Nokia files for patent application for “no-look” touchscreen controls

Look Ma! No eyes! Wait, what? Let us explain.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has filed a patent application with the USPTO that aims to make touchscreen use more tactile. Touchscreens are undoubtedly the future of mobile. Everyone and their grandma in the mobile industry is jumping on board the touchscreen bandwagon that some of us (cough..Windows Mobile…cough) have been using for the better part of a decade. Anyways, that’s besides the point. The real interesting thing here is that Nokia is jumping into the touchscreen fray and has come up with a novel idea to help users navigate a touchscreen device without having to look at the screen.

Haptic touchscreen technology is one way to give the user feedback on touchscreen button presses, but it still requires the user to hit a specific portion of the screen – which can be a trying experience without looking at the screen (like when driving). Well, Nokia has devised a special “slider input lid” that covers the touchscreen and acts as a “guide” for your fingers. The “lid” lets you interact with the touchscreen without having to keep an eye on where your fingers roam.

The idea is simple enough to actually work, but will people want a flip-top on their touchscreen device just so dialing while driving is a little easier? Probably not, but Nokia’s definitely got the right idea here.
[Via: Unwired View]