Diagonal cursor navigation described in new BlackBerry Patent app

A newly published BlackBerry Patent app describes an onscreen "diagonal cursor" method of navigation on smaller, non-QWERTY BlackBerry devices.

Fittingly, the Patent app is entitled, On-Screen Diagonal Cursor Navigation On A Handheld Communication Device Having A Reduced Alphabetic Keyboard.

A read of the Abstract gives you the basics, and maybe a bit more:

Method an arrangement for affecting diagonal movement of a cursor 171 on the display screen 322 of a handheld communication device 300 having a reduced alphabetic keyboard. The method includes sensing movement at an auxiliary user input 328 of the handheld communication device 300 indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonal movement of the cursor 171 on the display screen 322 of the handheld communication device 300.

X-direction signals and Y-direction signals are produced based on the sensed movement at the auxiliary user input 328. During that time while the necessary signals are being collected and processed, the cursor 171 is held steady on the display screen 322 until a predetermined criterion is met for discriminating whether the user has indicated x-direction cursor movement, y-direction cursor movement or diagonal cursor movement.