CODELESS SHARING OF SPREADSHEET OBJECTS

• US 20120151378A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Parish, Daniel, Battagin, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A user interface that when selected triggers the automatic sharing of a spreadsheet object in a spreadsheet with a chosen network service (e.g. social network, blog, or some other network location). For example, cells, tables, charts and other objects of the spreadsheet may be selected to be shared using the user interface. When a spreadsheet object is selected and indicated to be shared using the user interface, the spreadsheet is automatically saved to a network share, permissions are set for the spreadsheet to share the spreadsheet object, and the spreadsheet object is shared with the network service. Changes made to the spreadsheet after the spreadsheet object is shared are reflected in the spreadsheet object on the network service.

Claims

1. A method for sharing a spreadsheet object that is contained within a spreadsheet to a network service, comprising:

selecting the spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet to share on the network service;

wherein the spreadsheet object is selected on a first computing device;

automatically saving the spreadsheet object from the first computing device to a network share, wherein the network share is at a different location from the first computing device and the network service;

creating a connection to the spreadsheet object from the network service to the network share; and

sharing the spreadsheet object with the network service;

wherein the selected spreadsheet object can be interacted with and viewed through the network service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when a change is made to the spreadsheet that affects the spreadsheet object after the spreadsheet object is shared with the network service and automatically updating the spreadsheet object on the network service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service is a social network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service is at least one of a blog and an Internet site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet to share on the network service comprises displaying a user interface comprising a sharing option that when selected automatically shares the spreadsheet object to the network service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting permissions to restrict viewing to only the selected spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet on the network service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the spreadsheet object to the network service comprises at least one of:

embedding a link to the shared spreadsheet object;

embedding a representation of the shared spreadsheet object within a page of the network service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network share further comprises an online service that is configured to interact with spreadsheets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an entire spreadsheet workbook that contains the spreadsheet object is saved to the network share.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for sharing a spreadsheet object that is contained within a spreadsheet to a network service, comprising:

selecting the spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet to share on the network service;

wherein the spreadsheet object is selected on a first computing device;

displaying a user interface comprising a sharing option that when selected automatically shares the selected spreadsheet object to the network service;

automatically saving the spreadsheet object from the first computing device to a network share, wherein the network share is at a different location from the first computing device and the network service;

creating a connection to the spreadsheet object from the network service to the network share; and

sharing the spreadsheet object with the network service;

wherein the selected spreadsheet object can be interacted with and viewed through the network service.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising determining when a change is made to the spreadsheet that affects the spreadsheet object after the spreadsheet object is shared with the network service and automatically updating the spreadsheet object on the network service.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the network service is at least one of:

a blog, a social network, and an Internet site.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the user interface is a context menu that is presented near the selected spreadsheet object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising automatically setting permissions to restrict viewing to only the selected spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet on the network service.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein sharing the spreadsheet object to the network service comprises at least one of:

embedding a link to the shared spreadsheet object;

embedding a representation of the shared spreadsheet object within a page of the network service.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the network share further comprises an online service that is configured to interact with spreadsheets.

17. A system for sharing a spreadsheet object that is contained within a spreadsheet to a network service, comprising:

a network connection that is configured to connect to a network;

a processor, memory, and a computer-readable storage medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable storage medium and executing on the processor;

a spreadsheet application;

a spreadsheet;

wherein the spreadsheet comprises spreadsheet objects; and

a sharing manager operating in conjunction with the spreadsheet application that is configured to perform actions comprising;

selecting the spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet to share on the network service;

wherein the spreadsheet object is selected on a first computing device;

wherein the network service is at least one of;

a blog, a social network, and an Internet site;

displaying a user interface comprising a sharing option that when selected automatically shares the selected spreadsheet object to the network service;

automatically saving the spreadsheet object from the first computing device to a network share, wherein the network share is at a different location from the first computing device and the network service;

creating a connection to the spreadsheet object from the network service to the network share; and

sharing the spreadsheet object with the network service;

wherein the selected spreadsheet object can be interacted with and viewed through the network service.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining when a change is made to the spreadsheet that affects the spreadsheet object after the spreadsheet object is shared with the network service and automatically updating the spreadsheet object on the network service.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising automatically setting a portion of the permissions that restrict viewing to only the selected spreadsheet object within the spreadsheet on the network service and receiving a selection of users that are allowed to interact with the shared spreadsheet object on the network service.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising an online spreadsheet service that is configured to provide spreadsheet services for interacting with the shared spreadsheet object.