Microsoft Fills a Patent for an Enhanced Tabbed Browsing

Some time ago, Microsoft has filed a patent, designed to improve tabbed browsing functionality, which might be revealed in the upcoming Internet Explorer 9 release.

Abstract (as from uspto.gov):
The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed to a method for managing and selecting one out of large set of open tabs in a tabbed browser. Browsing software is configured to provide a quick pick user-interface that visually displays the content of the several tabs, such as a by displaying a thumbnail for each tab. The thumbnails allow a user to easily distinguish between each opened tab.

The browsing software may also be configured to recognize a user selection from within the quick pick user-interface and in response, switch back to a tabbed window view and display the selected tab in that view. The browsing software may adjust the tab row so that the selected tab is positioned in a favorable position within the tab row. In addition, within the quick pick user-interface, the user may reposition the thumbnails and/or close the thumbnails, thus affecting the associated tab in the tab row.

Mr. Manan has listed some of the patent features:

• Drag and move the tabs within the Quick Tabs interface.
• Tab thumbnails would enlarge on mouse-hover.
• In case your tab row was over flowing with tabs and in Quick Tabs you were to hover the mouse on a tab not currently visible on the tab bar, the overflow icons would change appearance.

[digg-reddit-me]