Spreadsheet Patents (Class 715/212)
  • Publication number: 20150019947
    Abstract: Tools and techniques for providing multi-client collaboration to access and update structured data elements are disclosed. Client systems may present user interfaces that provide libraries of published data elements that are available for collaboration. The clients may request selected data elements, while referencing unique identifiers associated with the selected data elements. Those clients that publish data elements for collaboration by others may present user interfaces that provide representations of candidate structured data elements, and receive selections of those data elements chosen for publication. The publishing clients may then send the selected data elements for publication. The client systems may interact with servers or collaboration services, which may receive structured data elements that the clients have published for access by others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Robert G. Hawking
  • Publication number: 20150007007
    Abstract: A method for discovering relationships in tabular data is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A set of documents is received, a document in the set including the tabular data. A cell in the tabular data is selected whose dependencies are to be determined. A hypothesis to use in conjunction with the cell is selected. Whether the hypothesis applies to a selected portion of the document is tested by determining whether a conclusion in the hypothesis can be computed using a function specified in the hypothesis on the selected portion. The selected portion can be a selected cell-range in the tabular data or content in a non-tabular portion of the document. The hypothesis is utilized to describe the cell relative to the selected portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: DONNA Karen BYRON, Scott N. Gerard, Alexander Pikovsky, Matthew B. Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8924842
    Abstract: In one embodiment, during a design mode an editing interface is provided, the interface including a plurality of cells arranged in a layout. An instruction is received to cause binding of a widget to a first cell, and data is received at the first cell. During a production mode, a view of the document is displayed. The first cell is updated to reference changed data when it is detected that data within the widget is changed via user input at the widget. The widget is updated to reference changed data when it is detected that data within the first cell has changed for a reason other than user input at the widget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ronald Lee Heiney, Byron S. Pruitt, Matthew F. Ryavec, Anastasiya Aleksandrovna Zdzitavetskaya
  • Patent number: 8922579
    Abstract: A VCI (visual context indicator) color is assigned deterministically and proactively at runtime to user data contexts, and is not stored in the database, spreadsheet, or other context. VCI colors can be high contrast friendly colors. The same color is assigned to a given context each time the application runs unless the context's identifying property has changed. Color assignments are not made by users or by the application's designer, but are done instead by hashing from a context's identifying property into a VCI color palette containing, e.g., eight to sixteen colors. Unlike text-selection coloring, VCI coloring is based on the user data context's identifying property. The color assignment visually indicates context by displaying the context's name in the VCI color, or by displaying a graphical element in the VCI color near the context name. VCI color assignment also shows the occurrence and result of changes in user data context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zheng Mi, Nigel Christopher Wolters, Hua Wang, Jennifer Lee Beckmann, Joseph Dallas Milan, Steven Merlin Twitchell
  • Publication number: 20140380139
    Abstract: Technologies are generally provided for providing an embedded experience through integrating a spreadsheet application with a customer relationship management (CRM) application to enable bi-directional functionality such that access to at least some of the functionality and data of the CRM application may be provided through the spreadsheet application, and spreadsheet application functionality for manipulating CRM application data may be provided within the CRM application. A spreadsheet application may be opened within the CRM application and columns and fields may be customized, columns may be sorted, new columns and fields may be created, data may be changed, and calculations may be performed automatically employing native spreadsheet capabilities to analyze CRM data. Similarly, an external spreadsheet application may be automatically populated with synchronized CRM data, and data manipulated in the spreadsheet application may be continuously updated at the CRM application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Ron Mondri, Madan Natu
  • Publication number: 20140372851
    Abstract: Conversion of data ranges to table objects in an electronic spreadsheet document is provided. When an electronic spreadsheet document is being utilized, data ranges may be automatically converted to tables to allow the user to enjoy the full benefits of the table properties and functionalities. When a data range is automatically converted to a table object, a user will be given an opportunity to revert the table object back to the data range from which it was converted. Instead of automatic conversion, a suggestion may be provided to a user before a data range is converted to a table object. If the user accepts the suggestion, then the data range may be automatically converted to a table object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Allison Jane Rutherford, Uhl Albert, John Campbell, Aaron Lamar Wilson
  • Publication number: 20140372853
