Conversion of data ranges to table objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10325015-B2
Application number	US-201816012707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Conversion of data ranges to table objects in an electronic spreadsheet document is provided. When an electronic spreadsheet document is being utilized, data ranges may be automatically converted to tables to allow the user to enjoy the full benefits of the table properties and functionalities. When a data range is automatically converted to a table object, a user will be given an opportunity to revert the table object back to the data range from which it was converted. Instead of automatic conversion, a suggestion may be provided to a user before a data range is converted to a table object. If the user accepts the suggestion, then the data range may be automatically converted to a table object.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method of converting a data range in an electronic document into a table object, the method comprising:
receiving a selection of at least a portion of the data range, wherein the data range is organized in a tabular layout and does not include a table object;
converting the data range into a table object;
providing an interface for receiving a selection of a function for:
filtering data in the table object; or
sorting data in the table object; and

in response to receiving a selection of a function for filtering or sorting data in the table object, applying the function to at least a portion of the data in the table object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after converting the data range into the table object, displaying a control element for receiving a selection to revert the table object back into the data range; and
based on receiving a selection of the control element, reverting the table object back into the data range.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the interface for receiving the selection of the function for filtering data or sorting data in the table object comprises providing one or more control elements for receiving the selection of the function for filtering data or sorting data in the table object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the interface for receiving the selection of the function for filtering data or sorting data in the table object comprises providing a slicer-style user interface that includes one or more filtering tiles.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more filtering tiles comprises a numeric filtering tile or an alphabetic filtering tile.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the function to the at least the portion of the data in the table object in response to receiving the selection of the function for filtering data in the table object comprises:
receiving a selection of the numeric filtering tile; and
filtering the at least the portion of the data in the table object based on the selection of the numeric filtering tile.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the function to the at least the portion of the data in the table object in response to receiving the selection of the function for filtering data in the table object comprises:
receiving a selection of the alphabetic filtering tile; and
filtering the at least the portion of the data in the table object based on the selection of the alphabetic filtering tile.

8. A system for converting a data range into a table object, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
receive a selection of at least a portion of a data range, wherein the data range is organized in a tabular layout and does not include a table object;
provide a first interface for receiving a selection of a sorting function or a filtering function;
in response to receiving a selection of the sorting function or the filtering function, convert the data range into a table object;
provide a second interface for receiving a selection to:
filter data in the table object; or
sort data in the table object; and

in response to receiving a selection to filter data or sort data in the table object, apply the selection to at least a portion of the data in the table object.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the memory stores instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
display a control element for receiving a selection to revert the table object back into the data range; and
based on a selection of the control element, revert the table object back into the data range.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein providing the first interface for receiving the selection to filter data or to sort data comprises providing one or more control elements for receiving the selection to filter data or to sort data in the table object.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second interface comprises a slicer-style user interface that includes one or more filtering tiles.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein applying the selection to the at least the portion of the data in the table object comprises:
receiving a selection of at least one filtering tile; and
filtering the at least the portion of the data in the table object based on the selection of the at least one filtering tile.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one filtering tile comprises a numeric filtering tile or an alphabetic filtering tile.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein converting the data range into the table object comprises automatically converting the data range into the table object in response to receiving the selection to filter data in the table object or to sort data in the table object.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
in response to receiving the selection to filter data or to sort data in the table object, convert the data range into the table object comprises in response to receiving a selection to filter data in the table object, convert the data range into the table object; and
in response to receiving the selection to filter data or to sort data in the table object, apply the selection to at least a portion of the data in the table object comprises in response to receiving the selection to filter data in the table object, filtering at least a portion of the data in the table object.

16. A method of converting a data range into a spreadsheet table object, comprising:
providing a spreadsheet having a data range organized in a tabular layout and not including a table object;
receiving a selection of at least a portion of the data range;
displaying an interface for receiving a selection of a filter function;
in response to receiving a selection of the filter function, automatically converting the data range into a spreadsheet table object;
providing a filtering interface for receiving a selection of a filtering action; and
in response to receiving a selection of the filtering action, filtering at least a portion of the data in the spreadsheet table object.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
after the data range is converted into the spreadsheet table object, displaying a control element for reverting the spreadsheet table object back into the data range; and
in response to receiving a selection of the control element, reverting the spreadsheet table object back into the data range.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein providing the filtering interface for receiving the selection of the filtering action comprises providing a slicer-style user interface comprising at least one numeric filtering tile or at least one alphabetic filtering tile.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein filtering the at least the portion of the data in the spreadsheet table object in response to receiving the selection of the filtering action comprises:
receiving a selection of a numeric filtering tile; and
filtering the at least the portion of the data in the spreadsheet table object based on the selection of the numeric filtering tile.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein filtering the at least the portion of the data in the spreadsheet table object in response to receiving the selection of the filtering action comprises:
receiving a selection of an alphabetic filtering tile; and
filtering the at least the portion of the data in the spreadsheet table object based on the s

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Rutherford Allison Jane
• Albert Uhl
• Campbell John
• Wilson Aaron Lamar

Classifications

• G06F40/18 Primary

  of spreadsheets (form-filling G06F40/174) · CPC title

• G06F17/246 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic