Patents Examined by Tionna Smith
  • Patent number: 7752536
    Abstract: For standalone spreadsheet applications and/or Web-based spreadsheet services, the ability to designate, discover and set parameters for spreadsheet documents is provided. When creating a spreadsheet document, the ability to designate certain cells or ranges of cells as parameters to a spreadsheet is enabled. Furthermore, whether viewed in a standalone spreadsheet application or via a Web service, the ability to discover these parameters through the user interface or object model is provided. The ability to set or change these parameters one at a time or in bulk and drive the changes into the calculation model is also provided. Accordingly, whether viewed in a standalone spreadsheet application or via a Web rendering service, the effect of the parameters entered by the user can be calculated and viewed at once. The ability to suspend recalculation of a workbook until all relevant values, such as a current set of parameters, are obtained is also enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eran Megiddo, Daniel Y. Parish, Daniel Battagin, Robert L. Archer, Amarinder Singh Grewal, Justin Frederick Rockwood, Sean Boon
  • Patent number: 7743327
    Abstract: In a method for identifying a table of contents in a document (10), text fragments are extracted (12) from the document. There are identified (20, 30, 34, 38): (i) a substantially contiguous group of text fragments as table of content entries and (ii) a different group of text fragments as linked text fragments linked with corresponding table of content entries. During the identifying, a number of text fragments that are candidates for identification as linked text fragments is reduced based on at least one reduction criterion (130). The identified table of contents entries and linked text fragments (110) are validated based on at least one validation criterion (162) related to distribution of the linked text fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Meunier, Hervé Déjean
  • Patent number: 7743318
    Abstract: The embodiments contemplate a system and method for the application of concurrent edits to the same version of a text. The concurrent edits may occur simultaneously or near simultaneously through collaborative editing schemes, where more than one user, processor, or agent applies edits to the version of the text. The application of the concurrent edits includes modifying or transforming the edits to account for changes made to the version of the text and applying the modified edits to the most recent version of the text. As edits may change the positioning of the text, an evaluation of the changes in the positioning of the text may be part of the modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Randy S. Kimmerly, Vijaye G. Raji
  • Patent number: 7739589
    Abstract: A method for extending markup supported by a browser can include a step of identifying a browser that presents information written in a markup language. An extender can be identified that includes at least one extension to the markup language that the browser does not normally support. The extender can be loaded resulting in the markup language supported by the browser being extended to include the extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brien H. Muschett, Wendi L. Nusbickel
  • Patent number: 7721205
    Abstract: A graphical object is generated according to a first application in a document of a second application. The graphical object is constructed as a composite, data-driven object. The graphical object's data is organized so that the semantic data (e.g., relationship among individuals on an organizational chart) is persisted separately from presentation data (e.g., the layout and style of shapes and connectors for visualizing the organizational chart). The semantic data and presentation data are combined to provide the rendered view of the graphical object within the document. The graphical object displays and functions equivalently to when the graphical object is rendered by the first application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ashley L. Morgan, Barn-Wan Li, Ke-Cheng Huang, Michael Kim, Sissie Ling-le, Robert L. C. Parker, Amit Kumar
  • Patent number: 7716574
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing direct style sheet editing. The disclosed systems and methods may include selecting a first target rule for a next formatting operation. The selected first target rule may include a modified property and may be selected from a plurality of target rules. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include enabling property changes to occur in a most specific target rule in the plurality of target rules. The most specific target rule may contain the modified property. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods may include providing a highlighting mechanism configured to allow a user to see which regions of a page are to be affected by the selected first target rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel P. Chartier, Benjamin C. Constable, Sam Spencer, Hessan Tchaitchian
  • Patent number: 7694221
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a piece of content is selected from among at least two pieces of content in response to a request to return content. The selection is based on an evaluation of current state data against the properties/characteristics of the content. For example, the state data may define a currently available size; each piece of content has associated size properties (e.g., height and width ranges) that can be matched in the selection process. In a layout system, a parent container may request content from a child container that is associated with the selection process. The selection process may, for example, evaluate the child's pieces of content in an evaluation order, with the first appropriate matching piece of content selected. If no content matches, a default piece of content, or a code that indicates that no content is to be shown, is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Filipe Fortes
  • Patent number: 7681117
    Abstract: A computer-readable medium has computer-executable instructions for generating a user interface on a display device, the user interface includes a grid having a plurality of cells. The user interface also includes a visual affordance presented on the grid and visually connected to one of the plurality of cells, the visual affordance exposing properties of the one of the plurality of cells to which it is visually connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Karl E. Tolgu, Michael K. Forney
  • Patent number: 7657827
    Abstract: A workflow container defines boundaries within which a user interface appears on a page. The workflow container may change what is displayed on the user interface based on a current state of the workflow. Each workflow container maintains an independent association with a workflow that drives the user interface. The workflow is associated with the workflow container at a control level such that multiple workflows may be independently executed on the same page concurrently or separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andres M. Sanabria, Nikhil Kothari, Michael J. Harder
  • Patent number: 7644359
    Abstract: A parts marking system has memory for storing data indicative of at least one algorithm associated with at least one object material and logic configured to display the at least one algorithm to a display device and receive a user input for at least one part in response to the displayed algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: The Force, Inc.
    Inventor: Nancy Regan
  • Patent number: 7634717
    Abstract: Generally described, embodiments of the present invention relate to applying and evaluating an unlimited number of conditional formatting rules to a given range of cells. Additionally, multiple conditional formatting rules may be evaluated to TRUE for the same cell contained in a user interface and multiple formats applied to that cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin C Chamberlain, Bruce Cordell Jones, Christopher M Street, Eric B Vigesaa
  • Patent number: 7627819
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and method for viewing electronic documents. Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, includes an electronic viewer application to display contents of an electronic document; and a visual indicator logic configured to display at least one visual indicator on the electronic display, each visual indicator indicating a portion of the contents that are to be subsequently displayed on the electronic display in response to a navigation command. Other systems and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: James Carlton Bedingfield, Sr.
  • Patent number: 7627812
    Abstract: Variable formatting for cells in computer spreadsheets, tables, and other documents is provided. For a selected range of cells, cell formats vary with the value in each cell (or an associated value). Formats can include color-scale backgrounds, in-cell elements (e.g., icons and data bars), and other cell formats that can be varied with a value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Chamberlain, Bruce C. Jones, Christopher M. Street, David F. Gainer, Eric B. Vigesaa
  • Patent number: 7624343
    Abstract: A text formatting system includes a set of rules that are each configured to be applied to perform a text formatting adjustment. An engine is configured to process an input to make a determination as to which rules in the set should be applied so as to carry out a text formatting adjustment on the input. The engine is further configured to process the input without checking every rule in said set for applicability to every component of said input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sergey Malkin, Antonio Vargas Garcia