Browser Tab Screenshot Tooltip for Source Link Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tabbed web browsers fail to clearly identify the link in a parent tab that was used to create a new child tab, leading to user confusion and difficulty in tracking the source webpage.

Innovation Solution

A method that captures a screenshot of the parent webpage when a new tab is created, highlights the clicked link, and saves it as a tooltip attribute, allowing users to easily backtrack to the parent tab and reopen the parent webpage if needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple new tabs are created from a parent tab by clicking links, then the user can access multiple webpages efficiently, but the user cannot easily identify which link in the parent tab created each new tab

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of accessing multiple webpagesVSAvoidloss of information about the source link

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by capturing a screenshot of the parent webpage and highlighting the clicked link at the moment the new tab is created. This preliminary capture of visual information ensures that the source link information is preserved before the user navigates away, allowing them to later identify which link created each tab by viewing the tooltip.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the tab title is used to identify the new tab, then the tab can be clearly labeled, but the tab title differs from the link name making it difficult to trace back to the source

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclarity of tab identificationVSAvoidloss of link name information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of relying on the tab title alone, the system creates a visual copy of the parent webpage screenshot that includes the highlighted link. This visual copy preserves the exact appearance and context of the source link, allowing users to accurately identify the origin of each new tab without confusion from differing tab titles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Device complexity

If no visual reminder is provided, then the interface remains simple, but the user cannot backtrack to the parent webpage efficiently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of the interfaceVSAvoidtime to locate source webpage

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a tooltip as an intermediary element that displays the screenshot of the parent webpage with the highlighted link. This tooltip serves as a bridge between the new tab and its source, providing visual reminder information without permanently cluttering the interface. Users can quickly view the source information by hovering over the tab and efficiently navigate back by clicking the screenshot.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10725625B2Displaying webpage information of parent tab associated with new child tab on graphical user interface

Publication Date: 2020.07.28 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A method and system. In response to receiving a click on a first link included in a parent webpage being displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) on which a parent tab associated with the parent webpage is displayed: a new tab corresponding to the first link is created, the new tab is displayed on the GUI, the parent webpage is replaced by a new webpage associated with the first link, and a screenshot of the parent webpage is generated and saved to a tooltip attribute of the new tab. A cursor of a pointing device hovering above the new tab is detected. The screenshot is retrieved from the tooltip attribute and persistently displayed on the GUI. During displaying the screenshot and with the hovering above the new tab no longer occurring, a click on the screenshot is received and in response, the parent webpage in the GUI is reopened.