IDENTIFICATION OF SETS AND MANIPULATION OF SET DATA IN PRODUCTIVITY APPLICATIONS

• US 20190251157A1
• Filed: 02/09/2018
• Published: 08/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Canton, Christian, Gross, Christopher, McDaid, Joseph, Campbell, Johnny
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for interacting with data in a productivity application are presented. A plurality of values associated with the productivity application may be analyzed to determine whether they include a value that can be added to a set comprising a plurality of values with a set data type upon which the productivity application can execute a plurality of set operations. An indication to add at least one of the analyzed values as a member of the set may be received. At least one of the analyzed values may be added as a member of the set. An indication to perform a set operation associated with the set may be received and performed, and the result of the performed set operation may be displayed on a productivity application user interface.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with data in a productivity application executed on a computing device, the method comprising:

analyzing a plurality of values associated with the productivity application;

determining whether the plurality of values are members of an existing set having a same set data type upon which the productivity application can execute a plurality of set operations;

receiving an indication to convert at least one of the analyzed values to a member of a set,

automatically converting, at least one of the analyzed values to a member of the set if a determination is made that the at least one value is a member of the existing set;

receiving an indication to perform a set operation associated with at least one of the converted values; and

displaying, on a user interface of the computing device, a result of the set operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises one or more of:

determining whether each of the plurality of values corresponds to a data type of an existing set; and

determining whether each of the plurality of values is a member of a string of values comprised in the productivity application, wherein each member of a string is separated by a delimiter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set operation comprises an add function applied to add a first plurality of members belonging to a first subset of the set to a second plurality of members belonging to a second subset of the set, and wherein the displayed result of the set operation comprises a display of each member of the first and second pluralities of members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set operation comprises a subtract function applied to subtract a first plurality of members belonging to a first subset of the set from a second plurality of members belonging to a second subset of the set, and wherein the displayed result of the set operation comprises a display of each member of the result of the subtraction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set data type is associated with a plurality of operations unique to the set based on the identity of each value in the set

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set data type is associated with a plurality of operations unique to the set based on metadata associated with each value of the set.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set operation comprises a sort operation, and wherein upon performing the set operation each of the converted values is displayed on the user interface of the computing device in association with a plurality of other members of the set, and wherein each displayed member of the set is displayed in a sort order corresponding to a set property type that each member of the set shares.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the received indication to perform a set operation associated with at least one of the converted values comprises one of:

a request to filter the set according to at least one property that differs amongst a plurality of members of the set; and

a request to filter the set based on a plurality of subsets of the set that have a unique set of members.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

surfacing, if a determination is made that the plurality of values are not members of an existing set having a same data type upon which the productivity application can execute a plurality of set operations, an executable option for creating a new set comprised of the plurality of values.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the plurality of values are members of an existing set having a same set data type upon which the productivity application can execute a plurality of set operations comprises applying a machine learning model to the plurality of values to determine a likelihood that each of the plurality of values corresponds to an existing set.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the analyzing comprises determining whether each of the plurality of values corresponds to a synonym of a set value of an existing set.

12. A system for interacting with data in a spreadsheet application, the system comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

one or more processors, functionally coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to;

analyze a plurality of values comprised in the spreadsheet application;

determine whether the plurality of values are members of an existing set having a same set data type upon which the spreadsheet application can execute a plurality of set operations;

receive an indication to add at least one of the analyzed values as a member of a set;

automatically add each value that is determined to be a member of the existing set to the set;

perform a set theory operation on a plurality of members of the set; and

display, on a user interface of a computing device, a result of the set theory operation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed set theory operation comprises one of:

an add operation to add one or more first members of the set to one or more second members of the set;

a subtract operation to subtract one or more members of the set from one or more second members of the set;

a multiply operation to multiply one or more first members of the set with one or more second members of the set; and

a divide operation to divide one or more first members of the set by one or more second members of the set.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the set that the analyzed values are added to is an existing set, and wherein the one or more processors are further responsive to the computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:

identify, based on the analysis of the plurality of values, one or more of the plurality of values as being a member of a string of values in a cell of the spreadsheet application, wherein each member of the string is separated from each other member of the string by a delimiter;

determine that one or more identified members of the string of values has a same data type as each member of the existing set; and

add each value that is determined to have a same data type as each member of the existing set to the existing set.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein an identity of each member of the set is stored in an index accessible by the spreadsheet application, and wherein the index comprises properties associated with each member of the set upon which one or more set operations can be performed by the spreadsheet application.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the set theory operation comprises a sort operation, and wherein upon performing the set theory operation each of the converted values is displayed on the user interface of the computing device in association with a plurality of other members of the set, and wherein each displayed member of the set is displayed in a sort order corresponding to a set property type that each member of the set shares.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, assists with interacting with data in a spreadsheet application, the computer-readable storage device including instructions executable by the one or more processors for:

analyzing a plurality of values comprised in the spreadsheet application;

determining whether the plurality of values are members of an existing set having a same set data type upon which the spreadsheet application can execute a plurality of set operations;

receiving an indication to add at least one of the analyzed values as a member of a set;

automatically adding each value that is determined to be a member of the existing set to the set;

performing an operation on a plurality of members of the set; and

displaying, on a user interface of a computing device, a result of the operation.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the performed operation comprises one of:

an add operation to add one or more first members of the set to one or more second members of the set;

a subtract operation to subtract one or more members of the set from one or more second members of the set;

a multiply operation to multiply one or more first members of the set with one or more second members of the set; and

a divide operation to divide one or more first members of the set by one or more second members of the set.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the set that the analyzed values are added to is an existing set, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors for:

identifying, based on the analysis of the plurality of values, one or more of the plurality of values as being a member of a string of values in a cell of the spreadsheet application;

determining that one or more identified members of the string of values has a same data type as each member of the existing set; and

adding each value that is determined to have a same data type as each member of the existing set to the existing set.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein an identity of each member of the set is stored in an index accessible by the spreadsheet application, and wherein the index comprises properties associated with each member of the set upon which one or more set operations can be performed by the spreadsheet application.