Seamless grid and canvas integration in a spreadsheet application
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of managing data in an electronic spreadsheet, comprising:
- causing display of an electronic document wherein the electronic document is a grid-structured spreadsheet in which data is arranged in one or more cells of a grid;
causing display of a data object in the grid-structured spreadsheet, the data object positioned in one or more other cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet;
receiving a pulling of the data object out of the grid-structured spreadsheet such that the pulled data object is removed from the one or more other cells in which it is positioned;
depositing the pulled data object such that the pulled data object is cause to be displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet, the pulled data object is not positioned in the one or more other cells, and the deposited pulled data object when displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet may be moved freely on the grid-structured spreadsheet without being positioned in any cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; and
updating the pulled data object while displayed as freely moveable, based on one or more of the following;
direct editing of a component of the pulled data object by a user;
recalculation of the spreadsheet while maintaining computational functions associated with the pulled data object, wherein each data item of the pulled data object may be mapped back to the data item from which it was extracted; and
adjustment of a formula within the grid-structured spreadsheet, wherein the formula provides a computational function associated with the pulled data object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Seamless grid and canvas integration in a spreadsheet application is provided. One or more data items may be pulled from a grid-structured spreadsheet and may be allowed to “float” on the grid-structure spreadsheet without regard to the underlying grid. The floating object may be pushed or inserted back into the grid of the same or different spreadsheet at any location. A pulled data object also may be dropped onto a grid-less canvas user interface object and may be moved about on the canvas object in a free form manner. References between data and computations in the moved data object are structured and maintained so that the data object may be manipulated and increased/decreased without adversely affecting the underlying grid and such that both data and computational references between the data object and the underlying grid are maintained.
324 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of managing data in an electronic spreadsheet, comprising:
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causing display of an electronic document wherein the electronic document is a grid-structured spreadsheet in which data is arranged in one or more cells of a grid; causing display of a data object in the grid-structured spreadsheet, the data object positioned in one or more other cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; receiving a pulling of the data object out of the grid-structured spreadsheet such that the pulled data object is removed from the one or more other cells in which it is positioned; depositing the pulled data object such that the pulled data object is cause to be displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet, the pulled data object is not positioned in the one or more other cells, and the deposited pulled data object when displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet may be moved freely on the grid-structured spreadsheet without being positioned in any cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; and updating the pulled data object while displayed as freely moveable, based on one or more of the following; direct editing of a component of the pulled data object by a user; recalculation of the spreadsheet while maintaining computational functions associated with the pulled data object, wherein each data item of the pulled data object may be mapped back to the data item from which it was extracted; and adjustment of a formula within the grid-structured spreadsheet, wherein the formula provides a computational function associated with the pulled data object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer-implemented method of utilizing spreadsheet objects in an electronic canvas, comprising:
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displaying an electronic document wherein the electronic document is a grid-structured spreadsheet in which data is arranged in one or more cells of a grid; displaying a data object in the grid-structured spreadsheet, the data object positioned in one or more other cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; receiving a pulling of the data object out of the grid-structured spreadsheet such that the pulled data object is removed from the one or more other cells in which it is positioned; depositing the pulled data object such that the pulled data object is displayed on a canvas-like user interface, and the pulled data object may be moved freely on the canvas-like user interface; and updating the pulled data object while displayed as freely moveable, based on one or more of the following; direct editing of a component of the pulled object by a user; recalculation of the spreadsheet while maintaining computational functions associated with the pulled data object, wherein each data item of the pulled data object may be mapped back to the data item from which it was extracted; and adjustment of a formula within the grid-structured spreadsheet, wherein the formula provides a computational function associated with the pulled data object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for managing data in an electronic spreadsheet, comprising:
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one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more processors operable to; display an electronic document wherein the electronic document is a grid-structured spreadsheet in which data is arranged in one or more cells of a grid; display a data object in the grid-structured spreadsheet, the data object positioned in one or more other cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; receive a pulling of the data object out of the grid-structured spreadsheet such that the pulled data object is removed from the one or more other cells in which it is positioned; deposit the pulled data object such that the pulled data object is displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet, the pulled data object is not positioned in the one or more other cells, and the deposited pulled data object when displayed on top of the grid-structured spreadsheet may be moved freely on the grid-structured spreadsheet without being positioned in any cells of the grid-structured spreadsheet; update the pulled data object while displayed as freely moveable, based on one or more of the following; direct editing of a component of the pulled data object by a user; recalculation of the spreadsheet while maintaining computational functions associated with the pulled data object, wherein each data item of the pulled data object may be mapped back to the data item from which it was extracted; and adjustment of a formula within the grid-structured spreadsheet, wherein the formula provides a computational function associated with the pulled data object; and create a structured reference between any data items or computational functions in or associated with the pulled data object and corresponding data items or computational functions in or associated with the grid-structured spreadsheet such that relationships between data items or computational functions in or associated with the pulled data object and corresponding data items or computational functions in or associated with the grid-structured spreadsheet are maintained after the data object is pulled from the grid-structured spreadsheet.
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Specification