Entertainment system, cell charging system, entertainment apparatus, portable information terminal, and external cell charger

Claim 2

An entertainment system comprising: an entertainment apparatus for reading and executing a program stored in a detachable storage medium; and a portable information terminal detachably connectable to said entertainment apparatus and having a secondary cell housed therein; said entertainment apparatus having a charging power supply output terminal; said portable information terminal having a charging circuit having a charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said entertainment apparatus, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said charging power supply output terminal via said charging input terminal and said charging circuit.

Claim 3

An entertainment system according to claim 1 , wherein said charging circuit serves as a first charging circuit and said charging input terminal as a first charging input terminal, said entertainment system further comprising: an external cell charger having a second charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply and a DC power supply; said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said external cell charger; said portable information terminal having a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said first charging circuit; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said external cell charger, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said second charging circuit via said second charging input terminal.

Claim 4

An entertainment system according to claim 1 , wherein said charging circuit serves as a first charging circuit and said charging input terminal as a first charging input terminal, said entertainment system further comprising: an AC-input external cell charger having an AC-input charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply; said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said AC-input external cell charger; said portable information terminal having a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said first charging circuit; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input external cell charger, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said AC-input charging circuit via said second charging input terminal.

Claim 5

An entertainment system according to claim 1 , wherein said charging circuit serves as a first charging circuit and said charging input terminal as a first charging input terminal, said entertainment system further comprising: a DC-input external cell charger having a DC-input charging circuit for being supplied with a DC power supply; said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said DC-input external cell charger; said portable information terminal having a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said first charging circuit; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said DC-input external cell charger, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said DC-input charging circuit via said second charging input terminal.

Claim 6

A cell charging system comprising: a portable information terminal having a secondary cell housed therein; a portable information terminal host for transmitting data to and from said portable information terminal, said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said portable information terminal host; said portable information terminal host having a charging power supply output terminal; said portable information terminal having a charging circuit having a charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said portable information terminal host, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said charging power supply output terminal via said charging input terminal and said charging circuit.

Claim 7

A cell charging system comprising: a portable information terminal having a secondary cell housed therein; a portable information terminal host for transmitting data to and from said portable information terminal, said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said portable information terminal host; said portable information terminal host having a charging power supply output terminal; said portable information terminal having a charging circuit having a charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said portable information terminal host, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said charging power supply output terminal via said charging input terminal and said charging circuit.

Claim 8

A cell charging system according to claim 5 , wherein said charging circuit serves as a first charging circuit and said charging input terminal as a first charging input terminal, said cell charging system further comprising: an external cell charger having a second charging circuit for being supplied with at least one of an AC power supply and a DC power supply; said portable information terminal being detachably connectable to said external cell charger; said portable information terminal having a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said first charging circuit; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said external cell charger, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said second charging circuit via said second charging input terminal.

Claim 9

An entertainment apparatus for reading and executing a program stored in a detachable storage medium, with a portable information terminal having a secondary cell housed therein and being detachably connectable to said entertainment apparatus, said entertainment apparatus having: a charging power supply output terminal; said portable information terminal having a charging circuit having a charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said entertainment apparatus, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said charging power supply output terminal via said charging input terminal and said charging circuit.

Claim 10

An entertainment apparatus for reading and executing a program stored in a detachable storage medium, with a portable information terminal having a secondary cell housed therein and being detachably connectable to said entertainment apparatus, said entertainment apparatus having: a charging power supply output terminal; said portable information terminal having a charging circuit having a charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell; the arrangement being such that when said portable information terminal is connected to said entertainment apparatus, said secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from said charging power supply output terminal via said charging input terminal and said charging circuit.

Claim 11

A portable information terminal having a secondary cell, for executing a program supplied from an external source, comprising: a first charging input terminal; an internal charging circuit for charging the secondary cell with a first DC power supply supplied via said first charging input terminal; and a second charging input terminal for charging said secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit, with a second DC power supply having a voltage higher than said first DC power supply.

