Patent filing shows Microsoft slider phone design

Microsoft has won a patent for a slider phone design. While slider phones are certainly not new, the Microsoft patent differs from conventional slider phone designs. Microsoft’s take has the screen sitting flush with the keyboard when open, rather than having sit higher as in a traditional design.

The Microsoft patent describes the design this way:

“Mobile communications devices having moveable housings are described. In an implementation, a mobile communications device includes a first housing that includes a display device; and a second housing that includes a keyboard. At least one of the first or second housings are moveable between a first configuration in which the first housing substantially covers the second housing so the keyboard is covered and the display device is viewable and a second configuration in which the keyboard is exposed and positioned such that an outer plane of the keyboard is positioned in a substantially similar plane to that of an outer surface of the display device.”

While relatively unlikely that Microsoft will bring the design into production it could either licence the design to one of its Windows Phone partners, or simply add its patent arsenal. [via WM Poweruser]

By Electronista Staff