RIM patent application reveals work on possible uninteresting feature, device unlock

You know what they say, it only takes one big idea to turn a company around. Well, we don't really think this is that one idea, but in case you're wondering if they're sleeping up in Waterloo in RIM's R&D center, the answer is "no". They're busy developing potentially uninspiring technology as evidenced by a recent patent filing for a new mobile device unlock alternative.

We can only speculate based on the filing that it's some sort of potential unlock mechanism for the device. It seems like they'll have to do some explaining to differentiate it from the Android pattern unlock. Maybe they're finally looking at consumer feedback, as the pattern unlock feature in Android has been hugely successful. While many companies file many patent applications, we thought this was notable because it was the first we've seen in a while that would bring a very popular, mainstream feature to the somewhat stale BlackBerry product offering.

We'll continue to monitor this. We've reported on RIM’s first BlackBerry 10 phone release date pegged for October, so we're waiting on the edge of our seat to see which of the patents turn into actual product. There has been a lot of shake up at RIM as of late, so we're hoping the new management coming in will bring big exciting ideas with them to avoid RIM ending up in the graveyard of mobile manufacturers of the past.

source: US Patent and Trademark Office