RIM Patenting their Way toward Mobile Computing, with Smartphone Docking Station

November 28, 2012 By 1 Comment

A another day, another patent from RIM. I drew up a very similar concept months ago, but it’s good to see RIM has implemented the idea into their IP portfolio. The idea is not new to RIM it just gives the phone larger screen real-estate and more battery power to get things done, a mobile businessness mans ultimate accessory. This kind of stuff really leads us into the domain of mobile computing.  In late Q3 2012, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from RIM that reveals a new mobile smartphone docking station that comes in the form of a netbook. For those on the go, it could be an interesting way to charge your smartphone while giving you a notebook-like tool so that you could type up your reports or briefs quickly using a standard keyboard. RIM’s patent FIG. 6 shown below illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the modular communication device 200 that could work with a control module (210), presented here as a smartphone. The smartphone could be coupled with a terminal docking station module 620 that is in the form of a netbook. In patent FIG. 7 we see an illustration of a smartphone in a docked position on the docking tray 635.

Via:PatentBolt

Ironically I drew a  design up months ago very similar to what RIM now has patented. While they are different, they are are pretty similar in the sense that the phone becomes the trackpad and the larger screen is used to make computing more easy, I love the way RIM is thinking, here’s my (very poorly) draw mock up from Summer 2012:

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  • peterallcdn

    So, essentially, the netbook would simply be screen/keyboard hardware and connecting your phone via dock would be like adding the brains/CPU. Sounds good. Although due to less than perfect vision I don’t really use netbooks/laptops because of generally small screen size, but I would love a BlackBerry dock that allows for a stand-alone keyboard and monitor to be used with my BB… that’d be sweet!

    And I like that in FIG 8, the BlackBerry remains exposed and I’m assuming could be used as a track pad.