Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Ryuichi Toyoda

Takeshi Masaki

Kimikatsu Sato

Teruo Nanmoku

Yoji Inomata

Katsumasa Yamaguchi

Akitoshi Mori

Yasunobu Ikeda

Yuichiro Suganuma

Yoshihisa Naito

Shinichi Otsuka

Akira Takahashi

Ko Kondo

Akemi Shibuya

There is provided a foldable electronic apparatus in which first and second casings are pivotally mounted by a bearing portion so as to be freely rotatable and these casings are automatically opened until a predetermined opening angle and then further manually opened. In the electronic apparatus of the present invention, the first and second casings (), () are freely rotatably connected to each other (pivotally mounted) through a bearing portion (). An opening/closing device () for automatically opening the first and second casings (), () until a predetermined opening angle by operating a push button () is secured to the bearing portion. The opening/closing device () includes a mechanism for opening the casings until a larger opening angle exceeding the predetermined opening angle, and the first and second casings (), () can be manually opened till a larger opening angle.

Electronic device

A portable telephone to which additional function units, such as a flip unit and a slide unit, that provide additional functions for the main body of a portable telephone, are easily mounted on the case of a basic unit that includes only the essential units required for speech. One or more of an LCD bezel, a flip cover, a keypad bezel, grips, a keypad slide coverand a slide cover, which are additional function units, are mounted on a basic unit. Therefore, this arrangement can cope with a request from a user who desires to alter a portable telephone he or she purchased to obtain a model he or she favors.

Portable telephone

A folding portable cellular phone includes a first box member and a second box member. The first box member includes: an upper case having a window for a display unit; an upper substrate on which electric parts are mounted; an upper hinge frame; and an upper cover on which these components are mounted. The second box member includes: a lower cover in which key holes are formed to provide a key console unit; a lower substrate including a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) on which electric parts are mounted; a lower hinge frame; and a lower case on which these components are mounted.

Folding portable cellular phone

A pen-type computer input device is used to move a cursor on the display of a computer system or enter data such as of figures, letters, numerals, or the like into a computer system. The pen-type computer input device includes a shank, a ball rotatably supported on the tip end of the shank, a pair of rotatable members rotatable about X and Y axes extending perpendicularly to each other and held in rolling contact with the ball, and a rotation detector for detecting the direction in which the rotatable members rotate and the distance by which the rotatable members move. Since the rotation of the ball is directly transmitted to the rotatable members and the distance by which the rotatable members move is detected, the pen-type computer input device is small in size and can easily be handled.

Pen-type computer input device

A pen-type input device for computers includes a ball rotatably supported by an end of a pen-like elongate handle and rotatable in response to the movement of the pen-type input device for causing one or both of first and second rotating detection members to rotate about their own axes extending perpendicular to one another, and a pattern on each respective rotating detecting member having a series of alternating light-reflecting portions and light-absorbing portions for receiving light projected from a light-emitting device and for reflecting light back to a light-sensitive device which in turn sends an electric detection signal to a detecting circuit of a circuit board. The direction of rotation and the amount of movement of each respective rotating member is detected by the detecting circuit and the detected data are sent to a computer whereby a curve corresponding to the movement of the ball is created on a display surface of the computer.

Pen-type input device for computers having ball with rotational sensors

A pen-type computer input device is used to move a cursor on the display of a computer system or enter data such as of figures, letters, numerals, or the like into a computer system. The pen-type computer input device includes a shank, a pen nib disposed on the tip end of the shank, and a sensor disposed in the shank, for detecting the directions in which and the distances by which the pen nib moves in two perpendicular directions in a plane, in response to movement of the pen nib, and for producing an output signal representative of the directions and distances. Since the sensor can detect the distance by which the pen nib moves without any mechanical motion transmitting mechanism incorporated in the pen nib, the pen-type computer input device may be small in size and can be handled with ease.

A pen-type computer input device is used to move a cursor on the display of a computer system or enter data such as of figures, letters, numerals, or the like into a computer system. The pen-type computer input device includes a shank, a ball rotatably supported on the tip end of the shank, the ball having a plurality of identifiable regions on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a circuit including a sensor unit for detecting the identifiable regions in response to rotation of the ball, and for detecting the directions in which the ball rotates and the distances by which the ball moves two perpendicular directions in a plane, and producing an output signal representative of the directions and distances. Since the sensor unit can detect the distance by which the pen-type computer input device moves without any mechanical motion transmitting mechanism incorporated in the shank, the pen-type computer input device may be small in size and can be handled with ease.

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Yokohama, Japan

Ryuichi Toyoda