Displaying interrelated changes in a grid

• US 7,831,902 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hauduc, Ludovic R., Zenz, Eric M., Sourov, Alexander A., Harahan, Timothy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/444,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 715/220, 715/229, 715/230, 715/212, 715/213, 715/215, 715/201, 705/6
• US Class Current: 715/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Displaying interrelated changes in a grid may be provided. Grid cells in a document may be modified when either a grid cell is directly changed by a user, or when a grid cell changes due to information residing in another cell changing. The modified grid cells allow the user to perceive how certain changes to data in one grid cell can affect other grid cells.

Claims

1. A method for displaying interrelated changes in a scheduling document, the method comprising:

monitoring a scheduling document, wherein the scheduling document is used to schedule activities;

determining if a first scheduling event residing in a first grid cell has changed, the first scheduling event comprising a task, the task comprising scheduling data;

if a change to the first grid cell occurs, changing viewing characteristics of the first grid cell to a highlighted state and determining if the change to the first scheduling event changes a second scheduling event residing in a second grid cell, wherein the second scheduling event comprises a task which is dependent on the scheduling data for the task in the first scheduling event;

if the change to the scheduling data for the task in the first scheduling event changes the scheduling data for the task in the second scheduling event residing in a second grid cell, changing viewing characteristics of the second grid cell to a highlighted state; and

displaying the scheduling document, wherein the displayed scheduling document displays the first grid cell and the second grid cell in the highlighted state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the scheduling document is user controlled.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising disabling monitoring the scheduling document using a toggle button associated with software used to create the scheduling document.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising monitoring the scheduling document using a menu option associated with software used to create the scheduling document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling document uses a grid.

6. A system for displaying interrelated changes in a document, the system comprising:

a memory storage;

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the

processing unit is operative to;

monitor a document having a grid;

determine if a first grid cell has changed, the first grid cell comprising a first scheduling event, the first scheduling event comprising a task, the task comprising scheduling data;

if a change to the first grid cell occurs, change viewing characteristics of the first grid cell to a change state and determine if the change to the first grid cell changes a second grid cell, the second grid cell comprising a second scheduling event, the second scheduling event comprising a task which is dependent on the scheduling data for the task in the first scheduling event;

if the change to the scheduling data for the task in the first scheduling event in the first grid cell changes the scheduling data for the task in the scheduling event in the second grid cell, change viewing characteristics of the second grid cell to the change state; and

display the document, wherein the displayed document displays the first grid cell and the second grid cell in the change state; and

a display device for displaying the document.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing unit is associated with a server.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing is associated with a client-side device.

9. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for displaying interrelated changes in a grid, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

monitoring a grid;

determining if a first grid cell has changed;

if a change to the first grid cell occurs, changing viewing characteristics of the first grid cell to a change state and determining if the change to the first grid cell changes a second grid cell;

if the change to the first grid cell changes a second grid cell, changing viewing characteristics of the second grid cell to the change state;

displaying the grid, wherein the displayed grid displays the first grid cell and the second grid cell in the change state;

determining if a third grid cell has changed;

if a change to the third grid cell occurs, changing viewing characteristics of the third grid cell to the change state and determining if the change to the third grid cell changes any one of the following;

the first grid cell, the second grid cell and a fourth grid cell;

if the change to the third grid cell changes any one of the following;

the first grid cell, the second grid cell and a fourth grid cell, changing viewing characteristics of any one of the following;

the first grid cell, the second grid cell and a fourth grid cell to the change state, wherein if the change to the third grid cell does not change any one of the following;

the first grid cell and the second grid cell, changing any one of the following;

the first grid cell and the second grid cell to a normal state, wherein an undo changing the third grid cell and any one of the following;

the first grid cell, the second grid cell and a fourth grid cell to the change state can be performed, wherein the first grid cell, the second grid cell, the third grid cell and the fourth grid cell are displayed having a state previous to the undo; and

displaying the grid.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the undo can be performed on multiple levels of grid cells in the change state.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the change state overrides formatting associated with at least the first grid cell.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the grid has a plurality of grid cells having a hierarchical structure.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a display level amount can be set for displaying grid cells having the change state and residing within designated part of the hierarchical structure.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising disabling monitoring the grid using a menu option.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising disabling monitoring the grid using a toggle button.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the change state highlights a changed grid cell.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the grid is used in scheduling activities.