Patent ID: 7519756

Claim:
A mobile information terminal, comprising: a host computer; and a PC card control apparatus for controlling connections of PC cards with the host computer, the PC card control apparatus comprising: a PC card connector configured to provide connections for connecting one of a first PC card compliant with a predetermined card standard and a card-adapting card for connecting a second PC card compliant with a different card standard to the PC card control apparatus, said predetermined card standard requiring a first data format and said different card standard requiring a second data format different from said first data format; a card detector configured to detect connection of the card-adapting card to the PC card control apparatus and to subsequently output a detection signal; and an interconnection switching circuit configured to switch the connections of the PC card connector to connect the PC card connector to a bus interface of said host computer dedicated to communicate data in said second data format, upon receiving the detection signal from the card detector, wherein said data is communicated between said bus interface of said host computer and the second PC card in said second data format of said different card standard without converting to said first data format of said predetermined card standard.