Generating scenes and tours in a spreadsheet application

• US 9,317,963 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruble, B. Scott, Sobhy, Ehab, Peev, Igor Borisov, Wong, Curtis G., Payne, John Alfred, Fay, Jonathan Edgar, Fan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kells, Asher
• Application Number:
  US13/898,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 : Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 : 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 : Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 : Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for generating scenes and tours in a spreadsheet application. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer system executes a visualization component. Selection of an option to create a tour can be detected by the computer system. In response to detecting selection of the option, the computer system can create a tour. The computer system also can detect selection of an option to add a scene to the tour. The tour can be saved. Playback of the tour can be started in response to detecting selection of a play option. If the playback is paused, changes made to the tour and/or the scenes can be tracked by the computer system, and an updated version of the tour can be saved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a visualization of data, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

detecting, at a computer system executing a visualization component, selection of an option to create a tour;

in response to detecting the selection of the option, creating, at the computer system, the tour;

detecting, at the computer system, selection of a further option to add a scene to the tour, the scene comprising a view of data having data values, temporal information, an effect, and location information, the data comprising spreadsheet data obtained from a data source in communication with the computer system;

in response to detecting the selection of the further option, adding the scene to the tour; and

saving, by the computer system, the tour as an updated version of the spreadsheet data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a user interface comprising a tour explorer window, the tour explorer window comprising:

a thumbnail corresponding to the scene;

a caption that is editable to modify a name of the tour; and

a thumbnail caption that is editable to modify a name of the scene.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises the option to create the tour, the option to add the scene to the tour, and a play control for playing the tour.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to detecting selection of the play control, beginning playing of the tour;

presenting playback controls during playing of the tour, the playback controls comprising a back control;

detecting selection of the back control to initiate an edit mode; and

in response to determining that changes are made to the tour during the edit mode, saving an updated version of the tour.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the effect comprises one or more of a still effect, an orbit effect, a fly-by effect, a figure 8 idle effect, a fly-over effect, and a push-in effect.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a further scene is to be added to the tour;

in response to determining that the further scene is to be added, adding the further scene to the tour; and

adding a transition between the scene and the further scene.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a user interface comprising a tour explorer window, the tour explorer window comprising:

a thumbnail corresponding to the scene;

a further thumbnail corresponding to the further scene;

a caption that is editable to modify a name of the tour; and

thumbnail captions that are editable to modify a name of at least one of the scene or the further scene.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting, at the user interface, input for reordering scenes of the tour, the scenes comprising the scene and the further scene.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the transition comprises a cut transition and an arc transition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the tour comprises exporting a video file corresponding to the tour.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to

detect selection of an option to create an auto tour,

in response to detecting the selection of the option, create the auto tour by adding a scene to the tour, the scene comprising a view of data having data values, temporal information, an effect, and location information, the data comprising spreadsheet data obtained from a data source in communication with the apparatus, and

save the tour as an updated version of the spreadsheet data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to detect a selection of a start time and an end time of the auto tour.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to analyze the data to determine a start location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to adjust the effect based on the analysis of the data.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine if a further scene is to be added to the tour;

in response to determining that the further scene is to be added, add the further scene to the tour;

add a transition between the scene and the further scene; and

save an updated version of the tour.

16. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

detect selection of an option to create a tour;

in response to detecting the selection of the option, create the tour;

generate a user interface comprising a further option to add a first scene and a second scene to the tour, the first scene and the second scene comprising a view of spreadsheet data having data values, temporal information, and location information;

present the user interface;

detect a selection of the further option;

in response to detecting the selection of the further option, add the first scene and the second scene to the tour, generate a tour explorer window comprising a thumbnail corresponding to the first scene and the second scene, add an effect to the first scene and the second scene, add a transition between the first scene and the second scene, and present the tour explorer window; and

save the tour.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to determine a tour time that specifies the duration of the tour.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to adjust a data time based on the determination of the tour time.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the effect comprises one or more of a still effect, an orbit effect, a fly-by effect, a figure eight idle effect, a fly-over effect, or a push-in effect.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the transition comprises a cut transition or an arc transition.