February 28th, 2008
BlackBerry with slide-out keyboard described in new Patent app
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:
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.
The other orientation is named the portrait orientation because the device will be positioned such that its height is larger than its width. In addition, the keyboard is not used in this orientation and therefore hidden away.
The user would opt for the portrait orientation for tasks such as making and receiving telephone calls and for reading documents and emails.
The device detects the orientation positioned by the user and modifies the elements shown on the display screen so that they are presented in the correct orientation to the user.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
