Spreadsheet fields in text

• US 7,702,997 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• 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): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US10/961,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 715/503, 715/504, 715/509, 715/513, 715/515, 715/517, 715/209, 715/213, 715/234, 715/227, 715/219, 715/220
• US Class Current: 715/209
• 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 functionality into text. The architecture allows insertion of discrete individual fields, referred to as “free floating fields”, inline with normal textual sentences. In an HTML document, for example, the free floating fields are elements constructed along with text elements and rendered together as an integrated document. Once rendered, the free floating fields present contents that resemble normal text consistent with the surrounding text. The free floating fields offer spreadsheet functionality, including the ability to handle complex formulas, reference values in a separate free floating field or table, and automatically recalculate the formulas when a source value changes.

Claims

1. A method, at least partially implemented on a computer, comprising:

presenting at least one table within a document, the table having multiple cells;

presenting a free floating field inline with text in the document, wherein the free floating field is integrated into the text, and wherein selecting and applying formatting to the text applies the formatting to the free floating field;

overlaying a formula edit box on the free floating field to facilitate entry of a formula into the free floating field, wherein the formula references a cell in the table;

automatically recalculating the formula in the free floating field upon modification of the cell in the table; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the formula edit box initially defaults to a size and shape of the free floating field.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising resizing the formula edit box to enable entry of the formula.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising extending the formula edit box horizontally and subsequently enlarging the formula edit box vertically to enable entry of the formula.

5. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, perform the method as recited in claim 1.

6. A user interface, produced by, and defined on, a computing device, comprising:

a text entry area that permits entry of text;

a free floating field residing inline with the text, the free floating field presenting content derived from source data or referencing source data such that upon modification of the source data, the free floating field automatically re-derives the content and presents the re-derived content, wherein the re-derived content is integrated into the text, and wherein selecting and applying formatting to the text applies the formatting to the re-derived content in the free floating field; and

a second free floating field residing inline within the text, the second free floating field created in response to a selection of at least a portion of the text, and the a second free floating field configured to contain the selected portion of text.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the content of the free floating field is presented as text when not being edited.

8. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the free floating field exhibits a change in appearance when selected for editing.

9. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the free floating field contains a formula and the source is a data value.

10. The user interface of claim 6, wherein a formula edit box is overlaid on the free floating field to facilitate entry of a formula into the free floating field.

11. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the formula edit box dynamically resizes to enable entry of the formula.

12. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the formula edit box extends horizontally and subsequently enlarges vertically to enable entry of the formula.

13. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the free floating field is a first free floating field and further comprising a second free floating field inline within text, the second free floating field presenting content derived from referencing the first free floating field.

14. The user interface of claim 6, further comprising a table with multiple cells, the table having a particular cell that presents content derived from referencing the free floating field.

15. A user interface, produced by, and defined on, a computing device, comprising:

at least one table residing within a document, the table having multiple cells;

at least one free floating field inline with text in the document, the free floating field containing a formula that references a cell in the table, wherein the free floating field is integrated into the text, and wherein selecting and applying formatting to the text applies the formatting to the free floating field; and

the formula in the free floating field being automatically recalculated upon modification of the cell in the table; and

a second free floating field residing inline with the text in the document, the second free floating field created in response to a selection of at least a portion of the text in the document, and the second free floating field configured to contain the selected portion of text.

16. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the free floating field is a first free floating field and further comprising a second free floating field containing a reference to the first free floating field.

17. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the free floating field is nested within a cell of the table.

18. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the table is nested within the free floating field.

19. The user interface of claim 15, further comprising a formula edit box overlaid on the free floating field to facilitate entry of the formula.

20. The user interface of claim 15, further comprising multiple tables and multiple free floating fields, at least one of the tables and free floating fields containing a formula that references at least one other of the tables and free floating fields.