RIM patent application describes rotating keypad that can be used in more than one position
In August 2010, Engadget reported:
RIM seems to have a new take on the smartphone keyboard concept. The company has filed a patent application for a keyboard which not only can be turned 90 degrees from portrait to landscape orientation, but one which flips as well. A numeric pad which could be spun around to become a QWERTY input surface, and the whole rig repositioned to make for more comfortable typing.
This patent application that was filed back in 2010 was just recently published. It describes a device with a keypad that’s coupled at one corner, but which can remain operable in at least two positions, or potentially three. That could include a position, for instance, where the screen is partially covered by the keypad and a second where it’s below the screen, or one where the keypad can remain below the screen both in portrait and landscape modes — or even flipped behind the device with the keys still accessible. Of course, it is still just a patent application, so we can’t bet on this as RIM’s next big thing.
We’ll keep you updated if anything comes up, meanwhile feel free to join our BlackBerry Empire Forums and share you views.
Source: Engadget