  In addition, when the portable information terminal is not used, the surface of the first casing and the first casing are protected by setting the surface of the second casing so that the operation section and the display section face each other. Both of the surfaces of the two housings can be made not to be exposed to the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the surface from being scratched and to protect the owner's privacy.

  Further, since the first housing has the operation unit on the surface, the operator can operate the operation unit of the first housing while holding the first housing with one hand. In addition, since the second casing is connected to the first casing that is held by the operator, the operator can move the second casing to the rotation state only by slightly extending the finger of the gripping hand. The transition operation with one hand becomes possible.

  In addition, since the second casing is symmetrical with respect to the center plane of the first casing in the rotating state, it is easy to grasp the first casing and view the display portion of the second casing. It becomes.

  In the portable information terminal according to the third aspect, the display on the display unit is preferably switched between the portrait display and the landscape display in accordance with the portrait or landscape state of the display unit.

  A portable information terminal according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a first housing, a second housing, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing. And. The rotation mechanism has a first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism, and a third rotation mechanism. The first rotation mechanism holds the second housing rotatably about a first virtual axis perpendicular to the surface of the first housing. The second rotation mechanism holds the second casing rotatably around a second virtual axis included in a plane parallel to the surface of the first casing. The third rotation mechanism holds the second casing rotatably around a third virtual axis included in the center plane of the first casing.

  According to the portable information terminal according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first housing and the second housing overlap so that the front surface of the first housing and the back surface of the second housing face each other. The closed state (surface exposed state) can be changed by the first rotation mechanism from the surface exposed state to a rotated state in which the second housing is rotated by 90 ° along the surface of the first housing. Therefore, since the transition from one of the closed state and the rotation state to the other state can be performed by one rotation operation, the transition to the rotation state is facilitated.

  Further, the second rotating mechanism and the third rotating mechanism can be changed from the closed state to the open state in which the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing face in substantially the same direction. . Therefore, it is possible to realize a state in which the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing face in substantially the same direction.

  Further, the second state is changed from the opened state to the surface protection state in which the first case and the second case overlap so that the surface of the first case and the surface of the second case face each other. It can be changed by a rotating mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to realize a state in which the first housing and the second housing overlap so that the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing face each other. As a result, both the surface of the first housing and the surface of the second housing can be made not to be exposed to the outside, so that the surface can be prevented from being scratched and the privacy of the owner is protected. can do.

  The portable information terminal according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes a first housing having an operation unit on the surface, a second housing having a display unit on the surface, and a second housing with respect to the first housing. And a rotation mechanism for relatively rotating the casing. The rotation mechanism has a first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism, and a third rotation mechanism. The first rotation mechanism includes a surface protection state in which the second housing covers the operation unit so that the display unit is exposed, and the second housing rotates about 90 ° from the surface protection state to Transition from one of the rotational states that are symmetrical with respect to the center plane to the other state by a rotational operation about the first virtual axis perpendicular to the surface of the first housing It is configured to be able to. The second rotation mechanism changes the state from the one of the surface protection state and the transition state in which the second housing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face in substantially opposite directions. It is comprised so that it can transfer by rotation operation centering on the 2nd virtual axis contained in the surface parallel to the surface of 1 housing | casing. The third rotation mechanism changes the state from one of the transition state and the open state in which the second casing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face substantially the same direction. It is comprised so that it can transfer by rotation operation centering on the 3rd virtual axis contained in a center plane.

  According to the portable information terminal according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the second housing is about 90 ° from the surface exposed state from the surface exposed state where the second housing covers the operation unit so that the display unit is exposed. It can be changed by the first rotation mechanism into a rotational state that is rotated and symmetric with respect to the center plane of the first casing. Thereby, since it can transfer from one state of the surface exposure state which is a closed state, and a rotation state to the other state by one rotation operation, the shift to a rotation state becomes easy.

  Further, the second rotation mechanism can be changed from the surface exposed state to a transition state in which the second casing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face in substantially opposite directions. Further, the third rotation mechanism can be changed from the transition state to the open state in which the second casing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face substantially the same direction. As a result, it is possible to input characters such as e-mails and make calls using numeric keys in the open state, which is a familiar style.

  Furthermore, the first casing and the second casing are overlapped so that the operation section and the display section face each other by rotating the second casing by the second rotating mechanism from the opened state. (Surface protection state) can be realized. Thereby, since both the operation unit and the display unit can be in a state where they are not exposed to the outside, the display unit can be prevented from being damaged, and the privacy of the owner can be protected.

  Further, since the first housing has the operation unit on the surface, the operator can operate the operation unit of the first housing while holding the first housing with one hand. In addition, since the second casing is connected to the first casing that is held by the operator, the operator can move the second casing to the rotation state only by slightly extending the finger of the gripping hand. The transition operation with one hand becomes possible.

  In addition, since the second casing is symmetrical with respect to the center plane of the first casing in the rotating state, it is easy to grasp the first casing and view the display portion of the second casing. It becomes.

  In the portable information terminal according to the fifth aspect, preferably, the display on the display unit is switched between the portrait display and the landscape display in accordance with the portrait or landscape state of the display.

  In the portable information terminal according to the fourth and fifth aspects, preferably, the first casing and the second casing are both elongated, and the length of each short side of the first and second casings. Where a is the length of each long side and b is the length of each of the first and second casings along the long side from the corners of the first and second casings, using the equation x = (b−a) / 2. The first imaginary axis exists on an imaginary line that passes through a point separated by a distance x and intersects the long side at an angle of 45 °.

  Thereby, since the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is arranged on the imaginary line, the second casing exposes the surface (operation unit) of the first casing and the center of the first casing in the rotating state. It is symmetrical with respect to the line.

  The portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects preferably further includes a receiving antenna such as a diversity system.

  As a result, the television broadcast can be viewed on the portable information terminal. Diversity antennas have multiple antennas, and are technologies that preferentially use antenna signals with excellent radio wave conditions, or technologies that synthesize received signals and remove noise, so that the stability of reception Can be increased.

  The portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects preferably further includes a glide pad arranged on the surface of the second casing.

  As a result, the operation can be performed with a sense close to human sensitivity.

  Preferably, in the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects, the rotation mechanism has a lock mechanism for performing lock setting for locking the rotation of the second housing and releasing the lock setting. Yes.

  In the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects, the antenna for receiving a television broadcast is preferably for receiving a terrestrial digital television broadcast.

  As a result, the terrestrial digital television broadcast can be viewed on the portable information terminal.

  Preferably, the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects further includes speakers arranged on both sides of the display unit.

  As a result, sound can be emitted from both sides of the display unit in the same manner as a home television, so that the image on the display unit and the sound from the speaker can be viewed without discomfort. It can also support stereo broadcasting.

  Preferably, the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects further includes a plurality of speakers arranged on one side of the display unit.

  Thereby, since sound can be emitted from a plurality of speakers on one side of the display unit, stereo broadcasting can be handled.

  The portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects preferably further includes a camera disposed on the back surface of the first housing.

  Thereby, it is possible to photograph the other party, the scenery, etc. with the camera while confirming the photographed image of the camera on the display unit arranged on the surface of the second casing.

