Determining a location for placing data in a spreadsheet based on a location of the data source

• US 20050097447A1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pradhan, Salil, Serra, Bill, Drudis, Antoni
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Data from a data source is received. A location in a spreadsheet is determined for placing at least a portion of the data from the data source based on location information for the data source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from a data source; and

determining a location in a spreadsheet for placing at least a portion of the data based on location information for the data source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

calculating, as a function of time, a value associated with the at least a portion of the data from the data source; and

transmitting the value to a spreadsheet program for display in the spreadsheet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least a portion of the data from the data source to control a device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the location information for the data source, wherein the location information is associated with a physical location of the data source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the at least a portion of the data and the location in the spreadsheet to a spreadsheet program, wherein the spreadsheet program is operable to display the at least a portion of the data at the location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a total from the at least a portion of the data from the data source and at least a portion of data from at least one other data source physically located proximate the data source; and

determining a location in the spreadsheet for placing the total based on one or more of the location information for the data source and location information for the at least one other data source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location in a spreadsheet based on the location information for the data source comprises mapping the location information for the data source to a predetermined location in the spreadsheet.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a view to be displayed in the spreadsheet;

determining whether the at least a portion of the data from the data source is in the view; and

transmitting the at least a portion of the data and the location in the spreadsheet to a spreadsheet program in response to the at least a portion of the data being in the view, wherein the spreadsheet program is operable to display the at least a portion of the data at the location.

9. A method of using a spreadsheet to display information at locations in the spreadsheet associated with the origin of the information, the method comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of sensors;

determining locations in the spreadsheet associated with locations of the plurality of sensors such that one or more of at least a portion of the data from each of the plurality of sensors and a value is operable to be displayed in one or more of the locations in the spreadsheet, wherein the value is calculated from at least some of the data from the plurality of sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating, as a function of time, the value; and

the step of determining locations in the spreadsheet comprises determining a location in the spreadsheet to display the value based on the location of at least one of the plurality of sensors.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling a device based on the value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining locations in the spreadsheet comprises:

selecting cells in the spreadsheet to display at least one of the at least a portion of the data and the value.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the at least a portion of the data and the determined locations to a spreadsheet program, wherein the spreadsheet program is operable to display the at least a portion of the data in the determined locations.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dividing an area into a plurality of sections, the plurality of sensors being located in the area;

receiving a selection of a view including at least one of the plurality of sections;

determining whether any of the plurality of sensors are located in the at least one of the plurality of sections; and

transmitting data from the plurality of sensors located in the at least one of the plurality of sections and the determined locations for the plurality of sensors located in the at least one of the plurality of sections to a spreadsheet program operable to display the data from the plurality of sensors located in the at least one of the plurality of sections at the determined locations.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating a total from the data from at least some of the sensors located in the at least one of the plurality of sections; and

transmitting the total to a spreadsheet program operable to display the total at one of the determined locations associated with the at least some of the sensors.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining locations in the spreadsheet comprises mapping the locations of the plurality of sensors to predetermined locations in the spreadsheet.

17. A system comprising:

a plurality of data sources; and

a computing platform operable to determine locations in a spreadsheet associated with locations of the plurality of data sources to display at the determined locations in the spreadsheet at least one of the data from the plurality of sensors and a value calculated from the data from one or more of the plurality of sensors.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing platform is operable to calculate the value as a function of time.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising at least one other spreadsheet operable to use data contained in the spreadsheet to perform a mathematical function.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising at least one device controlled by the computing platform based on the data from one or more of the plurality of data sources.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising a configuration repository storing the data from the plurality of data sources and the locations in the spreadsheet for placing the data from the plurality of data sources, wherein the computing platform is operable to retrieve the locations in the spreadsheet from the configuration repository to determine where to place the data from the plurality of data sources in the spreadsheet.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of data sources comprise a plurality of sensors.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of sensors in a data center and the computing platform is operable to facilitate the placement of the data from the plurality of the sensors in the locations in the spreadsheet associated with locations of the plurality sensors in the data center.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing platform is operable to facilitate the generation of different views of the sensors in the data center, the different views being provided in the spreadsheet.

25. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data from a plurality of sensors;

means for determining locations in a spreadsheet associated with locations of the plurality of sensors such that one or more at least a portion of the data from each of the plurality of sensors and a value calculated from the data from one or more of the plurality of sensors is operable to be displayed in one or more of the locations in the spreadsheet.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising means for calculating as a function of time the value.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for controlling a device based on the calculated value.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising storage means for storing the data from the sensors and the locations in the spreadsheet, wherein the means for determining the locations in the spreadsheet is operable to retrieve the locations in the spreadsheet from the storage means based on the locations of the plurality of sensors.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for receiving user selections associated with a view to be displayed in the spreadsheet, the view including at least one of the data from one or more of the plurality of sensors and the value.

30. A computer readable medium on which is embedded a program, the program performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving data from a data source; and

determining a location in a spreadsheet for placing at least a portion of the data based on location information for the data source.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating, as a function of time, a value associated with the at least a portion of the data from the data source; and

transmitting the value to a spreadsheet program for display in the spreadsheet.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises the at least a portion of the data to control a device.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises determining the location information for the data source, wherein the location information is associated with a physical location of the data source.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the at least a portion of the data and the location in the spreadsheet to a spreadsheet program, wherein the spreadsheet program is operable to display the at least a portion of the data at the location.