Congratulations to the Reg for reporting last weeks news! Less time playing online poker perhaps???

..to the land of moronic, obvious patents.

Prior art from HTC?

Deja Vu all over again.

Given this is a blatant rip of, of the HTC handset WTF they thinking about applying for a patent when http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/13/htc_rolls_out_h1_07_lineup/

Kinda shows its not only not new, prior art, but been done many times over. Hell my Psion has a "slid out keyboard" albiet it only slides out a bit, thats not the point.

Bottom line, I'm kinda shocked to see RIM try and patent something that is already being done by others, this is not cricket nor is it sane business sence, but I gave up understanding how a moron ticks about a year ago.

--

Paris becasue she has more respect from me than my old boss

If ever there was a graphical demonstration as to the sheer ridiculousness of the US patent system, this is it. I cannot see anything on this which, in any shape or form, is new and merits protection through a patent. Ludicrous - unless of course I've missed something stonkingly unique!

After flip out keyboard UMPC's and flip out keyboard HTC handsets ?

Compare the patent against the Nokia 810. Sure the 810 isn't a phone.... (Gee ya don't think Nokia couldn't put a phone in the device?)

If this patent goes through, then clearly, the USPTO needs to have some serious reforms.

i was going to say the same thing

what makes this design different (and therefore worthy of patent) from the HTC design? the trackball? Does that really require a full patent?

or have HTC not patented their design and so RIM are hoping to retro-sue them for prior infringement on their future IP?

As has been mentioned above, HTC devices use this very concept, to great affect.

My branded Orange SPV M3100 (HTC TyTn I believe) uses this very system.

Agreed, TyTN, Tytn 2, hell how many other sliders like that...

I was under the impression that RIM were a Canadian outfit - I reckon the Canucks still have work to do to catch up with the Merkins in the 'patenting the mind-buggeringly obvious' stakes.

1. The patent is for the complete device, as evidenced by the title, and further by the full application. So unless you've seen a phone WITH slide-out keyboard AND trackball AND dual-orientation screen, then, no there isn't prior art -- and thus if the patent were granted, they wouldn't be able to sue for infringement on parts of the system. Seeing as RIM are the only ones using trackballs at all on their phones (that I know of -- other examples?), and haven't yet used slide-out keyboards, I don't see why the device WHEN CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE is not novel, although I also don't see whom they'd need protection against, either.

2. Yes, Simon, RIM is Canadian, but the patent app was filed by their US legal branch with the US PTO, which is why all the other commentors have their panties in a bunch (but see 3).

3. Finally, this is a patent APPLICATION, not a granted patent. Wait to see what the US PTO do with it before whingeing, please.

Seems I need to to:

"Seeing as RIM are the only ones using trackballs at all on their phones (that I know of -- other examples?)..."

and the article mentions Motorola...

My bad.

This is patentable? I guess if they can patent the qwerty keyboard, they can patent anything.

Takes a good man too correct himself like that.

...does it undoubtedly require an accelerometer?

yeah, handy on the iPhone because it's the only way for it to tell which way it's pointing, but in this, like other slidey phones, it doesn't need one, just like in other, similar models.

too subtle? the screen flips when you slide it. duh.

paris, because i'd slide her.