  Preferably, the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects further includes a flash arranged on the back surface of the first housing.

  As a result, it is possible to photograph brightly with the subject even in the dark part.

  Preferably, the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects further includes a camera disposed on the surface of the second casing.

  Thereby, it is possible to take a self-portrait with the camera while confirming the captured image on the display unit arranged on the surface of the second housing.

  In the portable information terminal according to the first to fifth aspects, a camera shutter key is preferably disposed on a side surface of the first housing.

  As a result, digital camera-like shooting is possible.

  According to the portable information terminal of the present invention, the operation from the closed state to the rotating state can be easily performed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of the portable information terminal according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing a surface exposure state of the portable information terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a rotation state of the portable information terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a transition state of the portable information terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In particular, referring to FIG. 3, portable information terminal 10 of the present embodiment includes a first casing 1, a second casing 2, and rotating mechanisms 3 to 5. Each of the first casing 1, the second casing 2, the connection portion 6, and the connection portion 7 has an elongated shape, a planar shape combining the first casing 1 and the connection portion 6, and a second shape The planar shape of the housing 2 and the connecting portion 7 is substantially the same. Center line C-C is the center line in the short side direction of the first housing, and the direction including the center line CC and perpendicular to the paper surface is the center surface of the first housing 1.

  The first housing 1 has an operation part (not shown) on the surface 1 a and includes a connection part 6. The connection unit 6 is disposed in the upper portion of the first housing 1 in FIG. 3, and the first housing 1 and the connection unit 6 are, for example, the first housing 1 disposed on the right side of the first housing 1. They are connected to each other by a single rotation mechanism 3.

  The connecting portion 6 and the connecting portion 7 are connected to each other by the second rotating mechanism 4 extending along the long side direction of the elongated shape. In FIG. 3, the connecting portion 7 is arranged on the back surface of the connecting portion 6 so as to partially overlap the connecting portion 6, and the second rotating mechanism 4 is arranged in a portion where the connecting portion 6 and the connecting portion 7 overlap. ing.

  The second casing 2 is arranged at the upper part in FIG. 3 of the connection portion 7, and the second casing 2 and the connection portion 7 are, for example, a third rotation arranged along the center line CC. They are connected to each other by a mechanism 5. The second housing 2 includes a connection portion 7. The 2nd housing | casing 2 has a display part (not shown) in the surface 2a.

  The first rotating mechanism 3 rotatably holds the connecting portion 6 in the direction along the surface 1a about the first virtual axis A1 perpendicular to the surface 1a of the first housing, in other words, perpendicular to the paper surface. is doing. As a result, the second casing 2 is rotatable relative to the first casing 1 about the first virtual axis A1.

  The second rotation mechanism 4 holds the connection portion 6 so as to be rotatable with respect to the connection portion 7 around a second virtual axis A2 included in a plane parallel to the surface 1a of the first housing. . As a result, the second housing 2 is rotatable relative to the first housing 1 around the second virtual axis A2.

  The third rotation mechanism 5 holds the second housing 2 rotatably with respect to the connection portion 7 around the third virtual axis A3 included in the center plane of the first housing 1. As a result, the second housing 2 can rotate relative to the first housing 1 around the third virtual axis A3.

  Next, an operation method for each state in the portable information terminal according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the second housing 2 has a surface 1 a (operation) of the first housing 1 so that the surface 1 a of the first housing 1 and the back surface 2 b of the second housing 2 face each other. Part) and the surface 2a (display part) of the second housing is exposed. This state is a “surface exposed state” (closed state).

  When shifting from the surface exposed state of FIG. 1 to the state of FIG. 2, the first rotating mechanism 3 moves the second housing 2 relative to the first housing 1 around the first virtual axis A1. For example, it is slid and rotated clockwise in the figure. As a result, the second housing 2 gradually shifts with respect to the first housing 1. Then, when the second casing 2 is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the first casing 1, the second casing 2 exposes the surface 1a of the first casing 1 as shown in FIG. At the same time, it becomes symmetrical with respect to the center line C-C of the first housing 1, and the portable information terminal 10 is in an open state in which the outer shape is a "T" shape. This state is the “rotation state”. In the rotation state, the second housing 2 intersects the first housing 1 at a right angle. The operation from the rotation state to the surface exposure state is performed by slidingly rotating the second casing 2 in the direction opposite to the above (counterclockwise direction).

  When shifting from the surface exposed state of FIG. 1 to the state of FIG. 3, the second casing 2 is moved by the second rotating mechanism 4 with respect to the first casing 1 around the second virtual axis A2. Rotate in a direction perpendicular to the page. When the second casing 2 is rotated by about 180 °, as shown in FIG. 3, the front surface 1a of the first casing 1 and the back surface 2b of the second casing 2 are oriented in substantially the same direction. The surface 1a of the housing 1 and the surface 2a of the second housing 2 face in substantially opposite directions. Then, the surface 1 a of the first housing 1 is exposed from the second housing 2. This state is a “transition state”. The operation from the transition state to the surface exposure state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the direction opposite to the above.

  Subsequently, when transitioning from the transition state of FIG. 3 to the state of FIG. 5, the third rotation mechanism 5 causes the first housing 1 to be centered about the third virtual axis A <b> 3 as shown in FIG. 4. The second casing 2 is rotated in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. When the second housing 2 is rotated by 180 °, the second surface 2a of the first housing 1 and the surface 2a of the second housing 2 are oriented in substantially the same direction as shown in FIG. The casing 2 exposes the surface 1a. This state is an “open state”. The operation from the open state to the transition state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the opposite direction to the above.

  Subsequently, when shifting from the opened state of FIG. 5 to the state of FIG. 6, the second rotating mechanism 4 causes the second casing to be in the second casing with respect to the first casing 1 around the second virtual axis A2. The body 2 is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. When the second casing 2 is rotated by about 180 °, the second casing 2 is arranged so that the surface 1a of the first casing and the surface 2a of the second casing 2 face each other as shown in FIG. 2 covers the entire surface of the first housing, and the back surface 2b of the second housing is exposed. This state is the “surface protection state”. The operation from the surface protection state to the open state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the opposite direction to the above.

  According to portable information terminal 10 of the present embodiment, the transition from one of the surface exposure state and the rotation state to the other state can be performed by one rotation operation, and therefore the transition to the rotation state is facilitated. .

  Also, in the open state, which is a familiar style, it is possible to enter characters such as e-mails and make calls using numeric keys.

  In addition, a surface protection state can be realized, and both the operation unit and the display unit can be prevented from being exposed to the outside, so that the display unit can be prevented from being damaged and the owner's privacy is protected. can do.

  Further, since the first casing 1 has the operation unit on the surface 1a, the operator can operate the operation unit of the first casing 1 while holding the first casing 1 with one hand. it can. Further, since the second casing 2 is connected to the first casing 1 held by the operator, the operator rotates the second casing 2 only by slightly extending the finger of the holding hand. It is possible to shift to a state, and a transition operation with one hand becomes possible.

  Further, since the second casing 2 is symmetrical with respect to the center line C-C of the first casing 1 in the rotating state, the first casing 1 is gripped and the second casing 2 is It becomes easy to see the display unit.