    Abstract: Systems, methods and user interfaces are provided for displaying spread product market data and statistics. Market data may be arranged in a matrix and statistical information is inserted in the matrix in available space. In some cases, a computer system may receive market data for a plurality of spread products, receive and/or compute statistical information for the plurality of spread products, and generate a user interface screen that includes the market data for the plurality of spread products and the statistical information associated with the plurality of spread products, where the market data and the statistical information are arranged in a matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: James David Russell Barry
  • Publication number: 20140372852
    Abstract: Dynamic collaborative presence information is provided. A plurality of users may access a document concurrently. Presence information associated with each of the users may be communicated to a server, collected, and communicated to a client application running on each user's client device. The client application may dynamically show where other users are editing a cell or a range of cells to help avoid collisions of edits in the document. Various interface elements may be provided for indicating presence and for indicating whether a single user or multiple users have selected or are editing the cell or range of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Chad Rothschiller, Tarek Hefny, Paul Louis Berruti, JR., Micah Myerscough
  • Publication number: 20140372850
    Abstract: A spreadsheet storytelling engine is provided. The spreadsheet storytelling engine may run in the context of a spreadsheet application on any device, service, or general endpoint capable of running the spreadsheet application. The spreadsheet storytelling engine allows for the authoring and telling of a story. The story is a collection of operations that guide the consumer through a spreadsheet. The story allows the spreadsheet to be used to convey visualizations, data, calculations, or other objects in a spreadsheet in a way that may be simple, pleasant to look at, and/or visually engaging to help a consumer understand the information and internalize it in a way that is actionable without requiring the real time availability of the spreadsheet author. The spreadsheet storytelling engine is useful for purposes including, but not limited to, making presentations, creating tutorials, validating data, explaining how a model works, and generating interactive business intelligence dashboards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: John Campbell, Eric Patterson, Uhl Albert, Carlos Augusto Otero, Micah Myerscough
  • Patent number: 8914717
    Abstract: Generally described, embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to utilize dynamic thresholds and dynamic threshold values when generating variable formatting rules to be applied to a range of cells. Dynamic thresholds include, but are not limited to, “Highest Value,” “Middle Value,” “Lowest Value,” “Number,” “Percent,” “Percentile,” and “Formula.” When using a dynamic threshold, dynamic threshold values are determined based on values contained in a selected range of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Chamberlain, Bruce Cordell Jones, Christopher M. Street, Eric B. Vigesaa
  • Publication number: 20140359417
    Abstract: Generally described, embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to graphically modulating structured data, in a spreadsheet application and other applications, by applying any kind of cell formatting properties or design features to a given cell. Graphical modulation is determined based on formulae characteristics. In embodiments of the present invention, formula characteristics include various types of formula contained in a given cell. Formula types include, but are not limited to the following formula types, “workbook linked formula”, “sheet linked formula”, “cell linked formula”, “sensitivity formula”, “array formula”, “retrieving formula”, “calculative formula”, “computed input formula”, and “input formula”. In other embodiments of the present invention, formula characteristics include calculation complexity levels in formula contained in a given cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: OMER BAR-ON
  • Patent number: 8904340
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a solution for reducing cycle time of automatically created spreadsheets. Specifically, an embodiment of the present invention provides a way to create a spreadsheet from data that is in a native format more quickly and/or efficiently. To do so, the invention accesses a control file using optimized settings to create the spreadsheet. Then, after creation of the spreadsheet, the invention uses a second control file having the final settings to modify the spreadsheet in preparation for output. The invention may use agents to perform all or a portion of these activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott D. Hicks, James A. Martin, Jr., Douglas G. Murray
  • Patent number: 8892990
    Abstract: An Image Based Document Management (IBDM) server includes a table generator, a query engine and a user interface engine. The table generator generates a table that includes a label image and at least one field image in a column. The label image represents a column header for the at least one field image. A query engine receives requests to modify the table and in response generates queries to query the table. A user interface engine provides the table for display and modifies the table in response to user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: John W. Barrus
  • Patent number: 8868557
