Unwired View has been digging around the patents office in search of BlackBerry tidbits, and come up with a couple of filings that might indicate which direction the smartphone company is heading in with its upcoming 9xxx-series and consumer handsets.  The first, which included the illustration you see here, is titled “Handheld mobile communication device with movable display/cover member” and details a slider form-factor whereby the keypad is hidden underneath the screen section, similar to the HTC Touch Dual or the Samsung i620.

The second is a more technical description of RIM’s own multitouch touchscreen developments, titled “System and method of integrating a touchscreen within an LCD”, with a series of parallel electrodes embedded in an LCD display, changes in voltage between which – as triggered by a finger or stylus – are identified as taps by the OS.  Such a system would not only be able to recognise multiple points of contact, but also variations in pressure (as found in active touchscreens traditionally seen on full-sized Tablet PCs).

It’s uncertain whether RIM will be displaying any BlackBerry handsets using either of the two concepts at the Mobile World Congress next week.

[via Unwired View]