Way back on February 25, 2011 Research In Motion filed for a patent describing a concealed keyboard on a mobile device. The patent shows the above image which appears to be some sort of tablet, maybe a next generation PlayBook. The keyboard appears to be very similar to the current BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard which makes a lot of sense to pair it with an unknown tablet.
The patent states the following information:
An electronic device having a concealed keyboard includes a first housing, a second housing rotatably coupled to the first housing, and a concealment cover coupled to a rear of the first housing. The first housing has a coupling edge and two sides that are substantially perpendicular to the coupling edge of the first housing. The second housing has a coupling edge and two sides that are substantially perpendicular to the coupling edge of the second housing. A receiving portion is formed on a rear surface of the first housing and is configured to receive the second housing. When the second housing is in the receiving portion, each respective side of the first housing and the second housing are co-terminal with one another. The concealment cover is exteriorly positioned with respect to the second housing when the second housing is in the receiving portion.
You can read more about the patent by clicking here. Let us know what you think about RIM’s latest patent in the comments!
Via: N4BB
