Animation for expanding/collapsing content and for sorting content in an electronic document

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9395864-B2
Application number	US-201113293968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Animation for the expansion and collapse of content in a user interface may be provided. The user interface may be displayed by a computer and may contain a content surface for editing content. The content may include a top data row and data items in rows below the top data row on the content surface. The computer may then receive an input to expand/collapse the data items into the top data row. The computer may then animate a display of the data items expanding/collapsing into the top data row. Animation for the sorting of content in a user interface may also be provided. The user interface may be displayed by a computer and may contain a content surface for editing a plurality of rows containing content. The computer may then receive a request to sort the content. The computer may then animate a sort of the content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for animating a sorting of content in an electronic document, comprising:
displaying, by a computer, a user interface comprising a user sort control indicating a direction and a content surface for editing content;
receiving, by the computer, an input on the user sort control to sort the content on the content surface; and
in response to receiving the input on the user sort control, animating, by the computer, a sort of the content on the content surface, the animation comprising displaying a plurality of sort guides moving over a right edge and a left edge of a column defined by vertical lines and containing the content being sorted, the plurality of sort guides further moving in a direction corresponding to the direction indicated by the user sort control.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the computer, a request in the user interface to sort the content on the content surface comprises receiving a request to sort a plurality of data values in a descending order.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the computer, a request in the user interface to sort the content on the content surface comprises receiving a request to sort a plurality of data values in an ascending order.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein animating, by the computer, the sort of the content on the content surface comprises displaying a staggered transition of a plurality of data values to a plurality of sorted data values.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein animating, by the computer, the sort of the content on the content surface comprises animating the sort of the content in a fixed time period without regard to a number of a plurality of columns containing the content on the content surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein animating, by the computer, the sort of the content on the content surface comprises animating a multi-level sort of the content, wherein the animation is dependent on a first level of the multi-level sort.

7. A computer system for animating a sorting of content in a spreadsheet, comprising:
a memory for storing executable program code; and
a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:
display a user interface comprising a user control indicating a direction and a content surface for editing content;
receive an input on the user sort control to sort the content on the content surface; and
in response to the received input on the user sort control, animate a sort of the content on the content surface, the animation comprising a display of a plurality of sort guides moving over a right edge and a left edge of a column defined by vertical lines and containing the content being sorted, the plurality of sort guides further moving in a direction corresponding to the direction indicated by the user sort control.

8. The system claim 7 , wherein the processor, in receiving a request in the user interface to sort the content on the content surface, is operative to receive a request to sort a plurality of data values in a descending order.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor, in receiving a request in the user interface to sort the content on the content surface, is operative to receive a request to sort a plurality of data values in an ascending order.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor, in animating the sort of the content on the content surface, is operative to display a staggered transition of a plurality of data values to a plurality of sorted data values.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor, in animating the sort of the content on the content surface, is operative to animate the sort of the content in a fixed time period without regard to a number of a plurality of columns containing the content on the content surface.

12. A computer system for animating a sorting of content in a spreadsheet, comprising:
a memory for storing executable program code; and
a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:
display a user interface comprising a user control, a user sort control and a content surface comprising a plurality of data columns in the spreadsheet, the user control comprising an arrow identifying a currently selected data column comprising a plurality of data values in the spreadsheet to be sorted, the user sort control comprising a plurality of directional arrows;
receive an input on the user sort control to sort the plurality of data values in one or more of an ascending order and a descending order;
in response to the received input on the user sort control, animate a sort of the plurality of data values the content surface, the animation comprising:
a display of a staggered transition of the plurality of data values to a plurality of sorted data values, the plurality of directional arrows pointing in a direction of the sort; and
a display of a plurality of sort guides simultaneously moving over a right edge and a left edge of vertical lines defining the currently selected data column in the spreadsheet, the plurality of sort guides further moving in a direction indicated by the plurality of directional arrows, the plurality of sort guides comprising colored lines to facilitate identification by a user during the sort; and

remove the display of the plurality of sort guides following completion of the sort.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the processor, in animating the sort of the content on the content surface, is further operative to animate the sort of the plurality of data values in a fixed time period without regard to the plurality of data columns in the spreadsheet.

Assignees

• Leong Josh
• Edwards Christopher D
• Cheng Karen Xiaoxu
• Rothschiller Chad B
• Covington Clinton Dee
• Bendig Krista Anne
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Leong Josh
• Edwards Christopher D
• Cheng Karen Xiaoxu
• Rothschiller Chad B
• Covington Clinton Dee
• Bendig Krista Anne

Classifications

• G06F3/048 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F40/18

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

• G06F16/9038

  Presentation of query results · CPC title