STREAM-ENABLED SPREADSHEET AS A CIRCUIT

• US 20150378979A1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hirzel, Martin J., Vaziri, Mandana, Rabbah, Rodric, Suter, Philippe, Tardieu, Olivier L. J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Converting data transformations entered in a spreadsheet program into a circuit representation of those transformations. The circuit representation can run independently of the spreadsheet program to transform input data into output data. In some cases the circuit representation is in the form of hardware, accepts and/or produces data streams, and/or the circuit and/or output data or data streams can be shared among multiple users and/or subscribers. Where data streams are processed, the transformations may include well-specified timing semantics, supporting operations that involve rate-based rate manipulation, value-based rate manipulation, and/or access to past cell values.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a computer-implemented spreadsheet program;

accepting instructions from a user, through a formula language of the spreadsheet program, corresponding to transformations of data input into one or more input cells into data output into one or more output cells; and

storing the instructions as a circuit representation that can be used to perform the transformations of the input data into the output data independently of the spreadsheet program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a set of input data;

transforming the input data, via the circuit representation running independently of the spreadsheet program, into a set of output data; and

outputting the set of output data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the set of input data includes a first input data stream and the set of output data includes a first output data stream.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the formula language includes both typical combinatorial spreadsheet operators and operators for articulating well-specified timing semantics for relationships between and/or among cells.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the timing semantics include support for:

(i) rate-based rate manipulation, (ii) value-based rate manipulation, and (iii) access to past cell values.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the circuit representation is stored as a hardware circuit.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sharing the set of output data with a plurality of users.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:

first program instructions programmed to provide a computer-implemented spreadsheet program;

second program instructions programmed to accept instructions from a user, through a formula language of the spreadsheet program, corresponding to transformations of data input into one or more input cells into data output into one or more output cells; and

third program instructions programmed to store the instructions as a circuit representation that can be used to perform the transformations of the input data into the output data independently of the spreadsheet program.

9. The product of claim 8 further comprising:

fourth program instructions programmed to receive a set of input data;

fifth program instructions programmed to transform the input data, via the circuit representation running independently of the spreadsheet program, into a set of output data; and

sixth program instructions programmed to output the set of output data.

10. The product of claim 9 wherein the set of input data includes a first input data stream and the set of output data includes a first output data stream.

11. The product of claim 10 wherein the formula language includes both typical combinatorial spreadsheet operators and operators for articulating well-specified timing semantics for relationships between and/or among cells.

12. The product of claim 11 wherein the timing semantics include support for:

(i) rate-based rate manipulation, (ii) value-based rate manipulation, and (iii) access to past cell values.

13. The product of claim 8 wherein the circuit representation is stored as a hardware circuit.

14. The product of claim 9 further comprising:

seventh program instructions programmed to share the set of output data with a plurality of users.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor(s) set; and

a computer readable storage medium;

wherein;

the processor set is structured, located, connected and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and

the program instructions include;

first program instructions programmed to provide a computer-implemented spreadsheet program;

second program instructions programmed to accept instructions from a user, through a formula language of the spreadsheet program, corresponding to transformations of data input into one or more input cells into data output into one or more output cells; and

third program instructions programmed to store the instructions as a circuit representation that can be used to perform the transformations of the input data into the output data independently of the spreadsheet program.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the program instructions further include:

fourth program instructions programmed to receive a set of input data;

fifth program instructions programmed to transform the input data, via the circuit representation running independently of the spreadsheet program, into a set of output data; and

sixth program instructions programmed to output the set of output data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the set of input data includes a first input data stream and the set of output data includes a first output data stream.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the formula language includes both typical combinatorial spreadsheet operators and operators for articulating well-specified timing semantics for relationships between and/or among cells.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the timing semantics include support for:

(i) rate-based rate manipulation, (ii) value-based rate manipulation, and (iii) access to past cell values.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuit representation is stored as a hardware circuit.