Natural input for spreadsheet actions

• US 10,732,825 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, John, Lin, Amy, Waldman, Lawrence, Der, Sherman, Cheng, Karen, Doan, Christopher, Constantine, Thomas, Rothschiller, Chad, Ma, Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US15/637,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Different gestures and actions are used to interact with spreadsheets. The gestures are used in manipulating the spreadsheet and performing other actions in the spreadsheet. For example, gestures may be used to move within the spreadsheet, select data, filter, sort, drill down/up, zoom, split rows/columns, perform undo/redo actions, and the like. Sensors that are associated with a device may also be used in interacting with spreadsheets. For example, an accelerometer may be used for moving and performing operations within the spreadsheet.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with a spreadsheet, comprising:

receiving an indication to change a view of the spreadsheet, wherein the indication includes an indication to perform an operation including one or more of;

a zoom out operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving a touch input device in a first direction, and

a zoom in operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a second direction, and

wherein the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation slow at one or more predetermined locations within the spreadsheet, wherein the one or more predetermined locations are automatically prepositioned within the spreadsheet based at least in part on an arrangement of data within the spreadsheet; and

updating a display of the spreadsheet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication to change the view of the spreadsheet is a gesture received on the touch input device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gesture comprises one of:

a karate chop gesture,

a chart gesture,

a comment gesture,

a grip gesture,

a gesture within a gesture box, and

a sort gesture.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a different operation is performed based on the gesture.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the different operation comprises one of:

in response to receiving the karate chop gesture on the spreadsheet, inserting at least one of a row and a column in the spreadsheet near a location of the karate chop gesture;

in response to receiving the chart gesture, inserting at least one of;

a trend line on a displayed chart in the spreadsheet and a chart in the spreadsheet;

in response to receiving the comment gesture, displaying a comment box to receive a comment at a location near a received gesture location;

in response to receiving the gesture within the gesture box, determining a gesture command from the gesture and performing the gesture command on the data within the spreadsheet; and

in response to receiving the sort gesture, sorting at least a portion of data within the spreadsheet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein performing a gesture command further comprises:

displaying a vortex animation in response to a cut command or in response to a paste command.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sensor information, wherein the sensor information comprises accelerometer data used to change the view of the spreadsheet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accelerometer data is used to perform one or more of the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to performing the zoom out operation, displaying a thumbnail for each sheet within a workbook associated with the spreadsheet when a zoom level exceeds a threshold.

10. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computer system to;

receive an indication to change a view of a spreadsheet, wherein the indication includes an indication to perform an operation including one or more of;

a zoom out operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving a touch input device in a first direction, and

a zoom in operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a second direction,

wherein the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation slow at one or more predetermined locations within the spreadsheet, wherein the one or more predetermined locations are automatically prepositioned within the spreadsheet based at least in part on an arrangement of data within the spreadsheet; and

update a display of the spreadsheet.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the indication to change the view of the spreadsheet is the gesture received on a touch input device.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein a different operation is performed based on the gesture.

13. The computer system of claim 10, the computer-executable instructions further causing the computer system to:

receive sensor information, wherein the sensor information comprises accelerometer data used to change the view of the spreadsheet.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the accelerometer data is used to perform one or more of the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation.

15. The computer system of claim 10, the computer-executable instructions further causing the computer system to:

in response to performing the zoom out operation, display a thumbnail for each sheet within a workbook associated with the spreadsheet when a zoom level exceeds a threshold.

16. A computer storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive an indication to change a view of a spreadsheet, wherein the indication includes an indication to perform an operation including one or more of;

a zoom out operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving a touch input device in a first direction, and

a zoom in operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a second direction,

wherein the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation slow at one or more predetermined locations within the spreadsheet, wherein the one or more predetermined locations are automatically prepositioned within the spreadsheet based at least in part on an arrangement of data within the spreadsheet; and

update a display of the spreadsheet.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the indication to change the view of the spreadsheet is a gesture received on the touch input device.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein a different operation is performed based on the gesture.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, the computer-executable instructions further causing the processor to:

receive sensor information, wherein the sensor information comprises accelerometer data used to change the view of the spreadsheet.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein the accelerometer data is used to perform one or more of the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation.