Natural input for spreadsheet actions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9747270-B2
Application number	US-98647311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2011
Priority date	Jan 7, 2011
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Different gestures and actions are used to interact with spreadsheets. The gestures are used in manipulating the spreadsheet and performing other actions in the spreadsheet. For example, gestures may be used to move within the spreadsheet, select data, filter, sort, drill down/up, zoom, split rows/columns, perform undo/redo actions, and the like. Sensors that are associated with a device may also be used in interacting with spreadsheets. For example, an accelerometer may be used for moving and performing operations within the spreadsheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for interacting with a spreadsheet, comprising:
receiving a gesture on a touch input device, wherein the received gesture is used to interact with the spreadsheet;
receiving sensor information, wherein the sensor information is used to interact with the spreadsheet, wherein the sensor information comprises accelerometer data that is used in changing a view of the spreadsheet, wherein the accelerometer data is used to perform one of:
a zoom out operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a first direction, and
a zoom in operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a second direction, and
wherein the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation slow at one or more predetermined locations within the spreadsheet, wherein the one or more predetermined locations are prepositioned within the spreadsheet based at least in part on an arrangement of data within the spreadsheet;

automatically determining a type of the received gesture with respect to the spreadsheet;
performing an action in response to at least one of the determined type of the received gesture with respect to the spreadsheet and the sensor information, wherein performing the action in response to the determined type of the received gesture comprises one or more of: performing a first action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a karate chop gesture, performing a second action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a chart gesture, performing a third action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a comment gesture, performing a fourth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a grip gesture, performing a fifth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a gesture within a gesture box, and performing a sixth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a sort gesture; and
updating a display of the spreadsheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the karate chop gesture on the spreadsheet, inserting at least one of a row and a column in the spreadsheet near a location of the karate chop gesture.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the chart gesture, inserting at least one of: a trend line on a displayed chart in the spreadsheet and a chart in the spreadsheet.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the comment gesture, displaying a comment box to receive a comment at a location near a received gesture location.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a grip user interface element on the display of the spreadsheet;
in response to receiving the grip gesture when the grip user interface element is pressed, selecting a portion of the spreadsheet in response to a finger being moved across the spreadsheet; and
in response to receiving the grip gesture when the grip user interface element is not pressed then changing the display of the spreadsheet.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving a zoom gesture, performing at least one of:
displaying a thumbnail for each sheet within a workbook that is associated with the spreadsheet when a zoom level exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
displaying a drilled down view of the data of the spreadsheet.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a gesture box for receiving gesture commands;
when a gesture is received within the gesture box, a gesture command from the gesture; and
performing the gesture command on data in the spreadsheet.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a vortex animation in response to a cut command and in response to a paste command based on a location of the received gesture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically determining the type of the received gesture comprises determining when the gesture is the sort gesture, and wherein performing the action comprises sorting at least a portion of the data within the spreadsheet.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining when the spreadsheet is tilted;
determining a speed of the tilting; and
wherein performing an action comprises at least one of:
scrolling a display of the spreadsheet based on at least one of the tilt and the speed of the tilting; and
displaying spreadsheet objects in the spreadsheet spilling to a top of the spreadsheet.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically slowing the scrolling of the spreadsheet when a speed bump that is associated with a position in the spreadsheet is within a predetermined position.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining when the spreadsheet is shaken and performing at least one of:
clearing a filter on a spreadsheet object; and
performing a gravity sort that sorts spreadsheet data based on a weight of the spreadsheet objects.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining when the spreadsheet is rotated; and
in response, changing a type of view of the spreadsheet.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for interacting with a spreadsheet comprising:
determining when a gesture on a touch input device is received, wherein the received gesture is used to interact with the spreadsheet;
using accelerometer data as part of changing a view of the spreadsheet including using the accelerometer data to perform one of:
a zoom out operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a first direction, and
a zoom in operation with respect to the spreadsheet in response to moving the touch input device in a second direction,
wherein the zoom out operation and the zoom in operation slow at one or more predetermined locations within the spreadsheet, wherein the one or more predetermined locations are prepositioned within the spreadsheet based at least in part on an arrangement of data within the spreadsheet;

automatically determining a type of the received gesture with respect to the spreadsheet;
performing an action in response to the determined type of the received gesture with respect to the spreadsheet, wherein performing the action in response to the determined type of the received gesture comprises one or more of: performing a first action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a karate chop gesture, performing a second action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a chart gesture, performing a third action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a comment gesture, performing a fourth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a grip gesture, performing a fifth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a gesture in a gesture box, and performing a sixth action in response to the spreadsheet receiving a sort gesture; and
updating a display of the spreadsheet.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:
using the accelerometer data to reset a state of the spreadsheet.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining when the spreadsheet is tilted; and
wherein performing the action comprises displaying spreadsheet objects in the spreadsheet spilling to a top of the spreadsheet.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
in response to a movement of the spreadsheet, scrolling the spreadsheet; and
automatically slowing the scrolling of the spreadsheet when a speed bump that is associated with a position in the spreadsheet

Assignees

• Campbell John
• Lin Amy
• Waldman Lawrence
• Der Sherman
• Cheng Karen
• Doan Christopher
• Constantine Thomas
• Rothschiller Chad
• Ma Yun
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Campbell John
• Lin Amy
• Waldman Lawrence
• Der Sherman
• Cheng Karen
• Doan Christopher
• Constantine Thomas
• Rothschiller Chad
• Ma Yun

Classifications

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

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

• G06F2200/1614

  Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title