Claim 12

A portable information terminal having a secondary cell, for executing a program supplied from an external source, comprising: a first charging input terminal; an internal charging circuit for charging the secondary cell with a first DC power supply supplied via said first charging input terminal; and a second charging input terminal for charging said secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit, with a second DC power supply having a voltage higher than said first DC power supply.

Claim 13

A cell charger for a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, comprising: a secondary cell accommodated in said portable information terminal; connections for a primary cell which can be housed in said cell charger; connections for an external AC power supply; and a charging circuit connected to said connections, for selecting said primary cell or said external AC power supply and outputting a charging output to said secondary cell; said charging circuit having means for generating said charging output using only said AC power supply when said external AC power supply is detected as being connected while said primary cell is being housed in said cell charger and said portable information terminal is attached to said cell charger.

Claim 14

A cell charger for a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, comprising: a secondary cell accommodated in said portable information terminal; connections for a primary cell which can be housed in said cell charger; connections for an external AC power supply; and a charging circuit connected to said connections, for selecting said primary cell or said external AC power supply and outputting a charging output to said secondary cell; said charging circuit having means for generating said charging output using only said AC power supply when said external AC power supply is detected as being connected while said primary cell is being housed in said cell charger and said portable information terminal is attached to said cell charger.

Claim 15

An AC-input cell charger for charging a secondary cell of a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, said AC-input cell charger comprising: an AC-input charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply and outputting a DC power supply to charge said secondary cell of said portable information terminal; said portable information terminal comprising: an internal charging circuit; a first charging terminal connected to said internal charging circuit for charging said secondary cell when said portable information terminal is connected to a device other than said AC-input cell charger through said first charging terminal; and a second charging terminal for charging said secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit when said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input cell charger through said second charging terminal.

Claim 16

An AC-input cell charger for charging a secondary cell of a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, said AC-input cell charger comprising: an AC-input charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply and outputting a DC power supply to charge said secondary cell of said portable information terminal; said portable information terminal comprising: an internal charging circuit; a first charging terminal connected to said internal charging circuit for charging said secondary cell when said portable information terminal is connected to a device other than said AC-input cell charger through said first charging terminal; and a second charging terminal for charging said secondary cell in bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit when said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input cell charger through said second charging terminal.

Claim 17

An AC-input cell charger according to claim 10 , wherein said first charging terminal and said second charging terminal are fixedly disposed at a spaced interval along a direction in which said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input cell charger, said AC-input charging circuit having a charging power supply output terminal, said charging power supply output terminal being of such a length as to be electrically connected to only said second charging input terminal when said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input cell charger.

Claim 18

A DC-input cell charger for charging a secondary cell of a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, said DC-input cell charger comprising: a DC-input charging circuit for being supplied with a DC power supply from a primary cell housed therein and outputting a DC power supply to charge said secondary cell of said portable information terminal; said portable information terminal comprising: an internal charging circuit; a first charging terminal connected to said internal charging circuit for charging said secondary cell when said portable information terminal is connected to a device other than said DC-input cell charger through said first charging terminal; and a second charging terminal for charging said secondary cell in a bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit when said portable information terminal is connected to said DC-input cell charger through said second charging terminal.

Claim 19

A DC-input cell charger for charging a secondary cell of a portable information terminal which executes a program supplied from an external source, said DC-input cell charger comprising: a DC-input charging circuit for being supplied with a DC power supply from a primary cell housed therein and outputting a DC power supply to charge said secondary cell of said portable information terminal; said portable information terminal comprising: an internal charging circuit; a first charging terminal connected to said internal charging circuit for charging said secondary cell when said portable information terminal is connected to a device other than said DC-input cell charger through said first charging terminal; and a second charging terminal for charging said secondary cell in a bypassing relationship to said internal charging circuit when said portable information terminal is connected to said DC-input cell charger through said second charging terminal.

Claim 20

A DC-input cell charger according to claim 12 , wherein said first charging terminal and said second charging terminal are fixedly disposed at a spaced interval along a direction in which said portable information terminal is connected to said DC-input cell charger, said DC-input charging circuit having a charging power supply output terminal, said charging power supply output terminal being of such a length as to be electrically connected to only said second charging input terminal when said portable information terminal is connected to said AC-input cell charger.