Discoverability and navigation of hyperlinks via tabs

• US 20040210830A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Christopher R., Cote, Joseph Paul-Emile Pierre, Cordell, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/501.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking

Abstract

A user may discover and navigate among hyperlinks through the use of a keyboard. For example, a user may press a tab key to discover and navigate to a first hyperlink that is part of a hypertext document. The first hyperlink is, in response, given focus and a focus shape is drawn around the text or graphics for the hot region of the hyperlink. If the user again presses the tab key, the next hyperlink is given focus and a focus shape (i.e., an outline that surrounds the next hyperlink) is drawn around the next hyperlink. A user may also tab to a placeholder for an image in order to make a decision whether the image should be downloaded or not.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a server for downloading a hypertext document to a client computer system having a display device and a keyboard, a method comprising:

(a) when a hypertext document is downloaded, displaying the hypertext document with a placeholder associated with each image in the hypertext document that is not yet downloaded; and

(b) in response to selecting the placeholder by actuating the keyboard, not downloading an image associated with the placeholder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an actuation of a tab key on the keyboard causes a cursor to tab to the placeholder associated with the not yet downloaded image.

3. In a computer system having a server for downloading a hypertext document to a client computer system having a display device and a keyboard, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

(a) when a hypertext document is downloaded, displaying the hypertext document with a placeholder associated with each image in the hypertext document that is not yet downloaded; and

(b) in response to selecting the placeholder by actuating the keyboard, not downloading an image associated with the placeholder.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the actuation of a tab key on the keyboard causes a cursor to tab to the placeholder associated with the not yet downloaded image.