A second RIM patent documenting a smartphone where the keyboard is hidden on a sliding panel has been published, submitted a month later than the first we saw at the beginning of February.  Titled “Hybrid portrait-landscape handheld device with trackball navigation and hide-away keyboard” the patent describes a smartphone similar to HTC’s TyTN, with its QWERTY keyboard sliding out from behind the screen, only with the BlackBerry trackball instead of a D-pad.  RIM describe the handset as being used in portrait mode for calls and reading messages, and suggest a touchscreen and/or voice control could be used when the keyboard is not extended.

The design would also allow for a larger screen than is currently available in RIM’s range, without significantly increasing the size of the whole handset.  While BlackBerry models have traditionally been candybar in format, recent attempts to slim down the design – in the shape of the Pearl – have resulted in a relatively cramped keyboard.

[via Electronista]