Large data set storage and display for electronic spreadsheets applied to machine vision

• US 6,859,907 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cognex Technology & Investment Corporation (Cognex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cognex Technology & Investment Corporation (Cognex Corporation)
• Inventors: McGarry, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUELER, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US09/370,706
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 707/503, 707/505, 707/103, 709/315, 345/440, 715/503, 715/509, 719/315
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An electronic spreadsheet is improved for machine vision applications by incorporating single method objects, and a data display buffer position beneath a variably transparent spreadsheet grid. The data display buffer works in cooperation with the single method objects to selectively display stored data sets in superimposed relationship with the variably transparent spreadsheet grid. The resulting user-interface is particularly advantageous for machine vision applications, and other applications using large data sets.

Claims

1. An electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the improvement comprising:

a single method object, adapted to be instantiated in at least one of the spreadsheet cells, and adapted to provide internal data storage and a single member function, the single member function being adapted to access internal data stored in the single method object and return a single value, the internal data stored in the single method object not being displayed until a spreadsheet cell in which the object is instantiated is selected by a user;

a single data display buffer, the data contents of which are displayed under a partially transparent spreadsheet grid; and

means for selectively displaying the internal data of the single method object in the single data display buffer by selecting a spreadsheet cell in which the single method object is instantiated, the internal data of only one single method object being displayed at one time under the partially transparent spreadsheet grid.

2. The electronic spreadsheet of claim 1, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is characterized by a partial transparency that is independent of cursor position.

3. The electronic spreadsheet of claim 1, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is always visible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is visible in its entirety, regardless of which cell is selected.

5. A method for selectively displaying large data sets in an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the method comprising:

instantiating a single method object in each of a plurality of the cells of the spreadsheet, each single method object being adapted to provide internal storage for storing a large data set, and a single member function adapted to access the large data set and return a single value, the large data set stored in the single method object not being displayed until a spreadsheet cell in which the object is instantiated is selected by a user;

displaying the large data set of the single method object corresponding to a selected cell of the spreadsheet in which the single method object is instantiated, the large data set of only one single method object being displayed at one time; and

displaying in superimposed relationship with the large data set a partially transparent spreadsheet grid including the selected cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is characterized by a partial transparency that is independent of cursor position.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is always visible.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is visible in its entirety, regardless of which cell is selected.

9. A user-interface method for selectively displaying machine vision images stored in an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of cells, the method comprising:

instantiating a single method object in each of a plurality of the cells of the spreadsheet, each single method object being adapted to provide internal storage for storing a machine vision image, and a single member function adapted to access the single method object and return a single value the machine vision image stored in the single method object not being displayed until a spreadsheet cell in which the object is instantiated is selected by a user;

selecting a cell from the plurality of cells;

displaying the machine vision image stored in the single method object corresponding to the selected cell, the machine vision image of only one single method object being displayed at one time; and

displaying in superimposed relationship with the machine vision image a partially transparent electronic spreadsheet grid including the selected cell.

10. The user-interface method of claim 9, wherein the partially transparent electronic spreadsheet is adjustably transparent, and is adapted so as to allow a continuous range of adjustments to transparency.

11. The user-interface method of claim 9, wherein the selected cell is selected using a game controller.

12. The user-interface method of claim 9, wherein the selected cell is selected using one of a standard keyboard and a mouse.

13. The user-interface method of claim 9, wherein the machine vision image includes a superposition of an object image, and a graphical representation of an analysis of the object image.

14. The user-interface method of claim 13, wherein the analysis of the object image is a histogram of the object image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is characterized by a partial transparency that is independent of cursor position.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is always visible.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the partially transparent spreadsheet grid is visible in its entirety, regardless of which cell is selected.