Tab order mapping of user interfaces

US8166414B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Brian J. Cragun · Rochester, US
• Barnaby L. Court · Morrisville, US
• Andrew L. Hanson · Rochester, US
• Roland A. Merrick · Evesham, GB
• Timothy J. O'Keefe · Rochester, US
• Elizabeth A. Schreiber · Cary, US
• David Blake Styles · Cary, US
• Brian O. Wood · Rochester, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 25, 2008
• Grant date: Apr 24, 2012
• Expiry date: Jan 8, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F9/451
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An approach is provided to display a common display page on a variety of display devices using the item's tab order property to determine the display order. Controls that are displayed on a display device typically have a tab order. When a window that has controls is displayed, the cursor is typically placed at the control with the lowest (i.e., first) tab order. When the user presses the tab key, the cursor moves to the control corresponding to the next lowest tab order. This allows the designer to design a single window (or panel) that is displayed differently on constrained devices. However, even though the window is displayed differently, using tab order mapping maintains a consistent visible proximity between controls despite the type of display device being used by the user.