  Moreover, since it becomes left-right symmetric in a rotation state, it becomes easy to see a display part when an operator hold | grips the 1st housing | casing 1 in a rotation state. In particular, when a game is played on the portable information terminal 10, the operability of the game by the operator is improved if the display unit is symmetrical with respect to the center line CC of the first housing 1.

  Moreover, since it becomes left-right symmetric, it becomes easy to make the weight distribution of the portable information terminal 10 in a rotation state symmetrical. Thereby, it can prevent that the portable information terminal 10 inclines to the right or the left in the rotation state. For this reason, even when the operator holds the first casing 1 in a rotating state, it is easy to prevent the portable information terminal 10 from being tilted. Thereby, even in an unstable state such as in a commuter train, the display unit can be seen stably.

  In addition, by gripping the first casing 1 in the rotating state, the portable information terminal 10 can be securely held without hiding the display unit of the second casing 2 with a finger.

  Further, since the first casing 1 has the operation unit on the surface 1a, the operator can operate the operation unit of the first casing 1 while holding the first casing 1 with one hand. it can. Further, since the second casing 2 is connected to the first casing 1 held by the operator, the operator rotates the second casing 2 only by slightly extending the finger of the holding hand. It is possible to shift to a state, and a transition operation with one hand becomes possible. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform a series of operations including an operation for turning the portable information terminal 10 in a rotating state, a key operation, and an operation for bringing the surface exposed state with one hand.

  Furthermore, in an unstable state, the user can watch the TV (television broadcast) by firmly grasping the first casing 1 as a grip in the rotating state, and in a stable state, the user can watch the television with a compact surface exposure state. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the second casing 2 is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the first casing 1 has been described. However, the second casing 2 may be configured to rotate by 90 ° or more. In this case, it is preferable to be configured so that positioning can be performed in the surface exposure state and the rotation state. For example, a concave portion is provided in the rotating portion, and in a surface exposed state and a rotated state, a convex member (for example, a sphere) is urged and fitted in the concave portion by a spring. It may be done.

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, a position where the first rotation mechanism 3 is provided will be described. FIG. 7 is a front view (a) showing the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 2 of the present invention and a front view (b) showing the rotation state. In addition, in FIG. 7, illustration of the connection parts 6 and 7 is abbreviate | omitted. Further, illustration of the second rotating mechanism 4 and the third rotating mechanism 5 is omitted.

  Referring to FIG. 7, when the length of each short side of the first casing 1 and the second casing 2 is a and the length of each long side is b, the first casing 1 and the first casing 1 A point on each long side B that is separated from each corner E (intersection of the short side A and the long side B) of the two housings 2 by a distance x obtained by the equation x = (ba) / 2. And a first virtual position that is the center of rotation of the first rotating mechanism 3 at a point on the virtual line DD that intersects the long side B at an angle of 45 ° (for example, any one of the points P1 to P3). An axis A1 is arranged.

  When the rotation center of the first rotation mechanism 3 is arranged at the point P1 on each long side B of the first casing 1 and the second casing 2, the rotation state as shown in FIG. Further, when it is arranged at a point P2 inside the casings 1 and 2 with respect to the long side B, the rotation state as shown in FIG. In such a case, a rotation state as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained.

  Thus, it is preferable that the front shape formed of the first and second casings 1 and 2 in a rotating state is a “T” shape.

  The virtual line DD is inclined with respect to the side B so as to intersect either the opposite side of the side A or the opposite side of the side B as shown in FIG. is doing.

  According to the portable information terminal 10 of the present embodiment, the rotation center of the first rotation mechanism 3 is arranged on the imaginary line DD, so that FIG. 7 (b), FIG. 8, or FIG. As shown, the second casing 2 can expose the operation unit and be symmetrical with respect to the center line CC of the first casing 1 in the rotating state.

(Embodiment 3)
10 to 15 are a front view, a rear view, a right side view, a left side view, a plan view, and a bottom view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the rotating state according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. FIG. 17 is a front view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the opened state according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. FIG. 19A is an enlarged view of a B1 portion in FIG. 18, and FIG. 19B is an enlarged view of a B2 portion in FIG. Further, FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX-XX in FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 10 to 20, portable information terminal 10 according to the present embodiment includes first casing 1, second casing 2, connecting portions 6 and 7, and rotating mechanisms 3 to 5. It has.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 10, surface 1a of first casing 1 includes a numeric keypad, function keys for performing shutter operation, menu selection keys for menu selection, character switching keys for character switching, and the like. An operation unit 11 and a microphone 12 for calling are arranged. Further, on the surface 2 a of the second housing 2, for example, a display unit 21 having a liquid crystal display device, speakers 22 and 22 disposed on both sides of the display unit 21, and a camera 23 are disposed. The display unit 21 may be used as a viewfinder of the camera 23.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 11, a camera 14 is disposed on the back surface 1 b of the first housing 1. In this case, the display unit 21 may be used as a viewfinder of the camera 14. Further, images captured by the cameras 14 and 23 (images displayed on the display unit 21) can be displayed in either the vertical type (open state in FIG. 17) or the horizontal type (rotated state in FIG. 10). The cameras (imaging devices, for example, CCDs) 14 and 23 may be rotated in accordance with the rotation of the display unit 21 so that an image in a normal state is displayed. A flash may be provided near each of the cameras 14 and 23.

  The angle of the stand 18 can be adjusted with respect to the back surface 1b of the first casing 1. By adjusting this angle, the stand 18 is stored in the groove 13 for storing the stand and the first casing. A state of projecting with an angle with respect to the back surface 1b of the body 1 can be selected. The stand 18 is provided with, for example, a diversity antenna (not shown).

  Referring mainly to FIG. 12, a shutter button 16 is disposed on the side surface (for example, the right side surface) of first housing 1.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 13, the side surface (for example, the left side surface) of first housing 1 has a slot (not shown) for inserting and removing an external storage medium such as a memory card into first housing 1. It may be arranged. In this case, for example, when the image of the camera 14 or the camera 23 is stored in an external storage medium, the camera 14 or the camera 23 is used in a vertical type or a horizontal type (a vertical or horizontal usage state is detected by an acceleration sensor). A flag that enables the storage (recording) state of the image to be recognized may also be input so that a normal reproduction screen can be obtained during reproduction. Then, a television broadcast may be recorded on the external storage medium. In addition, another external storage medium in which TV broadcast, music, or the like is recorded may be inserted into the slot, and the image and sound recorded in the other external storage medium may be reproduced on the mobile phone.

