Nokia patents tablet design

The US Patent and Trademark Office has published two Nokia patents for tablet computer designs.

The first patent (D634,317) describes a device whose design is similar to the company's latest smartphones, the Nokia N8 and E7. The tablet computer has the same lines and side panel design. The patent application was filed on May 28, 2010. The second patent (D634,317) features a more streamlined design, more closely resembling similar devices currently on the market.

The device will likely feature two USB ports, a memory card slot, and HDMI. Both devices will also feature a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It's not yet known whether the company will release these devices. In April 2010, media reports surfaced that Nokia had begun developing a tablet computer. This information was confirmed in June by DigiTimes. According to the publication, the computer will feature a 7- to 9-inch touchscreen and run MeeGo.

Later, Niklas Savander, Vice President of Nokia Markets, announced that the company plans to unveil a "milestone product" before the end of the year. Some speculated it would be a MeeGo-based smartphone, others a tablet.

But in February, the company announced that it was abandoning the development of MeeGo devices and switching to Windows Phone.

Nokia's current portfolio includes the N770, N800, N810, and N900, which are sometimes referred to as tablets. However, in today's understanding, tablet computers refer to devices with larger screen sizes.