Hewlett-packard Company

Jayson M Webb

Evelyn L Williams

Mark S Anspach

Lawrence M Besaw

Robert Lovejoy Raymond

Shane Douglas Meyer

Contextual information that is presented to the user of a windows-based computer environment through the user interface of a single open window of the environment may be readily filtered and changed by appropriate manipulation by the user of a context control feature of the user interface. Manipulation of the context control feature allows the user to look at a given set of objects or tasks from different views or perspectives. It also provides the user with access to a different set of objects, thereby allowing the user to look at a different set of objects or tasks from the same view or perspective as an earlier set of objects or tasks.

User interface mechanism for manipulating context in computer management applications

A user interface mechanism of a single window in a windows-based computer environment, called a navigation tab, allows a user of the window to preserve and then to quickly re-access various locations within the window at some future time if the locations have been designated 'keep accessible' locations. When the user navigates to a new location within the same application or a new application, a label of the navigation tab changes to show the new location. Until the user or application designates a location 'keep accessible,' the number of navigation tabs of the windows does not increase and the label of the existing navigation tab is replaced. If a location is designated as one to which the user wishes to return (i.e. 'keep accessible'), a visual cue is presented in the label of the navigation tab to indicate that it is to be kept accessible. When the user navigates from this 'keep accessible' location to a new location, a new replaceable navigation tab for the new location will appear within the window. Any number of navigation tabs may be used within the window.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Jayson M Webb