Sony Ericsson files for patent on programmable touchscreen keypad
By Will Park on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 8:27 PM PST In Research, Sony Ericsson, Technologies
Touchscreens are all that, and a bag of chips. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) showed the world what we knew all along – touchscreens are essential to the smartphone experience, and everyone from LG to Nokia is jumping on the touch-bandwagon. The newest entrant into the touchscreen realm seems to be Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) is going to try their hand at a touchscreen twist. They’ve just filed with the USPTO for a patent on a “programmable keypad” – a reconfigurable, touchscreen-based keypad.
From the images in the patent filing, we can see that the keypad below the actual display is basically a touchscreen that can change based on the current function – making a phone call, inputing text, editing contacts, connecting to a mobile application (online banking, in this case).
Props to Sony Ericsson for going the reconfigurable touchscreen route for their keypad. We like the idea of turning the keypad into a supplemental display, rather than making the display an interactive touchscreen.
We can’t wait to see what Sony Ericsson brings to the table with an actual device based on this patent application. Although, as these things go, SE could just as easily scrape the idea altogether – but we’re pretty confident that they’ll bring this to market.
Update: revised to clarify that Sony Ericsson isn’t new to touchscreen technology – we’re huge fans of the SE P990i.
[Via: Unwired View]
Please sonyericsson touch screen existed atleast one year before iphone. please verify the facts before you write.
Sony Ericsson or Ericsson has been into touch screen technology since 2003 with models like P800. Actually iPhone is the last one joining the bandwagon; but they managed to convince the americans (not surprised eh?) that they are the first one to do that. Moreover most of the iPhone functions are already present in Nokia and Sony Ericsson models, for your information sir!!!