    Abstract: A received reply email document enables some action to be effectuated using data included in the email document responsive to field identifiers associated with the data and corresponding to fields of metadata. The associated field identifiers that correspond to known fields of the metadata provide some expectation as to the semantic meaning and/or syntactic constraints of the data to which the field identifiers are associated. In a described implementation, an actionable email documents module creates an email document having blocks that are mapped to fields of metadata. The email document is transmitted to one or more recipients. Each recipient adds data to the blocks so that the data becomes mapped to the fields of the metadata. The recipients return a reply email document having the field-mapped data. Upon receipt, the module can effectuate some action using the field-mapped data responsive to the mappings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Suraj T Poozhiyil, Richard Shawn McDowell, Jason A Bould, Cyrus R Balsara, Mark H. Lucovsky
  • Patent number: 8868486
    Abstract: A time-sensitive cube data system is disclosed in which time-sensitive and/or time-series data objects are output in response to a user's operations on a time-sensitive OLAP cube. The time-sensitive and/or time-series data objects output by the time-sensitive cube data system may be displayed to the user in any way that may be advantageous to the user's understanding. The time-series objects output by the time-sensitive cube data system are more helpful than a single snapshot, as a user is able to see data trends over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Palantir Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Juan Tamayo
  • Patent number: 8869020
    Abstract: A method and system are described that may generate and process relational spreadsheets, for example, for database entities such as objects. An example method may include generating a relational spreadsheet page including relational spreadsheet entries indicating one or more hierarchical relationships among a plurality of database entities associated with a database based on a relational graph indicating relational relationships among the database entities and based on information associated with a plurality of objects. The method may include displaying the relational spreadsheet page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventor: Rakshit Daga
  • Patent number: 8862979
    Abstract: Tools and techniques for providing multi-client collaboration to access and update structured data elements are disclosed. Client systems may present user interfaces that provide libraries of published data elements that are available for collaboration. The clients may request selected data elements, while referencing unique identifiers associated with the selected data elements. Those clients that publish data elements for collaboration by others may present user interfaces that provide representations of candidate structured data elements, and receive selections of those data elements chosen for publication. The publishing clients may then send the selected data elements for publication. The client systems may interact with servers or collaboration services, which may receive structured data elements that the clients have published for access by others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Robert G Hawking
  • Patent number: 8856284
    Abstract: Generally, systems, methods and media for processing a spreadsheet for storage in a database are disclosed. Embodiments may include a method for processing records of a spreadsheet by receiving a request to process a spreadsheet having a plurality of records for storage in a database. Embodiments may also include accessing a configuration file associated with the spreadsheet and, for each record of the spreadsheet, creating a new business object and populating the new business object based on the record and the configuration file associated with the spreadsheet. Embodiments may also include passing each new business object to a back-end business component for processing. The configuration file may include a name of a business object associated with a record of the spreadsheet, metadata for one or more columns of the spreadsheet, and/or a name of a back-end business component associated with the spreadsheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricardo N Olivieri, Mark B Whelan
  • Patent number: 8850303
    Abstract: The present invention is an interface system for interactively building rules and constraints. The interface system comprises of an output display configured to show a user a partial complete rule with a current rule fragment, such rule fragment comprising a blank space. The user can fill in the blank space by either choosing from a list or by typing in text in the blank space. After the blank space is filled, a completed rule is generated. The interface system then assigns this rule to one or more person in a resource scheduling system. The present invention can be used for agent scheduling in a call center environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Verint Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany D. Boehmer, Gal Josefsberg, Gary Todd Aoki
  • Publication number: 20140289600
    Abstract: A method and system for entry of data into content of cells belonging to an output field. Entered into cells of a multidimensional table located within a header record in the table are: input field labels respectively corresponding to input fields in the table entered into a respective unique cell within the header record; and an output label corresponding to the output field entered into a specifically unique cell within the header record and expressed as a mathematical expression of input field labels. The mathematical expressions are translated into the cell address of the cell containing each input field label and then pasted in each cell of the output field. The cell address of the cell containing each input field label is replaced in the pasted mathematical expression by the corresponding cell address of each input field in the same record that contains each cell of the output field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Frederic Bauchot
