Grouped tab document interface

• US 8,881,032 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Arnaud Claude, Ainslie, Alex Neely, Shah, Roma Rajni, Murphy, Glen, Trainor, David Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US13/314,137
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for grouping web page viewing windows in a web browser are provided. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a request to open a web page viewing window within a web browser that has multiple previously opened web page viewing windows. The method also includes automatically grouping each tab indicator associated with a subset of the web page viewing windows into a group based on an amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows. Systems, graphical user interfaces, and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for grouping web page viewing windows in a web browser, the method comprising:

receiving a request to open a web page viewing window within a web browser that has multiple previously opened web page viewing windows; and

automatically grouping each tab indicator associated with a subset of the web page viewing windows into a group based on an amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows,

wherein the group of tab indicators is represented as a plurality of tab indicators in a stack displayed on at least one of a leftmost side or a right most side of a tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators, wherein at least a portion of at least two tab indicators is visible in the stack, wherein one of the plurality of tab indicators appears on top of another of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack, and wherein an order of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack is changeable by a user providing a long input selection of at least one tab indicator in the plurality of tab indicators in the stack,

wherein each tab indicator associated with the subset of the web page viewing windows is automatically grouped into the stack based on a remaining amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows, and

wherein the group of tab indicators excludes a tab indicator associated with the opened web page viewing window.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a stack of tab indicators is displayed on both the leftmost side and a rightmost side of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ungrouping tab indicators for the subset of web page viewing windows based on an input from a user; and

grouping tab indicators for another subset web page viewing windows in response to the ungrouping of the tab indicators for the subset of the web page viewing windows.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein a display of each of the ungrouped tab indicators is proportional to the remaining ungrouped tab indicators based on an amount of display space of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the input from the user comprises a selection of a tab indicator, in a first position on the tab bar, from a stack of tab indicators, and a release of the tab indicator in substantially the same position as the first position on the tab bar.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the input from the user comprises a dragging motion of a tab indicator from a first position near one side of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators to the other side of the tab bar.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the tab indicator is from a stack of tab indicators.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein when the dragging motion of the tab indicator from the one side of the tab bar is released prior to the tab indicator from the one side of the tab bar reaching the other side of the tab bar, the tab indicator returns to the first position.

9. A system for grouping web page viewing windows in a web browser, the system comprising:

a memory for storing instructions to group web page viewing windows; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive a request to open a web page viewing window within a web browser that has multiple previously opened web page viewing windows; and

automatically group each tab indicator associated with a subset of the web page viewing windows into a stack of tab indicators based on an amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows,

wherein the stack of tab indicators is represented by a plurality of tab indicators displayed on at least one of a leftmost side or a right most side of a tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators, wherein at least a portion of at least two tab indicators is visible in the stack, wherein one of the plurality of tab indicators appears on top of another of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack, and wherein an order of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack is changeable by a user providing a long input selection of at least one tab indicator in the plurality of tab indicators in the stack,

wherein each tab indicator associated with the subset of the web page viewing windows is automatically grouped into the stack based on a remaining amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows, and

wherein the group of tab indicators excludes a tab indicator associated with the opened web page.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

ungroup tab indicators for the subset of web page viewing windows based on an input from a user; and

group tab indicators for another subset web page viewing windows in response to the ungrouping of the tab indicators for the subset of the web page viewing windows.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to display each of the ungrouped tab indicators proportional to the remaining ungrouped tab indicators based on an amount of display space of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the input from the user comprises a selection of a tab indicator, in a first position on the tab bar, from a stack of tab indicators, and a release of the tab indicator in substantially the same position as the first position on the tab bar.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the input from the user comprises a dragging motion of a tab indicator from a first position near one side of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators to the other side of the tab bar.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the tab indicator is from a stack of tab indicators.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein when the dragging motion of the tab indicator from the one side of the tab bar is released prior to the tab indicator from the one side of the tab bar reaching the other side of the tab bar, the tab indicator returns to the first position.

16. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a display device configured by the processor to display a tab bar comprising multiple tab indicators, each tab indicator associated with a web page viewing window,

wherein, when a request is received to open a web page viewing window within a web browser that has multiple previously opened web page viewing windows, a tab indicator associated with each of a subset of the web page viewing windows is automatically grouped into a stack of tab indicators based on an amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows, and

wherein the stack of tab indicators is represented by a plurality of tab indicators displayed on at least one of a leftmost side or a right most side of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators, wherein at least a portion of at least two tab indicators is visible in the stack, wherein one of the plurality of tab indicators appears on top of another of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack, and wherein an order of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack is changeable by a user providing a long input selection of at least one tab indicator in the plurality of tab indicators in the stack,

wherein each tab indicator associated with the subset of the web page viewing windows is automatically grouped into the stack based on a remaining amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows, and

wherein the group of tab indicators excludes a tab indicator associated with the opened web page.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for grouping web page viewing windows in a web browser, comprising:

receiving a request to open a web page viewing window within a web browser that has multiple previously opened web page viewing windows; and

automatically grouping each tab indicator associated with a subset of the web page viewing windows into a stack of tab indicators displayed in a tab bar based on an amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows,

wherein the stack of tab indicators is represented by a plurality of tab indicators displayed on at least one of a leftmost side or a right most side of the tab bar comprising each of the tab indicators, wherein at least a portion of at least two tab indicators is visible in the stack, wherein one of the plurality of tab indicators appears on top of another of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack, and wherein an order of the plurality of tab indicators in the stack is changeable by a user providing a long input selection of at least one tab indicator in the plurality of tab indicators in the stack,

wherein each tab indicator associated with the subset of the web page viewing windows is automatically grouped into the stack based on a remaining amount of viewable display space within the web browser to display each tab indicator associated with each of the web page viewing windows, and

wherein the group of tab indicators excludes a tab indicator associated with the opened web page.