Images associated with cells in spreadsheets

• US 10,713,428 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, John, Otero, Carlos Augusto, Canton, Christian, Sully, John David, Radakovitz, Samuel C., Fichtner, Matthew Hart, Rampson, Benjamin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): McIntosh, Andrew T
• Application Number:
  US15/199,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 : Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 : Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 : Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

Systems and methods for associated one or more images with one or more cells of a spreadsheet are described. As described, a plurality of images may be associated with a single cell or a single image may be associated with a range of cells. Additionally, an image and additional data may be associated with the same cell. Upon associating an image with a cell, various parameters of the image may be displayed for viewing and/or customization by a user. Additionally, sort and/or filter operations may be performed on the spreadsheet based on the various parameters of associated images and/or operations (e.g., fit and/or resize operations) may be performed on various parameters of associated images. An associated image may move with a cell when the cell is reordered within the cell table, or an associated image may be allowed to float over the grid but may be referenced by a cell.

Claims

1. A method for associating a plurality of images with at least one cell of a spreadsheet, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of images with a single cell of a spreadsheet;

causing display of a first image of the plurality of images within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a first time;

transitioning to display of a second image of the plurality of images within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a second time, wherein the transitioning is based on a timer;

causing display of a user interface that provides a plurality of controls for manipulating the plurality of images; and

in response to receiving a user selection, spilling each of the plurality of images into a different cell of a range of cells of the spreadsheet, wherein the range of cells does not include the single cell.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

surfacing one or more parameters for the first image of the plurality of images in the user interface in response to at least one of;

hovering over the first image;

right-clicking the first image; and

launching a user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the plurality of images with the single cell comprises embedding the plurality of images into the single cell.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

drawing at least the first image in the same pixelated space within the spreadsheet as the single cell.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving one or more parameters for the first image of the plurality of images; and

performing an operation on the single cell based at least in part on the one or more parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying each of the plurality of images in the single cell based on the timer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least the first image as background for a range of cells of the spreadsheet at a third time.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit, cause a computing device to:

associate a plurality of images with a single cell of a spreadsheet;

cause display of a first image of the plurality of images in the single cell of the spreadsheet at a first time;

transition display to a second image of the plurality of images in the single cell of the spreadsheet at a second time;

cause display of a user interface (UI) element that provides one or more controls for manipulating the plurality of images; and

in response to receiving a user selection, spill each of the plurality of images into a different cell of a range of cells of the spreadsheet, wherein the range of cells does not include the single cell.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the UI element further comprises at least one of:

a control for adding an image to the plurality of images;

a control for deleting an image from the plurality of images; and

a control for editing one or more of the plurality of images.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the computer executable instructions further causing the computing device to:

display each of the plurality of images in the single cell based on a timer.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the UI element further comprises:

a spill control for spilling the plurality of images into the range of cells of the spreadsheet.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the UI element further comprises:

a control for playing the plurality of images as a slideshow.

13. A method for associating a plurality of images with at least one cell of a spreadsheet, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of images with a single cell of a spreadsheet;

causing display of a first image of the plurality of images as background fill within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a first time;

automatically transitioning to display of a second image of the plurality of images as background fill within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a second time in response to a timer;

causing display of a user interface (UI) element that provides one or more controls for manipulating the plurality of images; and

in response to receiving a user selection, spilling each of the plurality of images into a different cell of a range of cells of the spreadsheet, wherein the range of cells does not include the single cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a reference to the first image is one of:

a globally unique name; and

a uniform resource locator.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing an operation on the single cell; and

performing one of;

moving the first image with the single cell; and

not moving the first image when the single cell is moved.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the operation is a sort operation.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the operation is a filter operation.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the first image by one of:

pasting the first image into the single cell;

dropping the first image into the single cell;

retrieving the first image from storage based on a file locator; and

inserting the first image into the single cell.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the UI element further comprises at least one of:

a control for adding an image to the plurality of images;

a control for deleting an image from the plurality of images; and

a control for editing one or more of the plurality of images.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the UI element further comprises:

a control for playing the plurality of images as a slideshow.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to at least one of the one or more processors, the memory comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method comprising;

associating a plurality of images with a single cell of a spreadsheet;

causing display of a first image of the plurality of images within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a first time;

’

transitioning to display of a second image of the plurality of images within the single cell of the spreadsheet at a second time, wherein the transitioning is based on a timer;

causing display of a user interface that provides a plurality of controls for manipulating the plurality of images; and

in response to receiving a user selection, spilling each of the plurality of images into a different cell of a range of cells of the spreadsheet, wherein the range of cells does not include the single cell.