  • Publication number: 20140281868
    Abstract: Semantic zoom based navigation may be used to navigate content, such as content related to spreadsheets. Different gestures (e.g. pinch/stretch, pan, swipe) may be used while navigating the content. For example, while viewing data from a particular sheet in a workbook a pinch gesture may be received that changes the displayed content to a thumbnail view showing thumbnails that each represent a different sheet within the workbook. A gesture may also be received to change a view of an object. For example, a user may perform a stretch gesture near an object (e.g. a chart, graph, . . . ) that changes the current view to a view showing underlying data for the object. A user may also perform a gesture (e.g. a stretch gesture) on a portion of a displayed object that changes the current view to a view showing the underlying data for a specific portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Vogel, Avijit Sinha, Olivier Destrebecq, Sayim Kim, Robert Strong, Ronald Di Sandro, William Vong
  • Publication number: 20140281867
    Abstract: A tweak and view mode may be used by a user to see an effect of a proposed change to a document before the change is committed to the document. The application may automatically navigate to different portions of the document and/or display different sections of the document. Instead of the user having to search for the portion of the document affected by the change, the changed portions are determined for the user. The portions may be automatically displayed to the user and/or the user may determine when to move to each different portion that changed as a result of the proposed change. The proposed change may be accepted/rejected by the user. For example, a User Interface (UI) element may be selected by the user to either accept the change or reject the change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Vogel, Avijit Sinha, Olivier Destrebecq
  • Patent number: 8839089
    Abstract: A multi-dimensional data reporting system presents a data report based on a data model, creates a callout report model based on a cell in the data report, and presents an instance of the callout report model in a callout interface. In one implementation of the multi-dimensional data reporting system, upon receiving a callout control associated with selected cell of the data report, the system retrieves the multi-dimensional data associated with the selected cell, builds the callout report model based on the retrieved multi-dimensional data, and presents an instance of the callout report model in a callout interface. In one implementation, the callout interface provides the capability to change the type and the dimensionality of the instance of the callout report model in the callout interface. The callout interface also allows inserting the instance into the data report and to update the data report based on the instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Wade Clark Dorrell
  • Patent number: 8832588
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for displaying a context-inclusive magnification area. In one aspect, a method can include receiving input indicating a user preference for magnification of content. Content that corresponds to the preference can be identified. One or more contextual content elements that are not adjacent to the selected content in the user interface and that are determined to provide context to the selected content can be identified. A magnification area on the user interface of the computing device that includes at least the selected graphical content and the one or more contextual content elements can be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: MicroStrategy Incorporated
    Inventors: Dan Kerzner, Joël Lebrun, Benjamin Reyes
  • Patent number: 8832547
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments described herein provide an apparatus and method for managing navigation in a table. The process identifies a first location of a current cell in a first dimension using a cell identifier associated with the current cell in response to receiving a keyboard input to the current cell. The process identifies a second location of the current cell in a second dimension using the cell identifier. The process also identifies a location of the current cell in the table using the first location and the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Becky Jean Gibson
  • Patent number: 8826113
    Abstract: Graphical tools and primitives are provided for interactively intersecting graphical surfaces in a spreadsheet or visualization to produce surface intersection data. The invention can be used for simple business analysis as well as advanced engineering and science, and provide numerical solution for simultaneous spatially-manipulated interactive equations. Visualizations of two-dimensional surfaces are rendered from provided data according to position, orientation, and viewpoint, some or all of which can be controlled by a user interface so as to create or control the intersection of surfaces. The provided data can be from an electronic spreadsheet, and the overall visualization can be displayed together with the display an electronic spreadsheet or other tabular data representation. Visually rendered surfaces can comprise symbols, colors, textures, or glyphs representing data, and virtual illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8826112
