PaidContent: Microsoft Patents Tabbing Through A Web Page:

The U.S. Patent Office granted Microsoft a patent on tabbed browsing, a concept Microsoft claimed as its own seven years ago in a 1997 application. Just about all browsers today enable a feature that allows readers to tab through links without having to click on them. The WayBackMachine site will likely get a workout in the coming weeks, as browser development teams seek to find prior art.