Fast-path location and selection of hypertext links

摘要

An apparatus and method allow a web user to select a web page, then quickly and efficiently locate and select any hypertext link on the web page. A web user simply navigates to a web page and scrolls through the web page using the slider 414 on a scroll bar 412. As the web user scrolls through the page, each link 418 that appears on screen is displayed in one of several predefined colors with no two adjacent links being displayed in the same color. When a given hypertext link is within the range 710, of the slider it becomes the current or active link and the slider changes to a color which corresponds to the color of the link. The color change provides a visual cue to the user that the link can now be selected. In addition, when the slider changes color, a link display 730 on the menu bar of the web browser may be used to display the title of the link as indicated by an HTML tag in the web page. As long as the slider remains the color corresponding to the link and the link display shows the title of the link, the user can select the link by simply pressing the right button of the mouse or using some other selection method.