Method and system for context based tab management

• US 10,642,466 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Dipin, Kollencheri Puthenveetil
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US15/185,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for tab management in a web browser are provided. The method includes identifying browsing contexts for at least one tab among tabs that are open on the web browser, creating tab groups, based on the identified browsing contexts, and then adding the tab or tabs to one or more of the created tab groups, and displaying tab groups to a user. The method further includes allowing the user to navigate through the tabs in selected tab groups, by providing a suitable interface, displaying tabs corresponding to browsing context of the selected tab groups by using different user interfaces, and allowing a user to navigate between the tabs corresponding to the browsing context as well as tabs that differ from each other.

Claims

1. A method for tab management in a browser, the method comprising:

identifying, by at least one processor, a plurality of browsing contexts for a plurality of tabs that are open in the browser based on a semantic analysis of contents of the plurality of tabs, wherein a browsing context includes a subject of content included in a tab;

assigning, by the at least one processor, a first set of the plurality of tabs to a first main tab group having a first main context based on the identifying of the plurality of browsing contexts, wherein a subject of the first main context is semantically broader than subjects of each of the first set of the plurality of tabs;

assigning, by the at least one processor, at least two tabs, which are included in the first main tab group, to a sub-tab group having a sub-context based on the identifying of the plurality of browsing contexts;

displaying, by a display, a user interface and a text indicating the first main context of the first main tab group;

in response to selection of the user interface to the sub-tab group, displaying a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the at least two tabs of the sub-tab group;

identifying each of topics in the first set of the plurality of tabs based on a semantic analysis of content included in the first set of the plurality of tabs of the first main tab group;

identifying at least one web site based on a relationship between each of the topics; and

displaying the at least one web site.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the identifying of the browsing context further comprises:

navigating, from a tab displaying a first web page, to a second web page corresponding to a hyperlink in the first web page, and

identifying the browsing context of the second web page based on the navigation, and

wherein a first tab displaying the first web page and a second tab displaying the second web page are identical to each other with regard to the browsing context.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifying of the browsing context further comprises:

receiving a user input for opening a new tab by a tab manager;

identifying a context of a uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to the new tab by the tab manager; and

identifying the browsing context based on identified context of the URL.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the assigning of the tab to the first main tab group further comprises:

identifying, by the at least one processor, a tab group identical to the identified context of the URL from among a plurality of tab groups; and

classifying, by the at least one processor, the new tab to the identified tab group.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assigning of the tab to the first main tab group is based on the identified browsing context, a tracking of changes to an order of placement of a plurality of tabs included in the first main tab group, and identified navigation information, by a user, of sites entered on the browser.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the displaying of the first main tab group to a user further comprises displaying a plurality of tabs included in the first main tab group, and

wherein the displaying of the plurality of tabs comprises displaying the plurality of tabs based on individual priorities of the plurality of tabs included in the first main tab group.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input on the at least one of the text; and

displaying a tab included in the first main tab group.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying of the at least one of the text or the thumbnail image comprises:

dividing a window of the browser into at least two windows including a first window for displaying content of a tab and a second window for displaying the text; and

displaying the text on the second window.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

assigning, by the at least one processor, a second set of the plurality of tabs to a second main tab group having a second main context based on the identifying of the plurality of browsing contexts, wherein a subject of the second main context is semantically broader than subjects of each of the second set of the plurality of tabs,

wherein the identifying of each of the topics is not based on browsing contexts of the second set of the plurality of tabs of the second main tab group.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a subject of the at least one web site is semantically related to a subject of the first main context of the first main tab group.

11. An electronic device for tab management in a browser, the electronic device comprising:

a display; and

at least one processor configured to;

manage a plurality of tabs that are open in the browser,

identify a plurality of browsing contexts for a plurality of tabs that are opened in the browser, wherein a browsing context includes a subject of content included in a tab,

assign a first set of the plurality of tabs to a first main tab group having a first main context based on the identification of the plurality of browsing contexts, wherein a subject of the first main context is semantically broader than subjects of each of the first set of the plurality of tabs,

assign at least two tabs, which are included in the first main tab group, to a sub-tab group having a sub-context based on the identification of the plurality of browsing contexts,

control the display to display a user interface and a text indicating the first main context of the first main tab group,

in response to selection of the user interface to the sub-tab group, control the display to display a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the at least two tabs of the sub-tab group, and

identify each of topics in the first set of the plurality of tabs based on a semantic analysis of content included in the first set of the plurality of tabs of the first main tab group,

identify at least one web site based on a relationship between each of the topics, and

display at least one web site related to the browsing context or the main context.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

navigate to a first web page corresponding to a hyperlink in second web page, via a navigation tracking module of the at least one processor;

identify the browsing context based on the navigation; and

determine that a first tab displaying the first web page and a second tab displaying the second web page have an identical browsing context.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a user input for opening a new tab;

identify a context of a uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to the new tab;

identify the browsing context based on the identified context of the URL;

identify a tab group identical to the identified context of the URL from among a plurality of tab groups; and

classify the new tab to the identified tab group.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

divide a window of the browser into at least two windows including a first window for displaying content of at least one tab and a second window for displaying the at least one of the text; and

display the text on the second window.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

display the plurality of tabs included in the first main tab group; and

display the plurality of tabs based on individual priorities of the plurality of tabs.