Representation of people in a spreadsheet

• US 9,753,910 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, John, Knight, Mark, Comertoglu, Can
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US14/825,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• 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 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A spreadsheet includes a native spreadsheet object that represents a person. The person object may be used within a spreadsheet just as any other spreadsheet objects are utilized. For example, the person object may be integrated with spreadsheet formulas and other spreadsheet objects such as charts, tables, pivot tables, sheets, and the like. Spreadsheet formulas may perform operations specific to a person object (e.g. send message, get contact information, get status, get other person specific information, sort, and the like). Common actions may be associated with the person object, such as initiating communication with the person represented by the person object (e.g. phone call, email, text message, collaboration invite, and the like). Social networking information may also be associated with a person object. For example, social networking posts may be included within a spreadsheet, a user may post to a social network from the spreadsheet, and the like.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least on memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processing unit cause the computer system to perform a method for representing a person within a spreadsheet, the method comprising;

accessing a spreadsheet, the spreadsheet comprising;

a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action; and

one or more native spreadsheet objects, wherein the one or more native spreadsheet objects comprise at least one of a chart object and a table object;

determining that a spreadsheet operation involves the person object; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configuring a view of the spreadsheet based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises;

filtering or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object, and

providing a context menu based on the person represented by the person object.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the person object comprises a graphical representation of the person.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the person object comprises a graphical status indicator that indicates an availability of the person, and wherein the graphical status indicator is configured to change a color or a shape of the graphical representation of the person based on changes in the availability of the person.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a data object in the spreadsheet is associated with the person object;

in response to determining that the data object is associated with the person object, identifying a predetermined rule, wherein the predetermined rule is defined based on a data category of the data object; and

performing a spreadsheet operation involving the person object based at least in part on the predetermined rule.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the spreadsheet operation treats the person object in a same manner as the one or more native spreadsheet objects, and wherein the person object is acted upon in a same manner as the one or more native spreadsheet objects.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fields of the person object further comprises one or more of:

a field for a social network to which the person belongs;

a field for organization information comprising one or more of;

a company and a manager;

a field for one or more of;

a birth date and an interest; and

a field identifying a location of the person.

7. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a portion of the spreadsheet and associating the selected portion with the person object, wherein when the person that is represented by the person object views the spreadsheet the selected portion is displayed.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein performing the spreadsheet operation involving the person object comprises displaying a post from a social network within the spreadsheet that is associated with the person object.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein performing the spreadsheet operation involving the person object comprises selecting an option within a graphical user interface of the spreadsheet that is used to post data to a social network.

10. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

including the person object within a formula; and

in response to a condition specified by the formula, performing an action relating to the person object.

11. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least one of the following actions when data is dropped onto the person object;

sending a link to the data to the person;

sending the data to the person; and

posting the data to a network location.

12. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when a post is made to a social network that is related to each of the person objects within the spreadsheet; and

displaying the posts within the spreadsheet.

13. A computer-implemented method for representing a person within a spreadsheet, the method comprising:

accessing a spreadsheet, the spreadsheet comprising;

a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action; and

one or more native spreadsheet objects, wherein the one or more native spreadsheet objects comprise at least one of a chart object and a table object;

determining that a spreadsheet operation involves the person object; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configuring a view of the spreadsheet based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises;

filtering or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object, and

providing a context menu based on the person represented by the person object.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the person object comprises a graphical representation of the person and a graphical status indicator that indicates an availability of the person, and wherein the graphical status indicator is configured to change a color or a shape of the graphical representation of the person based on changes in the availability of the person.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that a data object in the spreadsheet is associated with the person object;

in response to determining that the data object is associated with the person object, identifying a predetermined rule, wherein the predetermined rule is defined based on a data category of the data object; and

performing a spreadsheet operation involving the person object based at least in part on the predetermined rule.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a portion of the spreadsheet and associating the selected portion with the person object, wherein when the person that is represented by the person object views the spreadsheet the selected portion is displayed.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein performing the spreadsheet operation involving the person object comprises displaying a post from a social network within the spreadsheet that is associated with the person object.

18. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least on memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processing unit cause the computer system to;

access a spreadsheet, the spreadsheet comprising;

a person object, wherein the person object comprises a plurality of fields including at least a name and a contact action; and

one or more native spreadsheet objects, wherein the one or more native spreadsheet objects comprise at least one of a chart object and a table object;

determine that a spreadsheet operation involves the person object; and

in response to determining that the spreadsheet operation involves the person object, configure a view of the spreadsheet based on a person represented by the person object, wherein configuring the view comprises;

filter or sorting the one or more native spreadsheet objects based on the person represented by the person object, and

provide a context menu based on the person represented by the person object.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the person object comprises a graphical representation of the person, wherein the person object comprises a graphical status indicator that indicates an availability of the person, and wherein the graphical status indicator is configured to change a color or a shape of the graphical representation of the person based on changes in the availability of the person.

20. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising:

determine that a data object in the spreadsheet is associated with the person object;

in response to determining that the data object is associated with the person object, identify a predetermined rule, wherein the predetermined rule is defined based on a data category of the data object; and

perform a spreadsheet operation involving the person object based at least in part on the predetermined rule.