Automatically grouping browser tabs based on a pattern of usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703887-B2
Application number	US-201514817239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A computer implemented method and system for managing browser tabs includes identifying a plurality of URLs (Uniform Resource Locator(s)) in response to detecting the URLs in a web browser running on a computer. The plurality of URLs are organized based on each of the URLs, and each of the plurality of URLs correspond to a tab opened by the web browser. The tabs of the web browser are grouped based on the URLs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for managing browser tabs, comprising:
identifying a plurality of URLs (Uniform Resource Locator(s)) in response to detecting the URLs used by a web browser running on a computer, each of the plurality of URLs corresponding to a tab opened by the web browser resulting in a plurality of open tabs;
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs in response to using the URLs by the web browser running on the computer and initiating a tab;
identifying a source for each of a plurality of links in response to using the link to initiate a URL and a tab by the web browser running on the computer;
detecting a pattern of usage by a user initiating the URLs used by the web browser resulting in the plurality of open tabs, the pattern of usage including:
detecting a pattern of manual movement by the user for the plurality of open tabs, which includes detecting when the user groups tabs together, and moves a tab from one group to another group; and
automatically grouping the tabs of the web browser based on the pattern of usage including the pattern of manual movement by:
grouping together a plurality of tabs from a same source;
grouping together a plurality of tabs based on the source and the pattern of manual movement which includes the user manually grouping tabs together; and
using the pattern of manual movement as a default for grouping of tabs and additional link launches from the same source to be grouped according to the pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouped tabs include at least part of a same URL.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouped tabs include the same URL.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs;
organizing the plurality of URLs based on the source of each of the URLs; and
grouping the tabs based on the source of the URLs.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a base part of each the plurality of URLs; and
grouping the tabs with the same base part of the URLs.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a pattern of usage includes:
determining a frequency of opening the tabs;
establishing a threshold frequency; and
grouping tabs which meet the threshold frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
grouping tabs being open for a predetermined period of time (threshold amount of time).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the URLs include one or more of: a website, an email program, or a document.

9. A computer program product for managing browser tabs, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method, comprising:
identifying a plurality of URLs (Uniform Resource Locator(s)) in response to detecting the URLs used by a web browser running on a computer, each of the plurality of URLs corresponding to a tab opened by the web browser resulting in a plurality of open tabs;
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs in response to using the URLs by the web browser running on the computer and initiating a tab;
identifying a source for each of a plurality of links in response to using the link to initiate a URL and a tab by the web browser running on the computer;
detecting a pattern of usage by a user initiating the URLs used by the web browser resulting in the plurality of open tabs, the pattern of usage including:
detecting a pattern of manual movement by the user for the plurality of open tabs, which includes detecting when the user groups tabs together, and moves a tab from one group to another group; and
automatically grouping the tabs of the web browser based on the pattern of usage including the pattern of manual movement by:
grouping together a plurality of tabs from a same source;
grouping together a plurality of tabs based on the source and the pattern of manual movement which includes the user manually grouping tabs together; and
using the pattern of manual movement as a default for grouping of tabs and additional link launches from the same source to be grouped according to the pattern.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the grouped tabs include at least part of a same URL.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs;
organizing the plurality of URLs based on the source of each of the URLs; and
grouping the tabs based on the source of the URLs.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a base part of each the plurality of URLs; and
grouping the tabs with the same base part of the URLs.

13. A computer system for managing browser tabs, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions, comprising:
identifying a plurality of URLs (Uniform Resource Locator(s)) in response to detecting the URLs used by a web browser running on a computer, each of the plurality of URLs corresponding to a tab opened by the web browser resulting in a plurality of open tabs;
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs in response to using the URLs by the web browser running on the computer and initiating a tab;
identifying a source for each of a plurality of links in response to using the link to initiate a URL and a tab by the web browser running on the computer;
detecting a pattern of usage by a user initiating the URLs used by the web browser resulting in the plurality of open tabs, the pattern of usage including:
detecting a pattern of manual movement by the user for the plurality of open tabs,
which includes detecting when the user groups tabs together, and moves a tab from one group to another group; and
automatically grouping the tabs of the web browser based on the pattern of usage including the pattern of manual movement by:
grouping together a plurality of tabs from a same source;
grouping together a plurality of tabs based on the source and the pattern of manual movement which includes the user manually grouping tabs together; and
using the pattern of manual movement as a default for grouping of tabs and additional link launches from the same source to be grouped according to the pattern.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the grouped tabs include at least part of a same URL.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
identifying a source for each of the plurality of URLs;
organizing the plurality of URLs based on the source of each of the URLs; and
grouping the tabs based on the source of the URLs.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining a base part of each the plurality of URLs; and
grouping the tabs with the same base part of the URLs.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Broomhall Matthew E
• Dotson Christopher R
• Caldas Fabrizio N
• Spano Sr Michael R

Classifications

• G06F16/957

  Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation · CPC title

• G06F16/955

  using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL] · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• G06F16/9566

  URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links · CPC title

• G06F16/958

  Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking · CPC title