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are provided for navigating a display of a table in a computer application that includes enabling a context sensitive action menu, detecting activation of the action menu in the displayed table, and executing a table display control instruction from the context sensitive action menu to reformat and redisplay the table in a collapsed or an expanded format around one or more selected cells of the table. The display instruction indicates which columns, etc. are to be reformatted. Further steps may include populating an array with data from corresponding cells of the table and executing an array display control instruction to display at least a portion of the array on an action menu display panel. Navigation tools provide selection of array elements and reformatting and redisplaying the table in the collapsed or the expanded format around a table cell corresponding to the selected array cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David K. Clark, Mary W. Ferguson, Julie L. Gilbreath, Theodore J. Shrader
  • Patent number: 8826114
    Abstract: Graphical tools and primitives are provided for interactively intersecting at least one graphical surface and curve in a spreadsheet or visualization to produce intersection data. Applications include simple business analysis as well as advanced engineering and science, and provide numerical solution for simultaneous spatially-manipulated interactive equations. Visualizations of two-dimensional surfaces are rendered from provided data according to position, orientation, and viewpoint, some or all of which can be controlled by a user interface so as to create or control the intersection of surfaces. The provided data can be from an electronic spreadsheet, and the overall visualization can be displayed together with the display an electronic spreadsheet or other tabular data representation. Visually rendered surfaces can comprise symbols, colors, textures, or glyphs representing data, and virtual illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20140245118
    Abstract: A received reply email document enables some action to be effectuated using data included in the email document responsive to field identifiers associated with the data and corresponding to fields of metadata. The associated field identifiers that correspond to known fields of the metadata provide some expectation as to the semantic meaning and/or syntactic constraints of the data to which the field identifiers are associated. In a described implementation, an actionable email documents module creates an email document having blocks that are mapped to fields of metadata. The email document is transmitted to one or more recipients. Each recipient adds data to the blocks so that the data becomes mapped to the fields of the metadata. The recipients return a reply email document having the field-mapped data. Upon receipt, the module can effectuate some action using the field-mapped data responsive to the mappings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Suraj T. Poozhiyil, Richard Shawn McDowell, Jason A. Bould, Cyrus R. Balsara, Mark H. Lucovsky
  • Patent number: 8812947
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system, method and computer readable medium to generate graphical visualizations corresponding to a data set populated in a web-based document, such as a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is accessible in an interne or cloud-based system, and enables users to automatically create graphical visualizations or representations based on recommendations by a spreadsheet application. The graphical visualizations may be automatically ranked such that the system provides the recommendations to the user for display. Automatic ranking is accomplished, for example, by determining data types from identifying column type, differentiating column types, and extracting data sets having attributes corresponding to various graphical visualizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Hillel Maoz, Daniel Libicki, Michael Fink, Ronald Ho, Dennis Julian Lee, Yossi Matias, Amit Weinstein, Yoah Bar David, Itai Raz
  • Patent number: 8812950
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include the creation of spreadsheet software services. In one embodiment, the features and functionality of a spreadsheet may be transformed into a software service, such as a web service, for example. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of generating a software service comprising analyzing a spreadsheet to extract an output schema corresponding to at least a portion of the spreadsheet, generating a software service interface description comprising the output schema and the description of the output data, wherein the software service interface is accessible over a network, and accessing the functionality of the spreadsheet using the software service interface description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Vishal Sikka, Shai Agassi
  • Patent number: 8806321
    Abstract: A user interface uses histogram equalization to allow easier manipulation and visualization of a data set, especially data sets having values that are not distributed uniformly. The user interface can show values of a data set in different colors or shades of colors, or a combination of these, or in grayscale. Additionally, values can also be represented according to a size or area relative to other values. A user may change views of the data by adjusting controls of the interface including slider bars, dials, tool bars, button bars, and others, and combinations of these.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan Helfman
  • Publication number: 20140223276
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for visually indicating relationships among cells in a spreadsheet. Each of a first graphical linking element extending between cells in a first branch of a dependency tree of a root cell and a second graphical linking element extending between cells in a second branch of the dependency tree of the root cell is independently displayed and hidden.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: MICHAEL D. CHAVOUSTIE, ANDREW EBERBACH, TREVOR L. MONTGOMERY, JOSHUA M. WOODS
  • Patent number: 8799760
