Natural quick function gestures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11699031-B2
Application number	US-202117446581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Natural gestures for interacting with spreadsheet documents are provided. A user may interact with a spreadsheet document using a variety of touch-based gestures. Gestures applied to a spreadsheet document may be used for making structural and display changes to the document. For example, gestures may be used on the spreadsheet document for inserting new columns and rows; for revealing hidden columns and rows; for deleting columns and rows; for extending functionalities across columns and rows; for moving objects displayed in a spreadsheet document; and for navigating various parts of a spreadsheet document.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for interacting with an electronic spreadsheet document, comprising:
receiving a touch input on a touch screen display to select a cell in a displayed spreadsheet document and pull the selected cell along an axis, the axis being along a line of cells;
upon receiving the touch input, causing a user interface element to be displayed that provides an indication of a type of a sort operation;
causing cells in the line of cells to be sorted according to the type of the sort operation; and
causing a display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display of the displayed spreadsheet document is updated as the pulling of the selected cell occurs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the axis is a first axis;
the input is a first input;
the line of cells is a first line of cells; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells;
receiving a third input to select a third line of cells that is adjacent to the second line of cells;
receiving movement of at least one of the second input or the third input to slide the at least one of the second input or the third input along a second axis and pull the second and the third lines of cells apart;
in response to pulling the second and the third lines of cells apart, inserting one or more additional lines of cells between the second and the third lines of cells, wherein a number of additional lines of cells inserted into the displayed spreadsheet document is based on a distance between the second and the third lines of cells when pulled apart; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the axis is a first axis;
the input is a first input;
the line of cells is a first line of cells; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells;
receiving a third input to select a third line of cells;
receiving movement of at least one of the second input or the third input to slide the at least one of the second input or the third input along a second axis and pull the second and the third lines of cells apart;
in response to pulling the second and the third lines of cells apart, revealing one or more lines of cells hidden between the second and the third lines of cells, wherein a number of revealed lines of cells is based on a distance between the second and the third lines of cells when pulled apart; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a multi-touch input on the displayed spreadsheet document to select one or more cells;
receiving movement of the multi-touch input over a portion of the displayed spreadsheet document to tear data in the one or more cells out of the displayed spreadsheet document; and
displaying the data that is torn out of the displayed spreadsheet document in a canvas separate from the displayed spreadsheet document.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input;
the line of cells is a first line of cells;
the axis is a first axis; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells and move the second line of cells along a second axis;
based on the second line of cells moving a given distance, deleting the line of cells from the displayed spreadsheet document; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input;
the line of cells is a first line of cells;
the axis is a first axis; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells;
receiving a third input to select a third line of cells;
receiving movement of the third input to slide the third input along a second axis away from the second input;
in response to sliding the third input, revealing one or more lines of cells hidden from view behind the second and the third lines of cells, wherein a number of revealed lines of cells is based on a distance the third input is slid along the second axis; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input;
the axis is a first axis;
the line of cells is a first line of cells;
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells;
receiving a third input to select a of a third line of cells;
receiving movement of at least one of the second input or the third input to slide the at least one of the second input or the third input along a second axis until the second line of cells is adjacent to the third lines of cells;
in response to moving the second line of cells adjacent to the third line of cells, hiding one or more lines of cells behind the second and the third lines of cells, wherein a number of lines of cells hidden behind the second and the third lines of cells is based on a number of lines of cells between the second and the third lines of cells when the second and the third lines of cells are selected; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input;
the line of cells is a first line of cells; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a header associated with a second line of cells, the header positioned at a first location in the displayed spreadsheet document;

receiving movement of the header to move the header from the first location to a second location;
in response to moving the header to the second location, moving the second line of cells to the second location; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the axis is a first axis;
the displayed spreadsheet document comprises a first sheet and a second sheet; and
the method further comprises:
receiving multiple inputs on the first sheet to slide the multiple inputs along a second axis to navigate from the first sheet to the second sheet; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated by displaying the second sheet.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a first cell;
causing a selection handle to be displayed around the first cell;
receiving a third input to select the selection handle and move the selection handle to a second cell;
in response to moving the selection handle to the second cell, causing the selection handle to be displayed around both the first and the second cells to extend the selection of the first cell to include a selection of the second cell; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select an element;
receiving a circular input on the element to rotate the element in a direction of the circular input; and
causing the display of the displayed spreadsheet document to be updated by displaying the element as rotated.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input is a first input;
the axis is a first axis;
the line of cells is a first line of cells; and
the method further comprises:
receiving a second input to select a second line of cells;
in response to receiving the second input, causin

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Radakovitz Sam C
• Campbell John
• Otero Carlos Augusto
• Rutherford Allison Jane
• Albert Uhl

Classifications

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F1/18 Primary

  Packaging or power distribution · CPC title

• G06F40/18 Primary

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