Computer-based system and method for data processing

• US 5,768,158 A
• Filed: 12/08/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventure Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inventure America, Inc.
• Inventors: Zaks, Gerald, Adler, Dan, Salama, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBERTS, ANDREW S
• Application Number:
  US08/569,350
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 395/764, 395/765, 395/611, 395/614, 364/578, 345/333, 345/121, 345/326, 345/339, 345/340, 707/503, 707/504, 707/4
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

An electronic spreadsheet, formed in accordance with the present invention, providing a user with improved data processing capability, includes displaying a visual presentation to the user, the visual presentation including a matrix, the matrix including columns, rows and cells, the cells being formed at intersections of the columns and the rows. The electronic spreadsheet associates objects and formulas with the cells, each object having an object type, each formula receiving an object as an argument, each formula having an operator for operating on the object received as the argument. Further, the electronic spreadsheet evaluates each formula, which includes assigning to the operator in each formula an operative expression selected in accordance with the object type of the object received as the argument of each formula. Still further, the electronic spreadsheet associates a result, obtained during the evaluating procedure, with each cell associated with each formula operating on the object.

Claims

1. In a computer-based system for data processing having a digital processor and input means coupled to the digital processor, and a display unit responsive to the digital processor, the system being responsive to objects and formulas, the system comprising:

at least one visual presentation displayable on the display unit by the digital processor, the at least one visual presentation including;

a cell field, the cell field including cells, the cells being positioned in a column/row format, at least one cell representing a polymorphic object; and

a text edit field, the text edit field receiving the objects and the formulas entered by the user through the input means, each object having an object type, each formula having at least one object as an argument and at least one operator for operating on the at least one object, at least one formula having a polymorphic object and a polymorphic operator; and

computer processing means, the computer processing means correspondingly associating each object and each formula with each cell, the computer processing means correspondingly evaluating each formula and assigning to the at least one operator in each formula one of a plurality of operative expressions selected in accordance with the object type of the at least one object received as the argument of each formula, the computer processing means associating a result of each formula with each cell containing each formula operating on the at least one object.

2. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer processing means includes means for re-evaluating each formula if a value within the at least one object changes and re-associating the result of each formula with each cell containing each formula operating on the at least one object whose value has changed.

3. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein each cell has a different visual appearance depending on the object type of each object associated therewith.

4. A computer-based system as defined in claim 3, wherein the different visual appearance includes a difference in color.

5. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the visual presentation further includes:

a query window, the query window receiving user-provided responses corresponding to English sentence-style pre-defined questions, the query window forming a formula in accordance therewith; and

a user-selected cell, the computer processing means associating the formula formed by the query window with the user-selected cell, the computer processing means evaluating the formula and associating a result of the formula with the user-selected cell.

6. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer processing means further includes means for storing each object and each formula associated with each cell.

7. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer processing means further includes means for scanning each formula to ensure that each formula conforms to a preferred cell reference syntax and means for translating each formula, not in conformity, to the preferred cell reference syntax.

8. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for instructing the system to recognize new objects and new operators.

9. A computer-based system as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructing means is user-programmable.

10. A computer-based system as defined in claim 9, wherein the user-programmable instructing means employs a C-programming language-type syntax.

11. A computer-based system as defined in claim 8, wherein the new objects are selected from an external object library.

12. A computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer processing means displays, within the visual presentation, at least one of each object and the result of each formula in one of a plurality of visual formats.

13. A computer-based system as defined in claim 12, wherein the plurality of visual formats are user-selectable.

14. The computer-based system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user identifies a user-selected cell through the input means and enters at least one character into the text edit field through the input means, the system further comprising:

a memory storage unit, the memory storage unit being responsive to the computer processing means and containing data signals corresponding to data associated with the at least one object; and

the computer processing means further includes means for correlating the at least one character with the data associated with the at least one object and thereby associating the data with the user-selected cell.

