Variable formatting of values

• US 9,424,235 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, Benjamin C., Jones, Bruce C., Street, Christopher M., Gainer, David F., Vigesaa, Eric B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURKE, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US13/595,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 715/215
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Variable formatting for cells in computer spreadsheets, tables, and other documents is provided. For a selected range of cells, cell formats vary with the value in each cell (or an associated value). Formats can include color-scale backgrounds, in-cell elements (e.g., icons and data bars), and other cell formats that can be varied with a value.

Claims

1. A method for displaying different graphical icons for different values, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents options used to determine formatting for a range of values, comprising;

displaying a style user interface element that is used to receive a selection of a type of visual indicator to apply to the range of values; and

displaying formatting criteria user interface elements that are used to receive formatting criteria selections to apply to type of visual indicator based on values in the range of values, wherein the formatting criteria include a first format of the type of visual indicator correlated to a first value, a second format of the type of visual indicator correlated to a second value, and an interval of varying formats that vary in a spectrum from the first value format to the second value format;

applying the formatting criteria to the selected type of visual indicator and values within the range of values; and

displaying the values after applying the selected type of visual indicator and formatting criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the varying formats that vary in the spectrum is at least one member of a group comprising:

a continuous spectrum of varying formats and an incremental spectrum of varying formats.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises a color scale style and wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value that is assigned a first color;

the second value that is assigned a second color, wherein the spectrum is a color spectrum ranging from the first color to the second color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises a data bar style, wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value being a first length of a data bar;

the second value being a second length of a data bar, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of lengths from the first length to the second length.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises a pie chart icon format style, wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value being an empty pie chart;

the second value being a full pie chart, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of fill amounts from the empty pie chart to the full pie chart.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises an arrow format style, wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value being a first direction format;

the second value being a second direction format, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of directions from the first direction format to the second direction format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises a flag set format style, wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value being a first flag format;

the second value being a second flag format, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of flags from the first flag format to the second flag format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of visual indicator comprises a circle set format style, wherein the formatting criteria include:

the first value being a first circle format;

the second value being a second circle format, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of circles from the first circle format to the second circle format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first value and the second value are at least one member of a group comprising:

numbers, percentages, percentiles, and formulas.

10. A nontransitory computer-readable memory having computer executable instructions for formatting a range of values according to a spectrum of formats, the instructions comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface;

obtaining formatting criteria for a range of values from the graphical user interface, wherein the formatting criteria includes a first value format correlated to a first value, a second value format correlated to a second value, and an interval of varying formats that vary in a spectrum from the first value format to the second value format;

determining whether a respective value for each value in the range of values is between the first value and the second value; and

for each respective value between the first value and the second value, applying, to a display of each value, a respective format determined from a correlation of each respective value to a respective format in the spectrum of varying formats.

11. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the spectrum of varying formats is at least one member of a group comprising:

a continuous spectrum of varying formats and an incremental spectrum of varying formats and wherein the first value and the second value are at least one member of a group comprising;

numbers, percentages, percentiles, and formulas.

12. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the formatting criteria includes a format color style, wherein the first value format is assigned a first color, wherein the second value format is assigned a second color, wherein the spectrum is a color spectrum from the first color to the second color.

13. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the formatting criteria includes a data bar format style, wherein the first value format is a first length of a data bar, wherein the second value format is a second length of a data bar, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of lengths from the first length to the second length.

14. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the formatting criteria includes a pie chart icon format style, wherein the first value format is a first state of a pie chart, wherein the second value format is a second state of a pie chart, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of fill amounts from the first state of the pie chart to the second state of the pie chart.

15. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the formatting criteria includes an arrow format style, wherein the first value format is a first arrow, wherein the second value format is a second arrow, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of arrow formats from the first arrow format to the second arrow format.

16. The nontransitory computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein the formatting criteria includes a flag format style, wherein the first value format is a first flag, wherein the second value format is a second flag, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of flags from the first flag to the second flag.

17. A system for formatting a range of values according to a spectrum of values, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

displaying a graphical user interface;

obtaining formatting criteria for a range of values from the graphical user interface, wherein the formatting criteria includes a first value format correlated to a first value, a second value format correlated to a second value, and an interval of varying formats that vary in a spectrum from the first value format to the second value format;

determining whether a respective value for each value in the range of values is between the first value and the second value; and

for each respective value between the first value and the second value, applying, to a display of each value, a respective format determined from a correlation of each respective value to a respective format in the spectrum of varying formats.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the spectrum of varying formats is at least one member of a group comprising:

a continuous spectrum of varying formats and an incremental spectrum of varying formats and wherein the first value and the second value are at least one member of a group comprising;

numbers, percentages, percentiles, and formulas.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interface displays a selection user interface element for selecting a type of style selected comprising three or more of:

a format color style, a data bar format style, a pie chart format style, an arrow format style, a flag format style and a circle format style.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the formatting criteria comprise assigning the first value format is a first state, wherein the second value format is assigned a second state, wherein the spectrum is a spectrum of states between the first state and the second state.