Representation of people in a spreadsheet

• US 10,191,898 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, John, Knight, Mark, Comertoglu, Can
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US15/637,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A spreadsheet includes a native spreadsheet object that represents a person. The person object may be used within a spreadsheet just as any other spreadsheet objects are utilized. For example, the person object may be integrated with spreadsheet formulas and other spreadsheet objects such as charts, tables, pivot tables, sheets, and the like. Spreadsheet formulas may perform operations specific to a person object (e.g. send message, get contact information, get status, get other person specific information, sort, and the like). Common actions may be associated with the person object, such as initiating communication with the person represented by the person object (e.g. phone call, email, text message, collaboration invite, and the like). Social networking information may also be associated with a person object. For example, social networking posts may be included within a spreadsheet, a user may post to a social network from the spreadsheet, and the like.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processing unit cause the computer system to perform a method for representing a person within a spreadsheet, the method comprising;

determining that a spreadsheet operation involves a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action, wherein the spreadsheet operation treats the person object in a same manner as one or more native spreadsheet objects of the spreadsheet, and wherein the person object is acted upon in a same manner as the one or more native spreadsheet objects; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configuring a view of the spreadsheet based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises filtering or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action associated with the person represented by the person object.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the person object comprises a graphical representation of the person.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the person object comprises a graphical status indicator that indicates an availability of the person, and wherein the graphical status indicator is configured to change a color or a shape of the graphical representation of the person based on a change in the availability of the person.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a data object in the spreadsheet is associated with the person object;

identifying a rule that is defined based on a data category of the data object; and

performing one or more spreadsheet operations involving the person object based at least in part on the rule.

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of fields of the person object comprises one or more of:

a field for a social network to which the person belongs;

a field for organization information comprising one or more of;

a company and a manager;

a field for one or more of;

a birth date and an interest; and

a field identifying a location of the person.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein performing the spreadsheet operation involving the person object comprises displaying a post from a social network within the spreadsheet that is associated with the person represented by the person object.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the person object is associated with a formula;

and

in response to a condition specified by the formula, performing an action on the person object.

9. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a post is made to a social network that is related to the person object within the spreadsheet; and

displaying the post within the spreadsheet.

10. A computer-implemented method for representing a person within a spreadsheet, the method comprising:

determining that a spreadsheet operation involves a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action, wherein the spreadsheet operation treats the person object in a same manner as one or more native spreadsheet objects, and wherein the person object is acted upon in a same manner as the one or more native spreadsheet objects; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configuring a view of the spreadsheet based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises filtering or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action associated with the person represented by the person object.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the person object comprises a graphical representation of the person.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the person object comprises a graphical status indicator that indicates an availability of the person, and wherein the graphical status indicator is configured to change a color or a shape of the graphical representation of the person based on a change in the availability of the person.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fields of the person object comprises one or more of:

a field for a social network to which the person belongs;

a field for organization information comprising one or more of;

a company and a manager;

a field for one or more of;

a birth date and an interest; and

a field identifying a location of the person.

15. A computer storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processing unit cause the processing unit to:

determine that a spreadsheet operation involves a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action, wherein the spreadsheet operation treats the person object in a same manner as one or more native spreadsheet objects, and wherein the person object is acted upon in a same manner as the one or more native spreadsheet objects; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configure a spreadsheet view based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises filtering or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action associated with the person represented by the person object.