RIM Patents Slidable Keyboard

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/blackberry/?p=551">http://blogs.zdnet.com/blackberry/?p=551</a><br /><br />"A new BlackBerry Patent app just published Thursday describes technology for a BlackBerry device with a slide-out keyboard. The Patent app is entitled, Hybrid Portrait-Landscape Handheld Device With Trackball Navigation and Qwerty Hideaway Keyboard. The Patent abstract, and the accompanying illustration, pretty much tells us what we need to know. Here’s the Abstract:<br /><br />A device is disclosed for use in two different orientations. In one orientation, the keyboard is exposed to the user. This orientation is named the landscape orientation because the device will be positioned such that its width is larger than its height. The user would opt for the landscape orientation for tasks that require the keyboard, such as inputting data, drafting emails, sending emails, and other functions typically associated with a standard computer."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2008/20080303-rimpatenttroll.gif" /><br /><br />Wow! What an incredibly novel idea? Those guys at RIM are staying up late at night working on all of these innovative products, and they deserve to get a patent on them. The sheer brilliance of this new type of device just leaves me speechless. :roll:

[kamikun]

Oh great. So you mean every time I use this...

http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj305/roncampbellexcitecom/th_03.jpg

I'm gonna have to click on a royalty paypal button to thank RIM for my 2 year old PPC?

Oh... wait just a minute. I see what you did there. Now I get it. The W-Zero3's keyboard slips out from the right side and the hardware keys are on the left side in portrait mode. Whereas the RIM machine's keyboard slips out from the left side and the hardware keys are on the right side in portrait mode.

Well, that changes everything. Jerks.

[Dyvim]

While I agree that this patent is just silly, you sound like you're bitter because RIM is kicking WM's butt in terms of market share. The success of RIM demonstrates that you don't need innovation, or cutting edge features; you just need 1 killer feature. For RIM this was push email. For iPhone it's the friendly user interface. The buying public has clearly demonstrated that they're willing to overlook all sorts of shortcomings and limitations in order to get that 1 killer feature.

[paschott]

For me I'd be bitter because the Patent Office tends to grant these sorts of things more often than not and that leads to lawsuits which leads to higher costs for us and a waste of the courts' time. The only thing I see here that could potentially be different is that "Trackball" thing. IIRC, RIM actually did win some sort of Patent on the whole scroll wheel thing. That could mean that this particular combination is something they can actually patent.

However, I'll agree that on the face of it it looks pretty much like a copy of a bunch of devices already on the market.

Having just looked over the patent app, it does reference "trackball" pretty thoroughly throughout the app. If RIM really does have the patent on trackballs for mobile devices, they can probably get this one and not affect any other devices. After all, WM devices don't use a trackball for icon navigation (that I'm aware of anyway).

-Pete

[Dyvim]

For me I'd be bitter because the Patent Office tends to grant these sorts of things more often than not and that leads to lawsuits which leads to higher costs for us and a waste of the courts' time.
I agree wholeheartedly. While patenting an actual invention is fine, I wish they would not allow people to patent concepts or ideas, esp. when they may never bring said concept to market but just sue someone else who does (NTP anyone?). I think the whole U.S. Patent system could use a major overhaul.

[rocky_raher]

Years ago, columnist John Dvorak, after reporting about a patent application for something (I don't recall what) that was already in wide use, suggested that he apply for a patent on the hinges used on laptop screens, and a copyright on the "C:>" prompt.

[geosta]

note however the filing date: August 28, 2006

I'm just trying to remember when the first sliding-keyboard phone came out, but I'm sure it was before that wasn't it? In the dark recesses of my brain I remember the Sharp Zaurus having a sliding keyboard, and that was what, 2001?

They will have a hard time proving novelty at that point in time (2006), particularly given that Nokia filed a patent application for a phone with a hideaway landscape keyboard on May 3 3006 (US Patent Application No. 20070259702).

They have just learned from their stoush with NTP how profitably it can be to lodge a speculative patent application

[extravagant]

isn't this just a patent application and the patent has not yet been issued? i find it hard this application doesn't infringe on another patent, like an HTC one.

[paschott]

I know I got my Cingular 8125 prior to March 2006. (HTC Wizard) That definitely has a sliding keyboard and is still going relatively strong. Kudos to XDA for the assist with keeping it up to date, though. :D

-Pete

[alese]

For what is worth, HTC Wizard was to my knowledge the first phone with landscape slide out keyboard and it was announced sometime in the beginning of 2005 and released in summer 2005 (I got mine in February 2006), so if they are really trying to get a patent for this they should have a hard time getting it...

As for slide keyboard concept in general, I remember Nokia allready had few devices with slide keyboards in last century, one of them even played a notable role i he first Matrix...

[Brad Adrian]

I think it's interesting how the original purpose of the Patent Office has become entirely subverted over the years. The primary purpose of issuing patents wasn't to provide legal protection for inventions, it was to make it illegal to copy existing products in order to foster continuous innovation and ongoing product improvement.

[geosta]

I think it's interesting how the original purpose of the Patent Office has become entirely subverted over the years. The primary purpose of issuing patents wasn't to provide legal protection for inventions, it was to make it illegal to copy existing products in order to foster continuous innovation and ongoing product improvement.

In fact the original purpose of patents were to break the dominance of the old Guilds (stonemasons, joiners etc). The idea was that you published the secret techniques of how you did your work, so that the knowledge entered the public domain, but to reward you for sharing the Crown gave you a monopoly on the use of those techniques for a limited period.

The idea being (along with raising revenue for the King) that once the knowledge was out there and (theoretically) once the patent had expired, other people could use those techniques and improve on them. The other point was that it was only proscribing a certain way of doing something, not all the ways that something could be done. If you saw what someone was doing and found a different way to do it, then you could use it without infringing the patent (and apply for your own patent on that new way you had discovered).