Non-collaborative filters in a collaborative document

• US 9,361,287 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Benjamin Wolfe, Tragut, Manuel, Lloyd, Zachary Erik, Danziger, Joshua Ari, Gundrum, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kells, Asher
• Application Number:
  US13/900,193
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for viewing filters on a collaborative spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service include accessing, from each of a plurality of client computers, a first sheet of a spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, where a plurality of filters is associated with the first sheet. A first client computer in the plurality of client computers receives a command by a first user to apply a first filter in the plurality of filters to the first sheet, and applies the first filter to the first sheet on the first client computer. The filtered first sheet is displayed to the first user, and a second client computer in the plurality of client computers concurrently displays an unfiltered first sheet.

Claims

1. A method for viewing filters on a collaborative spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, the method comprising:

accessing, from each of a plurality of client computers, a first sheet of a spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, wherein a plurality of filters is associated with the first sheet, and wherein each of the plurality of filters is concurrently selectable by each of the plurality of client computers;

receiving at a first client computer in the plurality of client computers a command by a first user to apply a first filter in the plurality of filters to the first sheet, wherein the first filter is created by a second user on a second client computer;

applying the first filter to the first sheet on the first client computer; and

displaying the filtered first sheet to the first user, wherein the second client computer in the plurality of client computers concurrently displays an unfiltered first sheet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first filter includes a command to sort one or more cells of the first sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first filter includes a command to hide one or more cells of the first sheet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the first sheet includes loading a copy of the first sheet and the plurality of filters onto the first client computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein applying the first filter comprises transforming the local copy of the first sheet against the first filter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtered first sheet is displayed on a web browser executing on the client computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is generated by the user selecting an option from a user interface displayed by the client computer.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising sending the command to the cloud computing service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a third client computer in the plurality of client computers displays a copy of the first sheet filtered by a second filter in the plurality of filters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a second filter in the plurality of filters is designated as a default filter and accessing the first sheet further includes applying the second filter to the first sheet on the first client computer.

11. A method for creating filters for collaborative spreadsheets stored on a cloud computing service, the method comprising:

accessing, from each of a plurality of client computers, a first sheet of a spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, wherein the plurality of filters is associated with the first sheet and each of the plurality of filters is concurrently selectable by each of the plurality of client computers;

creating a first filter on a first client computer in the plurality of client computers, wherein a user on the first client computer defines the first filter;

applying the first filter to the first sheet on the first client computer, wherein a second client computer in the plurality of client computers concurrently displays an unfiltered first sheet;

sending the first filter to the cloud computing service to be stored and associated with the first sheet; and

applying the first filter to the first sheet on the second client computer, wherein the display of the first sheet on the remaining plurality of client computers is independent of the filter application on the first and the second client computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein defining the first filter includes a command to sort one or more cells of the first sheet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein defining the first filter includes a command to hide one or more cells of the first sheet.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing the first sheet includes loading a copy of the first sheet onto the first client computer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first sheet is displayed on a web browser executing on the client computer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a user interface displayed on a web browser executing on the client computer provides the user with an option to create the first filter.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the spreadsheet stored on the cloud computing service has an access control list that allows the user to create the first filter.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing the first sheet further includes sending a plurality of filters associated with the first sheet to each of the plurality of client computers.

19. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the user, an edit to the first filter;

applying the edited first filter to the first sheet on the first client computer, wherein the second client computer concurrently displays the unfiltered first sheet; and

sending the edited first filter to the cloud computing service to be stored and associated with the first sheet.

20. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the user, a command to delete the first filter;

displaying the unfiltered first sheet on the first client computer; and

sending the command to delete the first filter to the cloud computing service.

21. A system for applying filters to a collaborative spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, the system comprising:

a first client computer configured to;

communicate with a cloud computing service and a plurality of client computers through a network connection;

load a first sheet of a spreadsheet stored on the cloud computing service, wherein a plurality of filters is associated with the first sheet, and wherein the plurality of filters is associated with the first sheet and each of the plurality of filters is concurrently selectable by each of the plurality of client computers;

receive a command from a first user to apply a first filter in the plurality of filters to the first sheet, wherein the first filter is created by a second user on a second client computer;

apply the first filter to the first sheet on the first client computer; and

display the filtered first sheet to the first user, wherein the second client computer in the plurality of client computers concurrently displays an unfiltered first sheet.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first filter includes a command to sort one or more cells of the first sheet.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first filter includes a command to hide one or more cells of the first sheet.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the filtered first sheet is displayed on a web browser executing on the client computer.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the web browser displays a user interface for the user to generate the command.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the first client computer is further configured to send the command to the cloud computing service.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the first client computer is further configured to:

create a second filter, wherein the first user defines the second filter;

apply the second filter to the first sheet, wherein the second client computer concurrently displays the unfiltered first sheet; and

send the second filter to the cloud computing service to be stored and associated with the first sheet.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first client computer is further configured to:

receive from the first user an edit to the second filter;

apply the edited second filter to the first sheet, wherein the second client computer concurrently displays the unfiltered first sheet; and

send the edited second filter to the cloud computing service to be stored and associated with the first sheet.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the first client computer is further configured to:

receive from the first user a command to delete the second filter;

display the unfiltered first sheet; and

send the command to delete the second filter to the cloud computing service.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions comprising a graphical user interface for viewing on a plurality of client computers a collaborative spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service, the graphical user interface on each client computer comprising:

an editing window showing a plurality of cells of a first sheet of a collaborative spreadsheet stored on a cloud computing service; and

a sidebar window within the editing window showing a plurality of filters selectable by a user, wherein the plurality of filters are stored on the server; and

wherein when a first user on a first client computer in the plurality of client computers selects a first filter from the plurality of filters, wherein the first filter is created by a second user on a second client computer, the first filter is applied to the first sheet and the filtered first sheet is shown in the editing window of the first client computer, wherein the editing window of the second client computer in the plurality of client computers displays an unfiltered first sheet.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the sidebar window allows the first user to apply a filter command, wherein the command is selected from the group consisting of an edit command, a duplicate command, a no filter command, a rename command, a create command, a set default command, and a delete command.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the sidebar window appears within the editing window when the first user selects a filter command.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the appearance of the sidebar window may be toggled by the first user.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the sidebar window disappears from the editing window after a period of time.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, the graphical user interface further comprising a filter menu within the editing window for defining the first filter.