  An operation unit 31 is disposed on the side surface (for example, the left side surface) of the first housing 1. The operation unit 31 is a cursor key, for example. This cursor key can be used not only to move the pointer on the display screen up and down, left and right, but also to scroll the window. Further, a function as an enter key may be provided by long pressing this cursor key. Furthermore, a function button 17 may be arranged.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 19 (a), the first rotating mechanism 3 includes a first casing in which the end face of the first casing 1 and the end face of the connecting portion 6 are in contact with each other and protrude toward the inner peripheral side. One convex portion 33 a is configured to fit into the concave portion 32 a of the connecting portion 6. By the first rotation mechanism 3, the first housing 1 and the connection portion 6 are combined so as to be rotatable with respect to each other.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 20, in the second rotation mechanism 4, the cylindrical connection portion 6 is disposed in the groove of the connection portion 7, and the convex portion 33 c of the connection portion 7 protruding to the inner peripheral side is the connection portion 6. It is comprised by fitting in the recessed part 32c. The connection part 6 and the connection part 7 are rotatably combined with each other by the second rotation mechanism 4.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 19 (b), in the third rotating mechanism 5, the end portions of the connection portion 7 and the second housing 2 projecting to the inner peripheral side fit into the recesses 32 b of the member 34. It is constituted by. By the third rotating mechanism 5, the connecting portion 7 and the second housing 2 are combined so as to be freely rotatable.

  In addition, inside the connection part 6 and the connection part 7, the wiring bundle (not shown) which bundled the some wiring for electrically connecting the electrical device of the 1st housing | casing 1 and the 2nd housing | casing 2 Is passed. As a result, power can be supplied from the battery or the like provided in the first housing 1 to the display unit 21, the speaker 22, the camera 23, and the like, and each electric device of the first housing 1 and the second housing 2. It is possible to send and receive electrical signals between them.

  Next, an operation method for each state in the portable information terminal according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  21 and 22 are a front view and a perspective view, respectively, showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the surface exposed state according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the rotating state according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the transition state according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 25 to 30 are a perspective view, a rear view, a plan view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a left side view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the opened state according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 31 to 37 are a perspective view, a front view, a rear view, a plan view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a left side view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the surface protection state according to the third embodiment of the present invention. is there.

  First, referring to FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, in portable information terminal 10 of the present embodiment, second casing 2 is first casing 1 so that display section 21 is exposed in the surface exposed state. The entire operation unit 11 is covered. The first housing 1 and the second housing 2 have substantially the same size and / or shape as viewed from the front, for example, a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, etc. In this form, it has a rectangular shape, and is almost completely overlapped when viewed from the front in a surface-exposed state.

  From the surface exposed state of FIGS. 21 and 22, for example, by pushing up the second housing 2 with the thumb of the right hand holding the first housing 1, the first center around the rotation center of the first rotation mechanism 3. The second casing 2 is slid and rotated clockwise in FIG. 21 with respect to the casing 1. As a result, the second housing 2 gradually shifts with respect to the first housing 1. By rotating the second housing 2 by 90 ° with respect to the first housing 1, the second housing 2 exposes the operation unit 11 and the first housing 1 as shown in FIG. The mobile information terminal 10 is in a “T” -shaped rotation state (horizontal display state) when the operation unit 11 and the display unit 21 are viewed from the front. Further, the operation from the rotation state to the surface exposure state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the opposite direction to the above.

  21 and 22, the second casing 2 is rotated with respect to the first casing 1 around the rotation center of the second rotating mechanism 4. When the second casing 2 is rotated by 170 ° (about 180 °), the surface 1a of the first casing 1 and the back surface 2b of the second casing 2 are in substantially the same direction as shown in FIG. Turn to. And the surface 1a of the 1st housing | casing 1 is exposed from the 2nd housing | casing 2, and it will be in a transition state. The operation from the transition state to the surface exposure state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the direction opposite to the above.

  From the transition state of FIG. 24, the second casing 2 is rotated with respect to the first casing 1 around the rotation center of the third rotating mechanism 5. When the second housing 2 is rotated by 180 °, the surface 1a of the first housing 1 and the surface 2a of the second housing 2 are oriented in substantially the same direction as shown in FIGS. Then, the second casing 2 exposes the surface 1a and opens. The operation from the open state to the transition state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the opposite direction to the above.

  Further, the second casing 2 is rotated with respect to the first casing 1 around the second rotating mechanism 4 from the opened state of FIGS. When the second housing 2 is rotated about 170 °, the second surface 2a of the first housing 2 and the surface 2a of the second housing 2 face each other as shown in FIGS. The casing 2 covers the entire surface of the first casing, and the back surface 2b of the second casing is exposed to a surface protection state. The operation from the surface protection state to the open state is performed by rotating the second casing 2 in the opposite direction to the above.

  Next, how to use the portable information terminal of this embodiment in each state will be described.

  In the surface exposed state of FIGS. 21 and 22, for example, e-mail and telephone operations can be performed in a vertically long display. At this time, various operations are performed by operating the operation unit 11. When a touch panel is used, various operations can be performed by operating the touch panel. In the surface exposure state, it is possible to shoot with a digital camera. That is, the camera 14 on the back surface 1b of the first housing 1 is pointed at the subject and the shutter button 16 on the side surface of the first housing 1 is checked while confirming the subject and the composition on the front display unit 21. Shooting similar to shooting with a digital camera, such as pressing to shoot, is possible.

  In the case of the above digital camera-like shooting, the operation of the other shutter button (in this case, the shutter function of the function key of the operation unit 11) is locked, and the mode in which the operation of the shutter button 16 has the highest priority is automatically performed. It may be configured to be set to prevent misoperation.

  Further, in the surface exposed state, as shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, the portable information terminal 10 can be viewed on a desk, a stand, etc. with the stand 18 standing up, and a television (television broadcast) can be viewed. Since the antenna 50 is provided in the stand 18, the reception sensitivity of the antenna 50 is set to the best position by changing the angle (standing angle) of the stand 18 with respect to the back surface of the first housing 1. be able to. Moreover, since the portable information terminal 10 can be held upright by the stand 18, it is possible to view the television without having to hold it.

  In this case, when the stand 18 is set in a standing state, it may be configured to be automatically set (switched) to a mode that gives the highest priority to TV viewing, thereby further improving usability.

  The antenna 50 is preferably a diversity antenna. Diversity antenna 50 has a plurality of (for example, two) antennas 51, so that signals from antennas 51 having excellent radio wave conditions can be used preferentially, and received signals are synthesized to remove noise. Thus, the stability of reception can be improved.

  Further, in the rotating state, as shown in FIG. 40, the first casing 1 is gripped as a grip so as to watch a television in a horizontally long display state, or the operating portion 11 is gripped by the thumb while holding the first casing 1. Each key can be operated to perform operations such as mail, telephone call, and camera shooting.

  In the opened state, the first housing 1 is held as a grip as shown in FIG. 41, or the portable information terminal 10 is placed on a desk as shown in FIG. You can watch TV. When viewing a television in a vertically long display state, a channel may be selectable by the operation unit 11. In addition, while holding the first housing 1, each key of the operation unit 11 can be operated with the thumb to perform operations such as mail, telephone call, and camera shooting in a vertically long display state.

  Furthermore, in the surface protection state shown in FIGS. 31 to 37, the display unit 21 can be closed inward, so that it is possible to prevent the display unit 21 from being damaged during carrying. Moreover, since the display part 21 does not need to be exposed outside when not in use, the privacy of the owner can be protected.

  Next, the electric circuit unit of the portable information terminal of this embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 43 is a circuit block diagram showing a part of the electric circuit unit of the portable information terminal according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 43, the electric circuit unit of portable information terminal 10 includes a terrestrial analog broadcast receiving unit, a terrestrial digital broadcast receiving unit, and a mobile phone radio unit.

  In the terrestrial analog broadcast receiving unit, the signal received by the antenna 101 is processed by the VHF / UHF tuner circuit 102 and the video IF (interface) / audio IF signal processing circuit 103, and then the audio signal is converted to the audio demodulation circuit 104. The video signal is processed by the video chroma synchronization signal processing circuit 105 and the frame memory circuit 106 and sent to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) controller 118.

  In the terrestrial digital broadcast receiver, the signal received by the antenna 107 is processed by a 1 SEG (segment) tuner circuit 108, an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) digital demodulation circuit 109, and a TS (Transport Streams) demultiplexing processing circuit 110. After that, the video signal is processed in parallel by the broadcast browser circuit 111 and the video decoding circuit 112 and sent to the LCD controller 118, and the audio signal is processed in parallel by the broadcast browser circuit 111 and the audio decoding circuit 113. It is sent to a DA (Digital / analogue) converter circuit 120.

  In the mobile phone radio unit, the signal received by the antenna 114 passes through the RF (Radio Frequency) processing circuit 115 and the Based band processing circuit 116, and then passes through the application processor 117, and the video signal is sent to the LCD controller 118. The audio signal is sent to the DA converter circuit 120.

  The video signal sent to the LCD controller 118 is output as an image by the LCD circuit 119. The audio signal sent to the DA converter circuit 120 is output as audio by the amplifier / sound output unit 121.

  The detection unit 150 detects the state of the portable information terminal 10, that is, on which side the second casing 2 is open with respect to the first casing 1. The detection unit 150 may detect the operation of another portable information terminal. This detection method may be configured by using an element such as a Hall element, or by switching on a mechanical mechanism when the second casing 2 rotates with respect to the first casing 1. . The position information obtained by the detection unit 150 is sent to the LCD controller 118 and / or the amplifier / sound output unit 121.

  A trackball 131 may be provided in the first rotation mechanism 3. Hereinafter, a configuration using a trackball will be described.

  44 to 47 are a front view showing a surface exposure state of a portable information terminal using a trackball, a schematic sectional view taken along line XXXV-XXXXV in FIG. 44, a right side view, and a schematic view taken along line XXXVII-XXXXVII in FIG. It is sectional drawing and an exploded perspective view.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 45, the mechanism of the trackball unit is as follows: trackball 131, ball shaft 132, rotation detection substrate 133, rotation hinge movable plate 134, rotation hinge fixing plate 135, and trackball. And a cover 136.

  The first rotating mechanism 3 has a first rotating shaft portion 3a and a second rotating shaft portion 3b. The first rotating shaft portion 3 a is a portion protruding from the connecting portion 6, and the second rotating shaft portion 3 b is a portion protruding from the first housing 1. The trackball 131 has a spherical shape, and is sandwiched between ball shafts 132 from the vertical direction. The ball shaft 132 in contact with the upper side of the trackball 131 is fixed to the trackball cover 136, and the ball shaft 132 in contact with the lower side of the trackball 131 is fixed to the second rotating shaft portion 3b. The rotation detection substrate 133 is disposed on the second rotation shaft portion 3b side (first housing 1 side) of the trackball 131.

  The rotating hinge movable plate 134 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the second rotating shaft portion 3b, and the rotating hinge fixing plate 135 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the first rotating shaft portion 3a. The rotary hinge movable plate 134 is fitted in a groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary hinge fixing plate 135. Thereby, the 2nd rotating shaft part 3b is rotatably supported with respect to the 1st rotating shaft part 3a.

  When the trackball 131 is used, the same operation as when the cursor key is used can be performed.

  According to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In particular, referring to FIG. 10, the speakers 22 on both sides of the display unit 21 may be switched as follows in accordance with the use situation. In other words, when watching TV in a rotated state and a surface-exposed state, the right side and the left side are made to sound independently in response to stereo sound, and when a telephone call is made in a rotated state When the speaker 22 on both sides emits a sound with monaural sound, and when a telephone call is made with the surface exposed, only one speaker 22 emits the sound of the other party, and the other speaker 22 functions as a microphone. You may let them. Thus, the other speaker 22 may function as a speaker and a microphone with one member, or a member that functions as a speaker and a member that functions as a microphone may be provided separately.

  In addition, a certain amount of slack is intentionally provided in the wiring bundle for electrically connecting the first housing 1 and the second housing, whereby the second housing 2 is It becomes possible to rotate 360 ° smoothly with respect to the first housing 1.

  Further, the wiring bundle may have a spring property such as a coil spring, and the second casing 2 is expanded with respect to the first casing 1 by appropriately expanding and contracting the wiring bundle due to the spring property. It becomes possible to rotate 360 ° smoothly. Further, by connecting the electronic devices of the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 wirelessly, the wiring bundle can be omitted. When wireless is used, a power source may be provided in one housing, and power may be supplied to the other housing from one housing to the other housing by electromagnetic induction.

  Referring to FIG. 45, a camera (not shown) other than the trackball 131 may be disposed inside the first rotation shaft portion 3a and the second rotation shaft portion 3b. This camera may be provided on the back surface 1b side of the first housing 1 or on the front surface 1a side. Further, the number of cameras disposed inside the first rotation shaft portion 3a and the second rotation shaft portion 3b is not limited to one, and may be two or more. When two cameras are provided, one camera is provided on the back surface 1b side (for the other party shooting) of the first housing 1, and the other camera is provided on the front surface 1a side of the first housing 1 (self-photographing). Can also be provided.

  In this case, the shutter operation of one or the other camera may be performed by changing the operation time interval of the function key of the operation unit 11, the number of operations, or the like, and the shutter operation of one camera is performed by the operation unit 11. The function key may be operated, and the shutter operation of the other camera may be performed by the side shutter button 16.

  The flash may be a light emitting diode or a strobe using xenon.

  The dimensional ratio between the long side and the short side of the display unit 21 may be 16: 9 or 4: 3. Further, the display unit 21 may be a touch panel, and even if a TV operation (channel switching, volume, screen contrast, screen switching, screen sound switching, etc.) and / or telephone operation is performed by this touch panel. Good. The surface may be covered with tempered glass such as sapphire glass. The display unit 21 may be capable of not only single-screen display but also multi-screen display (divided screen display, for example, two screens, three screens, four screens, etc.). When performing multi-screen display, one display unit 21 can display a multi-screen by appropriately combining a television screen, an electronic program guide (EPG) screen, a game screen, a mail screen, and the like. This allows you to read e-mails, compose e-mails, reply e-mails, make program reservations, play games, etc. while watching TV, and the operator can process multiple pieces of information simultaneously Can do.

  The portable information terminal 10 may have a TV program recording function, or may have a contactless electronic payment function and a personal authentication function. In particular, when a non-contact electronic payment function is used, the portable information terminal 10 is exposed on the surface, and various kinds of complicated information (boarding section, ticket information, fee, barcode, etc.) necessary for electronic payment are displayed on the display unit. Since it is preferable to be able to confirm, the portable information terminal 10 of this Embodiment is especially suitable for this use. In addition, when a non-contact electronic payment function or a personal authentication function is provided, the portable information terminal 10 is preferably configured so that an IC (Integrated Circuit) card such as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card can be mounted.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the width | variety (The dimension of each single side direction of the 1st housing | casing 1 and the 2nd housing | casing 2) of the portable information terminal 10 is 50 mm +/- 10mm or less. Since the portable information terminal 10 is in a “T” shape in an open state, the center of gravity of the portable information terminal 10 is relatively located at the upper part, and the upper part is likely to swing from side to side. . Within this range of width, even if a person with a small hand such as a woman holds the first housing 1 in an open state, it can be firmly held.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 48 is a front view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention when the surface is exposed. FIG. 49 is a front view showing the configuration of the portable information terminal in the rotating state according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 48 and 49, the configuration of portable information terminal 10 of the present embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that glide pad 26 and speaker 27 are added.

  The glide pad 26 and the speaker 27 are disposed on the surface 2a of the second housing 2 and are disposed along the long side constituting the display unit 21 and the long side where the first rotation mechanism 3 is provided. Yes. The glide pad 26 is a kind of pointing device, and is also called a touch pad, a track pad, a flat point, or the like. The glide pad 26 has a multilayer printed circuit board inside, and the multilayer printed circuit board is arranged so that strip-shaped electrodes intersect vertically, and a very small amount of electricity is stored therebetween. When a moving body such as a finger touches the surface, the glide pad 26 changes the amount (capacity) of electricity stored from the change in the electric field between the electrodes, and reads the coordinates of the finger from this amount of change in electricity. It is.

  Since the configuration other than the above is substantially the same as the configuration of the first embodiment described above, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Then, an example of operation using a glide pad is demonstrated.

  50 to 54 are front views for explaining an example of the operation using the glide pad. Referring to FIG. 50, for example, when a moving image (recorded on a TV, photographed with a camera, attached to an e-mail, content such as a game) is stopped or paused When the glide pad 26 is knocked once with a finger, the reproduction of the moving image is started.

  Referring to FIG. 51, the moving image is paused by knocking glide pad 26 once with a finger during the reproduction of the moving image. Referring to FIG. 52, even when the moving image is in a paused state or a playback state, the moving image is stopped by knocking glide pad 26 twice with a finger.

  Referring to FIG. 53, when the moving of the finger is stopped while rubbing the glide pad 26 once with the finger while the moving image is being played and the finger is in contact with the glide pad 26, the moving image is kept until the finger is removed from the glide pad 26. Continues the fast forward state. When the finger is released from the glide pad 26 in this state, the moving image returns to the reproduction state.

  Referring to FIG. 54, if the glide pad 26 is rubbed once with the finger while the moving image is being played, and the finger stops moving while the finger is in contact with the glide pad 26, the moving image is displayed until the finger is released from the glide pad 26. Continues the rewind state. When the finger is released from the glide pad 26 in this state, the moving image returns to the reproduction state.

  Thus, by operating the moving image using the glide pad 26, it is possible to perform the operation with a sense close to human sensitivity.

  According to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above description, the portable information terminal by the right hand operation has been described. However, by providing the rotation mechanism on the opposite side (left side), the portable information terminal can be operated with the left hand.

(Switch between vertical and horizontal angles)
In the second to fourth embodiments, the vertical and horizontal angles are switched as follows in each case of still image shooting and the videophone function.

  FIG. 55 is a diagram for explaining switching between vertical and horizontal angles in still image shooting. Referring to FIG. 55, when shooting a vertically long composition, as shown in FIG. 55A, the shutter button 16 (FIG. 12) or the operation unit provided on the side surface with the portable information terminal 10 exposed. Shooting is possible by pressing 31 (FIG. 13). When shooting a horizontally long composition, the second casing 2 is slid and rotated from the state shown in FIG. 55A as shown in FIG. 55B, and the mobile phone as shown in FIG. Shooting can be performed by pressing the shutter button 16 or the operation unit 31 while the information terminal 10 is rotated.

  As described above, in the portable information terminal 10 according to the second to fourth embodiments, the vertical and horizontal angles of the display unit 21 can be easily switched with one hand without holding the portable information terminal 10 during still image shooting. it can. In conjunction with this angle change, the angle of the camera 14 or 23 is also changed.

  FIG. 56 is a diagram for explaining switching between vertical and horizontal angles in the videophone function. Referring to FIG. 56, when a subject in a vertically long composition or an attached image and a partner image in a vertically long composition are simultaneously displayed on the display unit 21 during a videophone call, as shown in FIG. Can be displayed in a portrait display with the surface exposed. From this state, as shown in FIG. 56 (b), the angle of the display unit 21 can be easily switched with one hand without changing the hand according to the flow of conversation. In addition, the way the divided screens are arranged on the display unit 21 changes in conjunction with the switching of the angles. As shown in FIG. 56 (c), two vertically-composed screens can be displayed side by side. In this case, for example, the partner image and the self image can be arranged side by side.

(Split screen)
In the second to fourth embodiments, by dividing the screen as follows, for example, characters such as mail can be input while watching TV.

  FIG. 57 is a diagram for explaining division of a screen. Referring to FIG. 57, when portable information terminal 10 is open, two screens having a vertically long composition can be displayed side by side as shown in FIG. 57 (a). The broadcast can be displayed, and the mail characters entered in the lower half of the display unit 21 can be displayed. By shifting from the open state to the rotating state by the method described in Embodiment 2 using the rotating mechanisms 3 to 5, two screens of the vertically long composition are displayed side by side as shown in FIG. Can do. In this case, for example, a television broadcast can be displayed on the left half of the display unit 21, and mail characters input on the right half of the display unit 21 can be displayed.

  In addition to inputting characters such as e-mail while watching TV, as described with reference to FIG. 56C, the screen is divided into two screens in a vertically long composition as shown in FIG. 56C. By doing so, for example, it is possible to arrange two images of the partner image and the self image.

(Embodiment 5)
The portable information terminal 10 in the present embodiment is different from the portable information terminals shown in the second to fourth embodiments in that a stereo speaker is employed. Human hearing ability includes sound image localization ability to determine the direction of the sound source, etc. By using these, it is possible to reproduce the sense of direction of each instrument felt at the actual place such as a concert and a certain degree of realism . As such a method, a stereo speaker can be used.

  FIG. 58 is a front view showing an open state of the portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 58, in the state where portable information terminal 10 is opened, stereo speaker 161 is arranged at the lower left corner of surface 2a of second casing 2, and stereo speaker 162 is arranged at the lower right corner. The stereo speaker 163 is arranged in the upper right corner.

  When the portable information terminal 10 is open, the stereo speaker 161 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 162 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 162 are turned on and the stereo speaker 163 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 163. However, sound may also be emitted from the stereo speaker 163.

  FIG. 59 is a front view showing a surface exposure state of the portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 59 (a), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged in a horizontally long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the horizontally long screen in the surface-exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 163 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 162 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 162 and 163 are turned on and the stereo speaker 161 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speakers 161. However, sound may be emitted from the stereo speaker 161.

  Referring to FIG. 59 (b), for example, when portable information terminal 10 is arranged so as to have a vertically long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the vertically long screen in the surface exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 163 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 162 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 162 are turned on and the stereo speaker 163 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 163. However, sound may also be emitted from the stereo speaker 163.

  FIG. 60 is a front view showing a rotation state of the portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 60, when portable information terminal 10 is in a rotating state, an image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed along with a horizontally long screen, and at the same time, the reproduction status of stereo speakers 161-163 is also displayed. Can be switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 162 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 162 and 163 are turned on and the stereo speaker 161 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speakers 161. However, sound may be emitted from the stereo speaker 161.

  The LCD controller 118 in FIG. 43 performs the switching of the image and the sound as described above, and the amplifier / sound output unit 121 in FIG. 43 performs the switching of the sound.

  Specifically, when the state of the portable information terminal 10 changes, the detection unit 150 detects this change. The detection unit 150 sends information on the state of the portable information terminal (position information of the second housing 2) to the amplifier / sound output unit 121. As a result, the amplifier / sound output unit 121 selects an appropriate stereo speaker and supplies an audio signal to the stereo speaker.

  Three stereo speakers may be attached as follows.

  FIG. 61 is a front view showing an open state of another portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 61, when portable information terminal 10 is opened, stereo speaker 161 is arranged in the lower left corner of second housing 2 and stereo speaker 162 is arranged in the lower right corner. A stereo speaker 163 is arranged in the upper left corner.

  When the portable information terminal 10 is open, the stereo speaker 161 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 162 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 162 are turned on and the stereo speaker 163 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 163. However, sound may also be emitted from the stereo speaker 163.

  FIG. 62 is a front view showing a surface exposure state of another portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 62A, for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged so as to have a horizontally long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the horizontally long screen in the surface exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 163 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 163 are turned on and the stereo speaker 162 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 162. However, sound may be emitted from the stereo speaker 162.

  Referring to FIG. 62 (b), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged so as to have a vertically long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the vertically long screen in the surface-exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 163 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 162 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 162 are turned on and the stereo speaker 163 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 163. However, sound may also be emitted from the stereo speaker 163.

  FIG. 63 is a front view showing a rotation state of another portable information terminal when there are three stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 63, when portable information terminal 10 is in a rotating state, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed along with a horizontally long screen, and the reproduction status of stereo speakers 161-163 is also displayed. Can be switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 163 are turned on and the stereo speaker 162 is turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speaker 162. However, sound may be emitted from the stereo speaker 162.

  Next, a case where there are two stereo speakers will be described.

  FIG. 64 is a front view showing a state in which the portable information terminal is opened when there are two stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 64, in the state where portable information terminal 10 is opened, stereo speaker 161 is arranged at the lower left corner on surface 2a of second casing 2, and stereo speaker 163 is arranged at the upper right corner. ing. That is, the two stereo speakers 161 and 163 are arranged diagonally. When the portable information terminal 10 is open, the stereo speaker 161 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 163 is the right speaker R.

  FIG. 65 is a front view showing a surface exposure state of the portable information terminal when there are two stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 65 (a), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged in a horizontally long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the horizontally long screen in the surface exposed state. The On the other hand, when the state is changed from the open state to the surface exposure state arranged so as to be a horizontally long screen, the positional relationship between the left speaker L and the right speaker R is not changed in the stereo speakers 161 and 163. This is due to the effect that the stereo speakers 161 and 163 are positioned on the diagonal line of the display unit 21. That is, the number of times of switching can be reduced.

  Referring to FIG. 65 (b), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged to be a vertically long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the vertically long screen in the surface exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 and 163 is switched as necessary. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R.

  FIG. 66 is a front view showing a rotation state of the portable information terminal when there are two stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 66, when portable information terminal 10 is in a rotating state, an image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed along with a horizontally long screen, and at the same time, the reproduction status of stereo speakers 161 and 163 is also displayed. It can be switched as necessary. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 161 is the left speaker, and the stereo speaker 163 is the right speaker R.

  In the portable information terminal 10 shown in FIGS. 64 to 66, the number of times of switching can be reduced, and the burden of information processing by an electric circuit can be reduced.

  Next, a case where there are four stereo speakers will be described.

  FIG. 67 is a front view showing an open state of the portable information terminal when there are four stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 67, in a state where portable information terminal 10 is opened, stereo speaker 161 is arranged at the lower left corner on surface 2a of second casing 2, and stereo speaker 162 is arranged at the lower right corner. The stereo speaker 163 is disposed in the upper right corner, and the stereo speaker 164 is disposed in the upper left corner. That is, each of the four stereo speakers 161 to 164 is disposed near each vertex of the rectangle. When the portable information terminal 10 is open, the stereo speaker 161 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 162 is the right speaker R. Note that the stereo speakers 163 and 164 are turned off. However, the stereo speaker 163 and the stereo speaker 164 may be turned on. In this case, the stereo speaker 164 becomes the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 163 becomes the right speaker R.

  FIG. 68 is a front view showing a surface exposure state of the portable information terminal when there are four stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 68 (a), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged to be a horizontally long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the horizontally long screen in the surface exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 164 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 164 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 164 are turned on and the stereo speakers 162 and 163 are turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speakers 162 and 163. However, audio may be emitted from the stereo speakers 162 and 163.

  Referring to FIG. 68 (b), for example, when mobile information terminal 10 is arranged in a vertically long screen, the image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed in accordance with the vertically long screen in the surface exposed state. At the same time, the reproduction status of the stereo speakers 161 to 164 is also switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 163 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 164 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 163 and 164 are turned on and the stereo speakers 161 and 162 are turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speakers 161 and 162. However, sound may be emitted from the stereo speakers 161 and 162.

  FIG. 69 is a front view showing a rotation state of the portable information terminal when there are four stereo speakers. Referring to FIG. 69, when portable information terminal 10 is in a rotating state, an image displayed on display unit 21 is displayed along with a horizontally long screen, and at the same time, the reproduction status of stereo speakers 161-164 is also displayed. Can be switched. Such switching may be performed by operating the operation unit 31. In this state, the stereo speaker 164 is the left speaker L, and the stereo speaker 161 is the right speaker R. Since the stereo speakers 161 and 164 are turned on and the stereo speakers 162 and 163 are turned off, no sound is emitted from the stereo speakers 162 and 163. However, audio may be emitted from the stereo speakers 162 and 163.

  Even with the portable information terminal 10 configured in this way, the same effects as those of the portable information terminal in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  The portable information terminal is, for example, a cellular phone, but is not limited to this, and may be a portable information terminal (PDA: personal data assistant), a notebook personal computer, a communicable digital camera, or the like. .

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  The present invention can be applied particularly advantageously to a portable information terminal whose display unit is changed from a portrait display to a landscape display, its opening / closing operation method, and its display method.

