Samsung files patent for sweep-wing cellphone keyboard

The patent itself is an exceedingly dry journey into the technology of preventing short circuits between contacts inside a complex mechanism, but the picture, “illustrating a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention”–is sexy. The filing also contains the term “doped polysilicon,” which should be the name of a chippunk band. [via PhoneArena]

1. [Pantograph]

   My guess is that you lay the phone down on a flat surface and then extend the keyboard before typing.

2. [cha0tic]

   Is it just me, or does it appear that those ‘swing wings’ won’t fit in the body of the phone.

3. [RedShirt77]

   Why not have them swing down and form an actual keyboard at the bottom rather then two half keyboards?

4. [SamSam]

   Um, what?? Where do you hold the thing? Do you have to hold it by the flaps when typing?

   I can’t imagine using that, but I guess they’ve probably done some usability testing.

5. [KitWorks]

   @SAMSAM

   I’m with you, that looks super awkward. But then again,w hen has usability testing ever influenced phone design?

6. [kaiza]

   Because then it would look more like the Kittyhawk than a blocky Tomcat. *ZZZZzzzzooooooOOOOMMMM*PEOW*PEOW*PEOW*

7. [joebrown]

   Sponsored by Always: the Samsung Ultra, with Wings!

8. [Chrs]

   It may be awkward, but it’s a fuckin’ swing-wing! One can only imagine if Top Gun had come out last year.

9. [Anonymous]

   I’d assume your palms go around the rounded edges and your thumbs would be the apendages pressing buttons, kind of like a video game controler. But depending on the weight of the phone and the thin-ness(?) of the keyboard I’d imagine it would be very fragile.