Browser tab management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9721034-B2
Application number	US-68708810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2010
Priority date	Sep 8, 2005
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

The management of tabs in browser applications may be at least partially automated. In a described implementation, a link present in browser content information may include a link property indicating that the new browser content information targeted by the link is to be opened in a new tab. A browser application can therefore automatically launch a new tab without a user request. In another described implementation, a new travelog created for a new tab may be initially populated with an historical entry that points to spawning browser content information and identifies the originating tab. When a user attempts to move backward from an initial page of the new tab, a browser application can therefore automatically redisplay the spawning browser content information at the originating tab.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving user input on a first page at a first tab in a browser to retrieve a second page;
launching a second tab for the second page in the browser;
including a historical entry pointing to the first page at the first tab in a travelogue for the second tab, the historical entry associating the first tab and the second tab by identifying the first tab as a launching tab from which the second tab was launched;
receiving user input at the second tab in the browser to perform a back operation; and
responsive to the user input to perform the back operation:
switching from the second tab to the first tab to display the first page at the first tab in the browser responsive to the user input to perform the back operation, the switching being performed responsive to the historical entry pointing to the first page at the first tab as the launching tab from which the second tab was launched; and
closing the second tab.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user input on the second page at the second tab in the browser to retrieve a third page;
launching a third tab for the third page in the browser; and
including a historical entry pointing to the second page at the second tab in a travelogue for the third tab, the historical entry associating the second tab and the third tab by identifying the second tab as a launching tab from which the third tab was launched.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving user input at the third tab in the browser to perform a back operation; and
switching from the third tab to the second tab to display the second page at the second tab in the browser responsive to the user input to perform the back operation, the switching being performed responsive to the historical entry pointing to the second page at the second tab as the launching tab from which the third tab was launched.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
including a historical entry pointing to the third page at the third tab in the travelogue for the second tab, the historical entry associating the second tab and the third tab by identifying the third tab as a tab that was launched from the second tab.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the launching is performed responsive to a manual user request for the second tab.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the launching is performed responsive to an open-in-new-tab indicator link property for a selected link.

7. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, direct a device to perform actions comprising:
receiving user input on a first page at a first tab in a browser to retrieve a second page;
launching a second tab for the second page in the browser;
including a historical entry pointing to the first page at the first tab in a travelogue for the second tab, the historical entry associating the first tab and the second tab by identifying the first tab as a launching tab from which the second tab was launched;
receiving user input at the second tab in the browser to perform a back operation for the second page;
switching from the second tab to the first tab to display the first page at the first tab in the browser responsive to the user input to perform the back operation, the switching being performed responsive to the historical entry identifying the first tab as the launching tab from which the second tab was launched; and
closing the second tab responsive to the user input to perform the back operation from the second page.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 7 , the actions further comprising:
receiving user input on the second page at the second tab in the browser to retrieve a third page;
launching a third tab for the third page in the browser; and
including a historical entry pointing to the second page at the second tab in a travelogue for the third tab, the historical entry associating the second tab and the third tab by identifying the second tab as a launching tab from which the third tab was launched.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 8 , the actions further comprising:
receiving user input on the browser to perform a back operation for the third page; and
closing the third tab responsive to the user input to perform the back operation from the third page.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 7 , wherein the launching is performed responsive to a manual user request for the second tab.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 7 , wherein the launching is performed responsive to an open-in-new-tab indicator link property for a selected link.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, direct a device to perform actions comprising:
launching a first tab for a first page in a browser;
launching a second tab for a second page in the browser when receiving a user input to the first page;
creating a historical entry pointing to the first page at the first tab in a travelogue for the second tab, the historical entry associating the first tab and the second tab by identifying the first tab as a launching tab from which the second tab was launched;
launching a third tab for a third page in the browser when receiving a user input to the second page;
creating a historical entry pointing to the second page at the second tab in a travelogue for the third tab, the historical entry associating the second tab and the third tab by identifying the second tab as a launching tab from which the third tab was launched;
in response to receiving user input at the third tab in the browser to perform a back operation:
switching from the third tab to the second tab to display the second page at the second tab in the browser, the switching being performed responsive to the historical entry in the travelogue for the third tab identifying the second tab as the launching tab from which the third tab was launched; and
closing the third tab; and
after closing the third tab, re-launching the third tab for the third page in the browser when a forward operation is executed on the browser from the second page.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching the third tab for the third page when a forward operation is executed on the browser is performed responsive to the historical entry in the travelogue for the second tab.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching of the second tab is performed responsive to a manual user request for the second tab.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching of the second tab is performed responsive to an open-in-new-tab indicator link property for a selected link.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching of the third tab is performed responsive to a manual user request for the third tab.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching of the third tab is performed responsive to an open-in-new-tab indicator link property for a selected link.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , wherein the launching of the first tab i

Assignees

• Moore Jason F
• Mann Justin
• Van Tilburg Martijn Eldert
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Moore Jason F
• Mann Justin
• Van Tilburg Martijn Eldert

Classifications

• G06F16/957 Primary

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

• G06F17/30899 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic