HTC patent shows off an interesting new slide concept

[Guest Monolithix]

[teaser]

No hints as to whether this will ever see the light of day, however a recent patent filed by HTC shows off a diagonal slide concept used to change between a 0-9 keypad in portrait mode and full QWERTY in the landscape orientation.[/teaser]

The concept looks like it will allow for a decent sized keypad (or maybe a smaller screen size...) when used in QWERTY mode while retaining access to the 0-9 buttons in portrait. While I'm a big fan of the Kasier and it's keyboard, it's a pain having to slide the keypad out just to tap out a quick reply to a text (software keyboards don't count :D)!

Looking at the concept diagrams, it could be a winner. I just hope it doesn't end up being a little out of proportion!

[ Unwiredview via Gizmodo ]

[Guest Mysterious Stranger]

The colour graphics are the original author's (unwiredview.com - not Gizmodo) photoshop interpretation of the patent, and not part of the patent application.

M.S

[Guest Monolithix]

Added a link to the original unwiredview page. It's just a story i found interesting and thought the community here would too, no thievery intended...

[Guest xorangefirex]

I really love the design. It could relaly add some fantastic possibilities for htc devices. It could create "shadow-like" sized mobiles with the same capeabilities as a kaiser. Fantastic. I beleive that it will see the "light of day"

[Guest nickcornaglia]

mechanism is confusing. Is it the keyboard two pieces that overlap when closed?

[Guest shanedean]

encece, it appears to be a complete QWERTY keyboard and just the screen slides to cover/uncover part of it.

Couple of points; how would you answer/make a call in landscape mode? Secondly, the use of OLEDs would have been interesting to switch between what is shown on the keys when open/closed instead of showing both numbers and letters. I've seen it on some PC keyboards. Looks cool too!

[Guest Shuflie]

To be honest I don't see the attraction, you end up with a device that has a lump at one end and cover two of the buttons in qwerty mode. A much better plan would be to let the top part of the phone cover the entire bottom part and place the number keys on the extra space. Then add a tytn slide or tytn II slide and tilt to reveal the qwerty keypad underneath. This would have the advantage of allowing for bigger keys on the qwerty section and the option to use the "phone" keypad as an offset number pad, plus the whole thing would feel more balanced (even if the screen sat to the left or right in use)

[Guest Ovie]

Mmmm I don't like it too much, I don't like the fact that part of the keyboard is always revealed, it makes the device seem always "open".

[Guest simon211175]

looks quite similar an idea to the Pantech Duo. Could work well, but I suspect it will be a very chunky phone.

[Guest shootydogthing]

Mmmm I don't like it too much, I don't like the fact that part of the keyboard is always revealed, it makes the device seem always "open".

Agreed.

And the cover of the buttons... but i agree with the OLED idea

[Guest timeline]

interesting, but does it really deserve a patent?

actually I feel like I've seen something similar before, not on a pda, I can't remember where.

[Guest simon211175]

actually I feel like I've seen something similar before, not on a pda, I can't remember where.

Pantech Duo, like I said.

[Guest timeline]

Nah, haven't seen the Pantech Duo b4, and I don't think it was on a phone

anyway, argh, another patent with clear prior art