Suggesting a set of operations applicable to a selected range of data in a spreadsheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9489368-B2
Application number	US-201313918897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A smart selection engine is provided. The smart selection engine may run in the context of a spreadsheet application on any device, service, or general endpoint capable of running the spreadsheet application. The smart selection engine reduces the cognitive load and complexity for performing spreadsheet operations by clearly presenting the user with easy to use and understand options that are big, simple, and lend themselves nicely to natural user interfaces, touch enabled devices, and devices with small displays as well as with graphical user interfaces, larger displays, and traditional input devices. By making contextually based suggestions, the smart selection engine reduces or eliminates the need for the user to be aware of the available operations or how to perform the operations. Further, the smart selection engine improves the consistency and efficiency of working with a spreadsheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing operations in a spreadsheet having a user interface and containing data, the method comprising:
automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element; and
modifying the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element;
wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element comprises:
detecting content of a range of the data; and
suggesting a set of operations applicable to the range of data based on a layout and the content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises detecting the layout of the range of data in the spreadsheet.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises suggesting a set of operations applicable to the range of data based on the layout.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises displaying a viable result for the operation as the interactive element.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising modifying the spreadsheet in accordance with one of the suggestions selected by the user further comprises the act of committing the viable result to the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises linking a spreadsheet object viable to complete the operation with the interactive element.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises linking content from the spreadsheet having a type matching an expected data type required by the operation with the interactive element.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises generating a formula for the operation using a viable range from the spreadsheet.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifying the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element further comprises committing the formula into the spreadsheet.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises:
displaying a guided input area having an interactive control corresponding to a parameter of function used in a formula;
linking a spreadsheet object suggested to provide a value for the parameter to the interactive element; and
committing the value of the spreadsheet object or a reference to the spreadsheet object into the formula in response to direct interaction with the interactive element.

11. A system comprising a processor in electronic communication with a computer readable storage media, the computer readable storage media storing instructions that when executed perform a method, the method comprising:
automatically and contextually adjusting a user interface to display an interactive element in a spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element; and
modifying the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element;
wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element comprises:
detecting content of a range of the data; and
suggesting a set of operations applicable to the range of data based on a layout and the content.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises detecting the layout of the range of data in the spreadsheet.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises suggesting a set of operations applicable to the range of data based on the layout.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises displaying a viable result for the operation as the interactive element.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising modifying the spreadsheet in accordance with one of the suggestions selected by the user further comprises the act of committing the viable result to the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises linking a spreadsheet object viable to complete the operation with the interactive element.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises linking content from the spreadsheet having a type matching an expected data type required by the operation with the interactive element.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adjusting the user interface to display an interactive element in the spreadsheet that allows an operation to be directly performed by interacting with the interactive element further comprises generating a formula for the operation using a viable range from the spreadsheet.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein modifying the spreadsheet in response to direct interaction with the interactive element further comprises committing the formula into the spreadsheet.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein automatically and contextually adj

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Otero Carlos Augusto
• Campbell John
• Albert Uhl
• Rochat Pablo

Classifications

• G06F40/18 Primary

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

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

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

• G06F17/246 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic