Associating an object with a relevant data source

• US 8,006,194 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Trent, Michael Duncan, Weeldreyer, Christopher Douglas, Rapp, Peter William, Berger, Peter Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulrich; Nicholas S
• Application Number:
  US11/890,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 715/215, 715/724, 715/770
• US Class Current: 715/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Associating an object with a relevant data source is disclosed. In some embodiments, an object pasted into a destination document is associated with a data source included in the destination document. In various embodiments, the data source associated with the object may comprise a data source concurrently pasted with the object into the destination document, a data source already existing in the destination document prior to the object being pasted into the destination document, or a data source generated in the destination document using data extracted from the pasted object.

Claims

1. A method for associating an object with a data source, comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of an option to paste in a first document an object or a copy of an object cut or copied from a second document;

determining a data source identifier associated with the object; and

associating the object with a corresponding data source such that when the object is pasted into the first document the object is automatically associated with a data source included in the first document;

wherein the data source with which the object is associated comprises;

a data source having the data source identifier included in a current paste board that is concurrently pasted into the first document with the object if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the current paste board;

an existing data source having the data source identifier included in the first document if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the first document;

or

an automatically generated new data source added to the first document that is populated with data extracted from the object if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier does not already exist in the first document.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising pasting the object in the first document.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising pasting the contents of the current paste board in the first document.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the object with source data included in the data source with which the object is associated.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is not synchronized with data included in a data source having the data source identifier that is included in the second document or an other document.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data source identifier is a first data source identifier and wherein the automatically generated new data source is associated with a second data source identifier and further comprising updating the data source identifier associated with the object from the first data source identifier to the second data source identifier if the data source associated with the object comprises the automatically generated new data source.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object comprises a chart or graph.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data source comprises a table.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein source data of the object is included in one or more cells of the table.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is associated with a plurality of data sources.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of a spreadsheet application.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of different types of applications.

13. A system for associating an object with a data source, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an indication of a selection of an option to paste in a first document an object or a copy of an object cut or copied from a second document;

determine a data source identifier associated with the object; and

associate the object with a corresponding data source such that when the object is pasted into the first document the object is automatically associated with a data source included in the first document;

wherein the data source with which the object is associated comprises;

a data source having the data source identifier included in a current paste board that is concurrently pasted into the first document with the object if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the current paste board;

an existing data source having the data source identifier included in the first document if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the first document;

or

an automatically generated new data source added to the first document that is populated with data extracted from the object if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier does not already exist in the first document; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to synchronize the object with source data included in the data source with which the object is associated.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is not synchronized with data included in a data source having the data source identifier that is included in the second document or an other document.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to paste the object in the first document.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to paste the contents of the current paste board in the first document.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the data source identifier is a first data source identifier and wherein the automatically generated new data source is associated with a second data source identifier and wherein the processor is further configured to update the data source identifier associated with the object from the first data source identifier to the second data source identifier if the data source associated with the object comprises the automatically generated new data source.

19. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the object comprises a chart or graph.

20. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the data source comprises a table.

21. A system as recited in claim 20, wherein source data of the object is included in one or more cells of the table.

22. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is associated with a plurality of data sources.

23. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of a spreadsheet application.

24. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of different types of applications.

25. A computer program product for associating an object with a data source, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an indication of a selection of an option to paste in a first document an object or a copy of an object cut or copied from a second document;

determining a data source identifier associated with the object; and

associating the object with a corresponding data source such that when the object is pasted into the first document the object is automatically associated with a data source included in the first document;

wherein the data source with which the object is associated comprises;

a data source having the data source identifier included in a current paste board that is concurrently pasted into the first document with the object if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the current paste board;

an existing data source having the data source identifier included in the first document if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier exists in the first document;

or

an automatically generated new data source added to the first document that is populated with data extracted from the object if a data source having the data source identifier does not exist in the current paste board and if a data source having the data source identifier does not already exist in the first document.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, further comprising computer instructions for pasting the object in the first document.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, further comprising computer instructions for pasting the contents of the current paste board in the first document.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, further comprising computer instructions for synchronizing the object with source data included in the data source with which the object is associated.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the object is not synchronized with data included in a data source having the data source identifier that is included in the second document or an other document.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the data source identifier is a first data source identifier and wherein the automatically generated new data source is associated with a second data source identifier and further comprising computer instructions for updating the data source identifier associated with the object from the first data source identifier to the second data source identifier if the data source associated with the object comprises the automatically generated new data source.

31. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the object comprises a chart or graph.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the data source comprises a table.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein source data of the object is included in one or more cells of the table.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the object is associated with a plurality of data sources.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of a spreadsheet application.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the first document and the second document are documents of different types of applications.