15. A computer-based system for data processing, the system comprising:

means for displaying a visual presentation to a user, the visual presentation including at least one matrix, the at least one matrix including columns, rows, and cells, the cells being formed at intersections of the columns and the rows at least one cell representing a polymorphic object;

first associating means for associating objects and formulas with the cells, each object having an object type, at least one obiect having a polvmorphi object type, each fonnula receiving at least one object as an argument, each formula having at least one operator for operating on the at least one object received as the argument;

means for evaluating each formula, the evaluating means assigning to the at least one operator in each fonnula one of a plurality of operative expressions selected in accordance with the object type of the at least one object received as the argument of each formula; and

second associating means for associating a result, obtained from the evaluating means, with each cell associated with each formula operating on the at least one object.

16. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, wherein the evaluating means includes means for re-evaluating each formula if a value within the at least one object is changed.

17. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, wherein each cell has a different visual appearance depending on the object type of each object associated therewith.

18. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 17, wherein the different visual appearance includes a difference in color.

19. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, wherein the first associating means includes means for generating each formula from a user-interactive English sentence query window, the query window receiving user-provided responses corresponding to pre-defined questions, the query window processing the responses received in response to the questions, the query window generating a formula in accordance therewith.

20. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, further comprising means for storing each object and each formula associated with each cell.

21. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, further comprising means for scanning each formula to ensure that each formula conforms to a preferred cell reference syntax processable by the system, the scanning means also translating each formula, not in conformity with the preferred cell reference syntax, to the preferred cell reference syntax.

22. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, further comprising means for instructing the system to recognize new objects and new operators.

23. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructing means is user-programmable.

24. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 23, wherein the user-programmable instructing means employs a C-programming language-type syntax.

25. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 22, wherein the new objects are selected from an external object library.

26. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, further comprising means for displaying at least one of the objects and the result from the second associating means in one of a plurality of visual formats in the visual presentation.

27. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 26, wherein the plurality of visual formats are user-selectable.

28. A computer-based system for data processing as defined in claim 15, wherein the first associating means includes means for loading data from a memory storage unit, the data being associated with an object.

29. A method of data processing, utilizing a computer-based system for data processing, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a visual presentation to a user, the visual presentation including at least one matrix, the at least one matrix including columns, rows and cells, the cells being formed at intersections of the columns and the rows each cell representing an obiect, at least one cell representing a polvmorphic obiect;

associating objects and formulas with the cells, each object having an object type, each formula receiving at least one object as an argument, each formula having at least one operator for operating on the at least one object received as the argument;

evaluating each formula, the evaluating step including assigning to the at least one operator in each formula one of a plurality of operative expressions selected in accordance with the object type of the at least one object received as the argument of each formula; and

associating a result, obtained during the evaluating step, with each cell associated with each formula operating on the at least one object.

30. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, wherein the evaluating step includes re-evaluating each formula if a value within the at least one object is changed.

31. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, further comprising the step of distinguishing the cells by having each cell exhibit a different visual appearance depending on the object type of each object associated therewith.

32. A method of data processing as defined in claim 31, wherein the different visual appearance includes a difference in color.

33. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, wherein the step of associating objects and formulas with the cells includes generating each formula from a user-interactive English sentence query window, the query window receiving user-provided responses corresponding to pre-defined questions, the query window processing the responses received in response to the questions, the query window generating a formula in accordance therewith.

34. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, wherein the step of associating objects and formulas with cells includes loading data from a memory storage unit, the data being associated with an object.

35. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, further comprising the step of storing each object and each formula associated with each cell.

36. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, further comprising the step of scanning each formula to ensure that each formula conforms to a preferred cell reference syntax processable by the system, the scanning step also translating each formula, not in conformity with the preferred cell reference syntax, to the preferred cell reference syntax.

37. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, further comprising the step of instructing the system to recognize new objects and new operators.

38. A method of data processing as defined in claim 37, wherein the instructing step is performed by user-programming.

39. A method of data processing as defined in claim 38, wherein the user-programming of the instructing step is performed using a C-programming language-type syntax.

40. A method of data processing as defined in claim 37, wherein the instructing step is further performed by instructing the system to recognize new objects selectable from an external object library.

41. A method of data processing as defined in claim 29, further comprising the step of displaying at least one of the objects and the result from the result associating step in one of a plurality of visual formats in the visual presentation.

42. A method of data processing as defined in claim 41, wherein the displaying step is further performed by the user selecting one of the plurality of visual formats.