    Abstract: A system and method for assisting a user to enter data are provided. The method includes detecting a user's selection of a moveable input zone on each of one or more input documents displayed on the user's screen and detecting a user's selection of a moveable target zone on a target document displayed on the user's screen. Data in the input zone(s) and the target zone is captured for one or more locations of the respective zones and a pattern is learned automatically for filling additional data in the target document based on the captured data. A fill arrangement for filling the additional data in the target document based on the learned pattern is generated, which can be presented to the user for validation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Denys Proux, Claude Roux
  • Patent number: 8793566
    Abstract: A system and method for scheduling, managing and reporting usage of two or more training facilities by two or more grade levels xl of instruction with two or more classifications of instruction defining typical student experience and hours including user defined multi-criteria queries, using a computer and a spreadsheet with single cell data entry and specified formulas to generate particular scheduling, tracking and reporting of facilities scheduled and educational hours' completed with infinite levels of classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit
    Inventor: Carole M. Brletic
  • Patent number: 8782511
    Abstract: Lines drawn on a touch screen with an inputting window opened are recognized as ruled lines which are parallel with a row or column of a spreadsheet, and a square formed by the ruled lines is set to a cell in the spreadsheet when the square is formed. Consequently, it is possible to create the spreadsheet when a user of a computer simply draws a line with a fingertip or the like over the touch screen, and furthermore, it is also possible to input a value to the cell by specifying the square part drawn with the lines to carry out an operation for inputting data. Thus, there is provided a spreadsheet creating interface which makes the most of a visibility and an operability of the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ubiquitous Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Ryo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8782508
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for data entry into the content of cells belonging to an output field, said data being expressed as a mathematical expression of the cell contents of at least one input field in a data multidimensional table used by a data management application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Frederic Bauchot
  • Patent number: 8782509
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a table graphics management method and apparatus. The table graphics management method includes: displaying a table on a display apparatus; detecting a control track for the table input by an input device; determining a moving direction of the control track according to the detected control track; and along the moving direction of the control track, transposing original information in the frames of the row that are sequentially arranged along the first dimension into the frames of the column that are sequentially arranged along the second dimension, and transposing original information in the frames of the column that are sequentially arranged along the second dimension into the frames of the row that are sequentially arranged along the first dimension, so as to acquire a transposed table; and displaying a transposed table on the display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wenfang Tang
  • Publication number: 20140195887
    Abstract: The present invention comprises methods and user interfaces for organizing data displayed within a data application. Specifically, the present invention provides methods and systems for arranging the display of the data by a format applied to one or more portions of the data. The formats comprise different visual characteristics of the displayed data. In exemplary embodiments, the data application organizes the data by the fill color of the cell, the font color of the data within the cell, or the type of icon inserted into the cell. The organizations comprise any type of rearrangement of the data. In exemplary embodiments, the data application sorts or filters the displayed data according to the format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charles D. Ellis, David F. Gainer, Samuel C. Radakovitz, Yonghong Zeng, Dave McDonald
  • Patent number: 8775921
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer products that create, update, save, and propagate customized views of table and grid information, including spreadsheets. The embodiment of the invention comprises associating at least one column as a first view of the table, associating at least one column as a second view of the table; and combining the first view with the second view, thereby efficiently creating a third view. Further, the combining includes dragging the second view; and dropping the dragged second view into the first view. The combining also includes creating a thumbnail image representing the first view or the second view. It also comprises updating columns that are shared between views. Additionally, the views may be stored, and new views may be propagated from the stored views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Friedrich, Alexander Daniel Robinson, Kathy J. Setzer
  • Publication number: 20140189483
    Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for providing, on a server-based computing device, a spreadsheet viewer facility configured to render a spreadsheet document created by a spreadsheet application as an actively rendered spreadsheet document in a client spreadsheet viewer running on a client computing device without the use of the spreadsheet application running on the client computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Intralinks, Inc.