It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the transition state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the mode of the change from the transition state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention to the open state. It is a front view which shows the state which the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention opened. It is a front view which shows the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 2 of this invention, (b) is a front view which shows the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is. It is a front view which shows another rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a front view which shows another rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a rear view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a right view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a left view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which follows the XVI-XVI line in FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which follows the XVIII-XVIII line of FIG. (A) is an enlarged view of B1 part of FIG. 18, (b) is an enlarged view of B2 part of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing which follows the XX-XX line of FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure in the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure in the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure in the transition state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a rear view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a right view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a left view which shows the structure in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a rear view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a right view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a left view which shows the structure in the surface protection state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the usage method in the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a left view which shows the usage method in the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the usage method in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the usage method in the open state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other usage method in the state which the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention opened. It is a circuit block diagram which shows a part of electric circuit part of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal using a trackball. FIG. 45 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line XXXV-XXXXV in FIG. 44. It is a right view which shows the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal using a trackball. It is a schematic sectional drawing which follows the XXXVII-XXXXVII line of FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure in the surface exposure state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure in the rotation state of the portable information terminal in Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a front view for demonstrating an example of operation (reproduction | regeneration) using a glide pad. It is a front view for demonstrating an example of operation (temporary stop) using a glide pad. It is a front view for demonstrating an example of operation (stop) using a glide pad. It is a front view for demonstrating an example of operation (fast-forward) using a glide pad. It is a front view for demonstrating an example of operation (rewinding) using a glide pad. It is a figure for demonstrating switching of the vertical and horizontal angle in still image photography. It is a figure for demonstrating switching of the vertical and horizontal angle in a video telephone function. It is a figure for demonstrating the division | segmentation of a screen when inputting characters, such as e-mail, watching TV. It is a front view which shows the open state of the portable information terminal in the case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of a portable information terminal in case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the rotation state of the portable information terminal in case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the open state of the other portable information terminal in the case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of the other portable information terminal in the case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the rotation state of the portable information terminal in case of three stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the state which the portable information terminal in the case of two stereo speakers opened. It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of a portable information terminal in case of two stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the rotation state of a portable information terminal in case of two stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the open state of the portable information terminal in the case of four stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the surface exposure state of a portable information terminal in the case of four stereo speakers. It is a front view which shows the rotation state of a portable information terminal in case of four stereo speakers. It is a schematic front view which shows the structure of the mobile telephone disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2003-319043.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing | casing, 1a The surface of 1st housing | casing, 1b The back surface of 1st housing | casing, 2nd housing | casing, 2a The surface of 2nd housing | casing, 2b The back surface of 2nd housing | casing, 3 1st rotation mechanism, 3a 1st rotation shaft part, 3b 2nd rotation shaft part, 4 2nd rotation mechanism, 5 3rd rotation mechanism, 6, 7 connection part, 10 portable information terminal, 11 operation part, 12 Microphone, 13 groove, 14, 23 Camera, 16 Shutter button, 17 Function button, 18 Stand, 21 Display unit, 22, 27, 161-164 Stereo speaker, 26 Glide pad, 31 Operation unit, 32a-32c Recess, 33a, 33c Convex part, 34 member, 50, 51, 101, 107, 114 antenna, 102 VHF / UHF tuner circuit, 103 video IF / audio IF signal processing circuit, 104 audio demodulation circuit, 105 video Chroma synchronization signal processing circuit, 106 frame memory circuit, 108 1SEG tuner circuit, 109 OFDM digital demodulation circuit, 110 TS demultiplexing processing circuit, 111 broadcast browser circuit, 112 video decoding circuit, 113 audio decoding circuit, 115 RF processing circuit, 116 Based band processing circuit, 117 application processor, 118 LCD controller, 119 LCD circuit, 120 DA converter circuit, 121 amplifier / sound output unit, 131 trackball, 132 ball shaft, 133 rotation detection substrate, 134 rotation hinge movable plate, 135 Rotating Hinge Fixing Plate, 136 Trackball Cover, 150 Detector, 501 Lower Unit, 502 Upper Unit, 502a Display Unit, 502b Support Unit, 5 3 hinges, 510 mobile phones, 511 operation unit, 521 display unit.

Claims (11)

A first housing;
A second housing;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing;
The rotation mechanism is
A surface-exposed state in which the second casing covers the first casing such that the surface of the first casing and the back of the second casing face each other;
A rotation state in which the second case exposes the surface of the first case by rotating the second case in a direction along the surface of the first case from the surface exposure state;
The second casing can be held in a surface protection state covering the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the surface of the second casing face each other. A portable information terminal. An elongated first housing;
A second elongated housing;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing;
The rotation mechanism is
A surface-exposed state in which the second casing covers the first casing such that the surface of the first casing and the back of the second casing face each other;
A rotating state that intersects at right angles to the first housing such that the second housing is bilaterally symmetric with respect to the center plane of the first housing;
The second casing can be held in a surface protection state covering the first casing so that the surface of the first casing and the surface of the second casing face each other. A portable information terminal. An elongated first housing having an operation portion;
An elongated second housing having a display section;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing;
The rotation mechanism is
A surface-exposed state in which the second housing covers the entire operation unit so that the display unit is exposed;
A rotation state in which the operation unit and the display unit are exposed in a T shape;
The portable information terminal, wherein the second housing can be held in a surface protection state covering the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face each other.   4. The portable information terminal according to claim 3, wherein the display on the display unit is switched between a portrait display and a landscape display in accordance with a portrait state or a landscape state of the display unit. A first housing;
A second housing;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing;
The rotation mechanism has a first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism, and a third rotation mechanism,
The first rotation mechanism rotatably holds the second casing around a first virtual axis perpendicular to the surface of the first casing.
The second rotating mechanism holds the second casing rotatably around a second virtual axis included in a plane parallel to the surface of the first casing.
The portable information terminal, wherein the third rotation mechanism rotatably holds the second casing around a third virtual axis included in a center plane of the first casing. A first housing having an operation portion on the surface;
A second housing having a display portion on the surface;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the second housing relative to the first housing;
The rotation mechanism has a first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism, and a third rotation mechanism,
The first rotation mechanism includes a surface protection state in which the second housing covers the operation unit so that the display unit is exposed, and the second housing rotates about 90 ° from the surface protection state. A first imaginary axis perpendicular to the surface of the first casing from any one of the rotational states symmetric with respect to the center plane of the first casing to the other state It is configured so that it can be moved by rotating operation around the center,
The second rotation mechanism is in any one of the surface protection state and a transition state in which the second casing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face in substantially opposite directions. It is configured to be able to shift to the other state by a rotation operation around a second virtual axis included in a plane parallel to the surface of the first housing.
The third rotation mechanism may be in any one of the transition state and the open state in which the second casing exposes the operation unit so that the operation unit and the display unit face substantially the same direction. A portable information terminal configured to be able to shift to the other state by a rotation operation around a third virtual axis included in the center plane.   7. The portable information terminal according to claim 6, wherein the display on the display unit is switched to a portrait display or a landscape display in accordance with a portrait state or a landscape state of the display unit.   The first casing and the second casing are both elongated, and the length of each short side of the first and second casings is a, and the length of each long side is b. When passing through a point separated from each corner of the first and second housings by a distance x determined by the equation x = (ba) / 2 along each long side, and The portable information terminal according to claim 5, wherein the first virtual axis exists on a virtual line that intersects at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the long side.   The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving antenna such as a diversity system.   The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a glide pad disposed on a surface of the second casing.   The portable information terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rotation mechanism has a lock mechanism for performing a lock setting for locking the rotation of the second housing and releasing the lock setting.

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