WEB BROWSER HAVING USER-CONFIGURABLE ADDRESS BAR BUTTON

• US 20140033080A1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Liang, Tong, Chee Chen, Lakhani, Amin, Xu, Yun, Meza, Ricardo, Morris, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A web browser has a user interface that includes a content rendering area within the web browser user interface and a control layout area adjacent the content rendering area. The control layout area includes a user-selectable icon that is always available to the user in the control layout area and which is user-configurable. For example, the user-configurable icon may be configured with one of two pre-defined functions. In one illustrative implementation the two pre-defined functions may be a tabs function and a favorites function.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement a web browser comprising:

a web browser user interface;

a content rendering area within the web browser user interface; and

a control layout area adjacent the content rendering area, wherein the control layout area includes a user-selectable icon that is always available to the user in the control layout area, said user-selectable icon having a function that is user-configurable.

2. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 in which the user-configurable function is selectable from among two available functions.

3. The computer-readable storage media of claim 2 in which one of the functions includes a tab function.

4. The computer-readable storage media of claim 2 in which one of the functions includes a favorites function.

5. The computer-readable storage media of claim 2 in which the two available functions include a tab function and a favorites function.

6. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 in which the control layout area further includes a navigation icon.

7. The computer-readable storage media of claim 6 in which the navigation icon includes an input field.

8. The computer-readable storage media of claim 7 in which the input field is an address bar.

9. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 in which the web browser is a mobile web browser executable on a mobile device.

10. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 In which the web browser user interface includes a menu icon that includes a plurality of user-selectable options, one of the user-selectable options providing one of the two available functions that is not selected by the user.

11. A computer system in which a web browser is implemented, the computer system comprising:

a computer processor programmed to execute a process comprising;

rendering a web browser user interface;

detecting a user initiated event selecting a function for a user-selectable icon that is always available to the user in a control layout area of the web browser user interface; and

responsive to the user initiated event, assigning the selected function to the user-selectable icon.

12. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising changing an appearance of the user-selectable icon to reflect the selected function.

13. The computer system of claim 11 in which the function of the user- configurable icon is selectable from among two available functions.

14. The computer system of claim 13 in which one of the functions includes a tab function.

15. The computer system of claim 14 in which one of the functions includes a favorites function.

16. The computer system of claim 13 in which the two available functions include a tab function and a favorites function.

17. The computer system of claim 11 in which the web browser user interface includes a menu icon that includes a plurality of user-selectable options, one of the user-selectable options providing one of the two available functions that is not selected by the user.

18. A method for changing a function assigned to an icon presented as part of a web browser user interface, comprising

rendering on a display a web browser user interface, the web browser user interface including a user-selectable icon that is always available on the display, the user-selectable icon having a predefined function;

detecting a user initiated event requesting that the predefined function of the user-selectable icon be changed to a second function;

responsive to the user initiated event, assigning the second function to the user-selectable icon.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the predefined function and the second function include a tab function and a favorites function, respectively.

19. The method of claim 19 in which the web browser user interface includes a menu icon that includes a plurality of user-selectable options, one of said options being the second function and further comprising automatically changing said option from the second function to the predefined function when the second function is assigned to the user-selectable icon.