Spreadsheet fields in text

• US 7,117,435 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fisher, Oliver G., Kotler, Matthew J., Gounares, Alexander G., Franklin, Christopher Matthew, Morgan, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/599,808
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: 715503-509, 715/510, 715/523, 715/513, 715/514, 715/515, 715/522, 715/812, 715/822, 715/823
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A system architecture integrates spreadsheet fields and functionality into text. In one implementation, a free floating field is presented in line with text in a document. The free floating field is configured to present content derived from a source. Upon modification of the source, the content in the free floating field is automatically updated to reflect changes to the source. In a particular implementation, where the source is a spreadsheet, modifications made to the spreadsheet are then reflected in updates in the free floating fields of the text.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for integrating spreadsheet functionality into word processing text, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

presenting a free floating field in line with text in a document, the free floating field containing content derived from a source, wherein a format applied to the text is automatically applied to the content within the free floating field;

changing, upon selection the free floating field, an appearance of the free floating field from an appearance of the text in the document to an appearance of a spreadsheet;

determining, upon selection of the free floating field, a type of content in the free floating field;

presenting a formula edit box that initially defaults to a size and shape of the free floating field, but that dynamically resizes as needed and data is added, wherein content entered to the formula edit box is entered into the free floating field;

interpreting a type of the entered content based upon the determination of the type of the content already in the free floating field, wherein the interpreting comprises interpreting user entry as applicable to spreadsheet functions, if the type of content is a formula or non-text data and interpreting the user entry as applicable to word processing functions, if the type of the content is not a formula or non-text data;

updating the content in the free floating field automatically upon modification of the source; and

creating a second free floating field partly in response to user selection of at least a portion of the text of the document, wherein the second free floating field is configured to contain the selected portion of the text.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein presenting the free floating field comprises providing text-based content from the source.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein presenting the free floating field comprises providing numeric-based content from the source.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the document is written in a mark-up language.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein entering content into the free floating field comprises entering some combination of text, numerals or a formula.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the resizing the formula edit box comprises resizing the formula edit box as the user enters data comprising text or numerals.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising dynamically resizing the formula edit box by extending the formula edit box horizontally, followed by subsequently extending the formula edit box vertically.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising overlaying the formula edit box on the free floating field to facilitate user entry of a formula.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising nesting the free floating field within a cell of a table defined within the document.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising referencing a cell in a table with the free floating field.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising nesting the free floating field within a first cell of a table in the document and referencing a second cell in the table with the free floating field.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising constructing a table within the document, wherein the free floating field and the second free floating fields contain one or more references to contents in the table.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the source includes one or more cells of a table in the document.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising, upon modification of the text in the second free floating field, automatically updating the free floating field.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising constructing multiple free floating fields within the document, wherein at least one free floating field contains a reference to contents in another free floating field.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising formatting numbers within the free floating field independently from text formatted in the free floating field.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising tracking references made between a table in the document and the free floating field.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising:

referencing, by the second free floating field, the content the free floating field; and

automatically updating the second free floating field upon alteration of the contents of the free floating field.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising:

presenting a table in the document; and

referencing a cell in the table to add a data value to a formula within the free floating field.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 1, additionally comprising:

enabling a user to select a control function to modify or evaluate an aspect of the document; and

applying the control function across both text within a table and the free floating field.