    Inventors: Wasif Qayyum Awan, Mushegh Hakhinian
  • Publication number: 20140189482
    Abstract: A method is provide for manipulating a table comprising a plurality of cells, at least one row header and at least one column header. Input events representing a pointer contacting an interactive surface are received. An ink annotation is displayed on the interactive surface in response to the input events. It is determined that the ink annotation corresponds with an ink gesture by comparing the ink annotation with a plurality of predefined ink gestures. The ink annotation is deleted and one or more commands associated with the ink gesture are executed. A system configured to implement the method and a computer readable medium storing instructions to implement the method are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Doug B. Hill
  • Publication number: 20140173400
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are disclosed for dynamically generating functions. The systems and techniques may be utilized to access and display information from a data store accessible to a spreadsheet-based application or program over a network. A web service is also provided that interprets data requests received from the spreadsheet-based application or program in one format, such as a natural language format, and translates the requests into syntactically correct functions with parameters for automatic execution by the spreadsheet-based application or program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: THOMSON REUTERS GLOBAL RESOURCES
    Inventors: Frederic Mingot, Pauline Lateyron-Solignac, Biljana Janicijevic, Nicolas Schilt
  • Publication number: 20140173401
    Abstract: A data management system operating within a third-party spreadsheet application environment includes a plurality of template worksheets within the third-party spreadsheet application. The plurality of template worksheets comprise at least a dashboard interface worksheet, and at least one settings interface, generated by at least one processor, comprising at least one worksheet within the third-party spreadsheet application. The at least one settings interface further comprising a plurality of selectable settings options configured to modify at least one parameter of the dashboard interface worksheet, wherein the dashboard interface worksheet comprises a plurality of selectable dashboard options comprising at least one of the following: a choose columns to display option, an insert contact option, a delete contact option, a sort ascending option, a sort descending option, a hide averages option, a hide totals option, an import contacts option, an export contacts option, and/or a clear sorting option.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: David A. Oshlag, Justin R. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20140164895
    Abstract: A method and computing device for managing models. The method and computing device receive a spreadsheet model, receive template management instructions on how to manage evaluations, create, from the spreadsheet model and the template management instructions, a model template, and deploy, in response to user action, an instance of the model template into a model relationship structure relating one or more spreadsheet model instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Inventors: David E. MATHESON, Somik RAHA
  • Publication number: 20140157098
    Abstract: By means of this system, the interaction among spreadsheets is completely integrated within the Spreadsheet Management System whereas it does not require the usage of other tools supporting the communication over a network such as web browsers, mailers, and file transfer clients. The interaction is implemented by the Enabling Platform, integrated within the Spreadsheet Management System, and by the Service Platform, located on a computing system that can be reached over the Internet or on a different private network making the Service Platform's intervention not visible to users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventor: Massimo Maresca
  • Patent number: 8745482
    Abstract: The present invention comprises methods and user interfaces for organizing data displayed within a data application. Specifically, the present invention provides methods and systems for arranging the display of the data by a format applied to one or more portions of the data. The formats comprise different visual characteristics of the displayed data. In exemplary embodiments, the data application organizes the data by the fill color of the cell, the font color of the data within the cell, or the type of icon inserted into the cell. The organizations comprise any type of rearrangement of the data. In exemplary embodiments, the data application sorts or filters the displayed data according to the format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charles D. Ellis, David F. Gainer, Samuel C. Radakovitz, Yonghong Zeng, Dave McDonald
  • Patent number: 8744821
    Abstract: A spreadsheet environment is used as a graphical user interface (GUI) for depicting and interacting with the various aspects of a system. In particular, the spreadsheet environment supports using OMG SysML to model a system, and to execute tasks associated with the systems engineering process. The spreadsheet environment also supports the use of pre-defined templates whose contents and features are common to a multiplicity of projects that a company or company unit may undertake, and which can be made specific or modified based on a project's needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Xldyn, LLC
    Inventor: Kong Ping Oh
  • Patent number: 8745483
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for visually indicating relationships among cells in a spreadsheet. Each of a first graphical linking element extending between cells in a first branch of a dependency tree of a root cell and a second graphical linking element extending between cells in a second branch of the dependency tree of the root cell is independently displayed and hidden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Chavoustie, Andrew M. Eberbach, Trevor L. Montgomery, Joshua M. Woods
  • Publication number: 20140149836
    Abstract: Dashboard files such as dashboard structure files and spreadsheet files are converted into text-based, language-independent data interchange format files (such as JSON files) to allow dashboards to be rendered using varying web technologies such as HTML5 and JavaScript. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Jason Bedard, Viren Kumar