Blackberry patents: Angled Slider and RIM Multi-Touch technology
The information that Blackberry 9000/9100/9900 devices are coming is old news, as well as the speculation that RIM is working on the next generation of consumer friendly Blackberries. — The rumors that RIM Blackberry …
Context & Ripple Effects
The filings land mid-rumor-cycle: Unstrung reported RIM's touchscreen ambitions back in November 2007, and December's leaked BlackBerry 9000 details drew a lukewarm reception from enthusiasts who wanted more than a spec bump. Patenting an angled slider mechanism and multi-touch methods is the paperwork version of those plans — RIM securing the form-factor IP before any consumer-oriented hardware ships.
The patent push also reads against RIM's history: the company fought a bruising, high-profile patent battle with NTP over its wireless email technology, and in late 2007 filed a confirmed lawsuit against LG over names it alleged infringed on BlackBerry branding. Filing early on slider and touch IP is consistent with a company that has learned to defend its turf at the patent office, not just in court.
First-order effects
- RIM now holds confirmed filings covering an angled slider and multi-touch techniques, giving it legal groundwork for the rumored consumer-friendly 9000/9100/9900 line without depending on others' touch IP.
- The rumored next-generation models gain credibility as a deliberate strategy rather than leaks: RIM is investing in the mechanical and interface patents such devices would require.
Second-order effects
- Apple and other multi-touch patent holders become the obvious comparison point — if RIM's filings cover overlapping ground with existing multi-touch claims, cross-licensing or dispute exposure follows, a dynamic RIM knows well from the NTP fight.
- Carriers and consumers watching the 9000 speculation now have two signals pointing the same way — patents plus leaks — which pressures rival keyboard-centric handset makers to show their own touch and slider roadmaps.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, RIM is structurally repositioning from an enterprise email franchise toward consumer handset categories where form factor and interface IP decide competitive standing — a shift that would test the loyalty of its keyboard-first user base.
- The filings reinforce the post-NTP norm in mobile: vendors bank defensive patents ahead of category moves, so entry into touch devices increasingly requires a litigation-ready IP position, not just engineering.
The trend: Smartphone incumbents are patenting touch interfaces and sliding form factors before launching consumer lines, turning IP portfolios into the price of admission as the market shifts beyond the physical keyboard.